I absolutely love Jordan’s blog because she shares really incredible money saving tips that she has used in her own life to get out of debt and make smart decisions for her family. She is really cool. Does that explain how I feel about her? 😉 I really like her blog Fun Cheap or Free’s motto too: “Where frugal gets a facelift.” I love that she exhibits that being frugal doesn’t have to be boring and unstylish. It’s not, and we can all live that way!
Why did you start your blog or Web site?
I started it a bit on accident. My husband and I were going through a really tough financial time (read all about it HERE: http://bit.ly/1mfWpKP), and bounced back in record time. People were very curious as to how we got out of $15K of credit card yet, in just one year, while making only $31K salary. I started blogging about our experience as a creative outlet, hobby to fill my time, and to help anyone who would listen. It just kind of took off from there.
What keeps you motivated?
After about 1.5 years of blogging, it started taking over my life. I felt like I was sitting at the computer all day, neglecting my kids. But I couldn’t stop! I wasn’t making any money at the time, entirely on purpose because I didn’t want it to turn into “a job”. That’s not why I started it. I did it in hopes of helping people, and becoming the girl next door go-to expert people trust. At that 1.5 year mark my supportive husband sat me down and had quite the heart-to-heart. He helped me realize that in order to keep offering free advice to my readers whom I care about so much, I need to make at least some money or else the blogging would need to stop. He helped me set some goals (sign a book deal, get paid to be on TV, throw an annual money-saving conference, etc.). I started working backwards from those goals and realized…he’s right!! While money isn’t a motivator, it’s important to work smart when blogging and find ways to make money to support the craft, thus being able to reach exponentially more people. At the end of the day it’s not about the money. I use it to pay for overhead costs then let the rest sit in a bank account. It’s 110% about my readers and helping anyone who will listen! …but it’s also gratifying to know that I can make money doing something I love.
What is your favorite quote, and why?
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take” – Wayne Gretzky. I heard this quote in middle school and have been living by it ever since. It’s basically a fancy way of saying “why not?!”, which describes my mentality perfectly. It’s because I’ve been willing to put myself out there and potentially fail or make a fool of myself that I’ve been able to accomplish almost all of my goals.
What is one piece of advice you wish you could give to your past self back when you started your blog?
Work smarter, not harder. If you’re going to blog about something/promote something anyway, might as well get paid for it so you can keep your blog going! Also, I would tell myself to not get distracted. I wish I would’ve set those goals earlier, instead of at the 1.5 year mark. I probably would’ve reached them faster. But at the same time I believe in living a “no regrets” life and I really don’t regret any of the decisions I’ve ever made. Everything happens for a reason!
Thank you for the awesome insight and tips, Jordan! xo
What an awesome blogger! Thank you for sharing her story!!
Her Heartland Soul
http://herheartlandsoul.com