Everybody needs to have a blog. I was eating dinner at my local Indian joint when a late 20s couple sat at the table right next to me. The guy, a new pharmacy graduate from UCSF was with a female pharmacy student. He was buttering her up with praise about how she’s so popular now that her research report got published in some pharmacy journal. She blushed with pride.
I tuned out their entire conversation for 20 minutes as I stuffed my face with chicken tikka masala until I couldn’t help but overhear one phrase. He awkwardly said, “I think I’ve gotta build myself an emergency fund, you know? I hear it’s a good idea to build this emergency fund so I don’t go into high interest credit card debt.”
Wahoo! Music to my ears and music to his date’s ears as well. As soon as he started talking about securing his financial future, the female pharmacist started leaning into the table all excited. “Tell me more,” she said with a sultry, but incredibly nasally voice. I’m pretty observant – like CIA observant – where I can tell you what color your shoelaces are and point out the stain on the lower side of your shirt 30 minutes after our meeting is over if questioned.
It’s pretty clear to me they’re both getting lucky tonight all thanks to some personal finance dialogue.
So I got to wondering: Are personal finance bloggers (and readers) just abnormal because we talk about money all the time? Or are we simply some of the sexiest people on Earth?
Let’s discuss!
FORGET MOVIE STARS, PRO ATHLETES, AND ENTERTAINERS, PF BLOGGERS ARE THE PRIZE
Every time I hear someone 30 or older talk about personal finance, it’s always about the basics like saving, wondering how much to contribute to a 401k, whether they should start a Roth IRA, and so forth. It feels a little weird to hear them because I’m thinking these folks should know all this by now. They’ve been working for at least five years and we talk about this stuff everyday on Financial Samurai.
But then I got to thinking, America doesn’t teach personal finance in high school or college for whatever reason. Conspiracy theorists say that the government wants to keep the middle class financially dumb in order to better manipulate them through complicated tax policies and entitlements during election time. After all, if you are struggling financially, there’s a much higher chance of voting for a politician who gives you stuff than if you were financially independent. You tend to see through the bullshit if you don’t rely on anybody.
OK, let’s forget about conspiracies. Let’s just say that America’s education system just sucks. PF bloggers are just a weird minority who love writing about money related issues instead of doing other “normal” things like eating lots of cheeseburgers, going to baseball games, binge drinking watery beer, and watching lots and lots of TV.
Now let’s talk about whether PF bloggers are some of the most prized people on the planet. Having money is one thing. We know that having money tends to attract a larger selection of people. But what if you have money and can speak eloquently about money to help others build their own wealth?
The way the female pharmacy student was going, she might have jumped his bones right there if so!
Here are some positive attributes PF bloggers display:
1) Creativity. Interesting conversation is our forté. Personal finance is as boring as a Beefeater standing guard at the Queen’s gate. We’ve got to work hard to always put some type of interesting angle or imagery in our personal finance articles, otherwise, nobody will bother listening. A lot goes into coming up with a name, an avatar, a color scheme, a layout, and more.
2) Endurance. We can go on and on forever! There’s no way the normal person can write and publish 5,000 – 10,000 words a week for an extended period of time. I scientifically estimate that 99.8% of those who try will fail within six months. So far, I’ve kept up my schedule of publishing 3X a week on Financial Samurai sin
3) Good Communication. Learning how to write and get your point across is a very valuable skill to have. You can land multi-billion dollar deals with beautiful prose. Anyone can become a decent writer, you just have to practice. Many relationships end due to poor communication. If you go out with a blogger, he or she will be able to clearly telegraph what the heck he or she is talking about with an intro, some supporting arguments, and a conclusion.
4) Vulnerability. Ever go out with someone who always keeps their guard up? They probably got really hurt at one point and refuse to let themselves love again as a result. PF bloggers are always putting themselves out there. They tell the world about their financial mistakes, their speeding tickets, their fears of being a father. Women love vulnerability, because women are much more in touch with their emotional side than men. But men also love taking care of women who show their humanity.
5) Multi-Talented. It’s one thing to know how to write well. It’s another thing to write and play a sport or a musical instrument at a high level as well. Many PF bloggers are able to straddle the mental and physical elements with ease.
6) Deep Thinkers. PF bloggers tend to be much deeper thinkers than the average person. As a result, we are much more sensitive to people’s needs. You’ll never have a situation where you tell your friend, “He never notices when I change my hair or paint my nails.” We notice everything because we are constantly pontificating. We’re much more open minded than your average potato chip eating slob.
7) On The Right Track. Many women tell me they don’t care if a guy is rich, so long as he knows what he wants and has a plan to get there. Not all PF bloggers are big ballers. Some have tons of debt. But what every PF blogger has is the will and the direction to get better. That’s what matters most. You will not find a PF blogger that is just floundering in the wind. Those are the lifestyle design bloggers who “quit” their jobs during a recession. Zing!
8) Positive Attitude. Given most PF bloggers have gone through difficult times and still write to tell the tale, most PF blogger are optimists. We always believe things will get better with effort. Never fail due to a lack of effort, is my motto for life. We try and see the good in bad situations. Half the battle of building great wealth is believing in ourselves. Confidence is an attractive attribute.
9) Thoughtful. PF bloggers gain an amazing amount of perspective after a while. We are not one-track minded because we host guest posts from different types of folks (this one is about what it feels like being unemployed) and we constantly read and respond to commentary.
10) Adventurous. Most people work at a job they dislike for a living. A Gallup survey discovered that about 70% of workers are “disengaged” or “not interested.” But PF bloggers are risk takers. Many of us are also quite adventurous thanks to the internet. How many regular office workers do you know travel the world for months or engineer their layoffs in order to work on their sites full-time? That takes guts and lots of adventure.
11) Open To Criticism. In order to be a PF blogger, you’ve got to not only open yourself up to criticism, you’ve got to develop elephant butt skin. We get hated on, criticized, yelled at, threatened, called racial slurs, and so forth. We all have times when we just want to give up, but we carry on. And through all the criticism, we look for nuggets of truth so that we can keep on getting better.
12) Good Listeners. In order to really dig deep into a story, we’ve got to listen carefully. PF bloggers are fantastic listeners who are able to dissect situations and come up with effective solutions. Active listening takes true skill. Listeners will always trump motormouth speakers who are overcompensating for the insecurities.
13) Critical Thinkers. Public writing is a very tricky thing to do. A good writer is able to see both sides of an argument and still eloquently argue his or her side without supremely upsetting the other side. Critical thinkers are problem solvers. Instead of complaining all day about why the world is not fair, why there’s a widening wage gap, and why they can’t get ahead, bloggers come up with solutions such as the 1/10th rule for car buying or new engagement ring shopping tips to prevent bitterness.
14) Solid Collaborators. Even though the barriers to entry are low online and PF bloggers are all jockeying for very similar audiences, we have a great way of collaborating to help each other grow. The Yakezie Network is a PF blogging network open to anybody who wants to join the Challenge. Through the network, many bloggers have been able to get highlighted in major media publications, earn thousands of dollars a month, provide educational scholarships, and quit their jobs. If 70% of the people dislike their jobs, we could literally be helping 70+ million people get out of doing something they don’t like.
15) Good Leaders. Every single blogger is the CEO of their own site. Some are small, while others may get a million pageviews a month and earn multiple six figures a year. Whatever the case may be, PF bloggers must manage their community, decide on an editorial calendar, come up with a brand, market their sites, and negotiate with potential partners and customers every single day.
16) Doers. You know the people who always say “some day” but that day never comes? Bloggers take matters into their own hands and give things a go. “Perfect is the enemy of good” as they say. We have our fears, but we try anyway. If we fail, we learn from our mistakes and try again until we get things right.
17) We’ll Make You Laugh. Given most people hate their jobs and surf the internet all day to kill time, bloggers are often not only a great resource for learning, but we also distract you from the pain, even for just a couple minutes a day. I mean, how else are you going to get girls (or boys) if you live at home with mom and dad? How else are stay at home men going to deal with the stigma of being bread-eaters? We try and bring humor to delicate, but real life concerns.
18) More Faithful. Because we put ourselves out there so much, we’ve got to be more careful with our actions because lots of people are watching. You can go for that NFL running back, but chances are high that as soon as he flies to Miami for a game, he’ll be hooking up with some other woman. Everybody has their indiscretions, but if you’re worried about financial infidelity at least, personal finance bloggers do a much better job staying on course.
19) Charitable. Can you imagine working for 30-50 hours a week for years and never asking for any compensation in return? Well, that’s what bloggers do. We put ourselves out there, work before going to work or into the wee hours of the night, figure out how to add value to the world, and never ask for any money. All of us pay our taxes, give money to causes we believe in, and donate our time with our sites. I’ve launched The Best Of Financial Samurai 180-page ebook where I’m donating 100% of proceeds after expenses to Alive & Free, a foundation to help urban kids stay off the streets and in the classroom.
20) Good-Natured. At the end of the day, all we really want to do is have a lot of fun and be happy. It doesn’t matter how much money we have in the world if we are miserable. Creating something fun for ourselves and other people to enjoy is what it’s all about. We may get kicked and picked on by random folks online, but that’s nothing compared to the immeasurable pleasure we get from doing what we love.
21) Living Free. You can make a very healthy living as a professional blogger. There is no limit to how much money you can make because there are over 3 billion people on the internet. Many professional bloggers make more than bankers, techies, lawyers, and doctors, while having maximum amount of freedom.
PF BLOGGERS AND READERS RISE UP!
Yes, some of us might be a little out of shape, socially awkward, absurdly arrogant, and posses the eyes of a psycho-killer, but so do a lot of other folks in the world.
After writing this post, I’ve convinced myself that I want my daughter to marry a personal finance blogger. I’ll rest easier knowing that when it comes to financial planning, investing for their children’s college education, setting up a multi-generational trust, communicating in a thoughtful manner, figuring out ways to give back to society, and having a great overall life, she’ll be in good hands!
And if your ego is now super massive after reading this post as a blogger, be careful! A fist in the face is still more powerful than a finger in the eye…… or is it? Write on.
Passive Income X Factor – Starting Your Own Site
There’s nothing better than starting your own website to own your brand online and earn extra income on the side. Why should LinkedIn, FB, and Twitter pop up when someone Google’s your name? With your own website you can connect with potentially millions of people online, sell a product, sell some else’s product, make passive income and find a lot of new consulting and FT work opportunities.
Financial Samurai started as a personal journal to make sense of the financial crisis in 2009. By early 2012, it started making a livable income stream so I decided to negotiate a severance package. It was such a no brainer instead of quitting my job with nothing. The severance package provided for five years of healthy living expenses as I built Financial Samurai.
Years later, with over 1.5 million pageviews a month, FS now makes more than I did as an Executive Director at a major bulge bracket firm with 90% less work and 100% more fun. Start your own WordPress website with Bluehost today. You never know where the journey will take you! Here’s my step-by-step guide to help make it happen.
Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons, Pat Loika, 2020.
Absolutely love this post!
I’ve honestly been spending way too much time reading your posts the last few days. It’s easy to lose track of time with so many relatable posts. I’m definitely finding value though.
I have to say, I started off as a PF blogger who discussed dividends and trading, but have turned into more of a lifestyle blogger. It’s happened because I write about what is currently going on in my life. It’s possible that I’ll start writing about that again soon.
That said, I agree with so many of your points about bloggers in general. Deep thinking, creative, enduring, vulnerable.
Bloggers tend to be good natured people. Entertaining read!
Brilliant! Thanks Sam. I’ve just started my blog so it’s great to think that even if my online writing career doesn’t take off, my relationship prospects are high. Good-natured, charitable, adventurous… who knew?!
“After all, if you are struggling financially, there’s a much higher chance of voting for a politician who gives you stuff than if you were financially independent. You tend to see through the bullshit if you don’t rely on anybody.”
Though it’s an aside in the article, that stuck out at me. I’ve always thought the opposite was true…that people, struggling folks, tend to vote against their own interests (e.g. politicians who give them stuff). That seems to come up a lot in the last presidential election, where rural and poor/working class people tended to vote for the Republican candidate and though I haven’t read it, that’s the basis of Thomas Frank’s book “What’s the Matter with Kansas?”.
Interesting. Why would someone vote for a politician who takes away money and services from them?
If one is struggling, one will have tendency to vote for a politician who takes one group of people and transfers the proceeds to themselves. One will also have a tendency to vote for a politician who promises more government services, support, subsidies etc at the expense of another group of people who will pay.
This is simply how government stay in power. Promises. Who pays for the promises is the reason why States and the Federal Gov’t is in so much debt.
I am so sexy that I picked the top survey responses too (although not necessarily in the same order). I think plumber’s butt deserves sexy position #2.
I’m way down on the personal finance blogger ranking (hangs head in shame for being a 30-something talking/learning about the basics). I think my boyfriend considers me overly optimistic, but finds the idea that what I talk about might be attainable exciting. Maybe my confidence makes me sexy? But for the most part, as someone who isn’t all that interested in personal finance, his eyes just kinda glaze over as he agrees to do whatever I want (probably so he doesn’t have to hear about it anymore).
I’m guessing it’s a little different being a guy personal finance blogger.
Hmmm, maybe! I cannot know b/c I’m not a woman. It’s just that potential to achieve XYZ financially, which I find exciting. I think many people feel this way. It’s always the journey, even if we end up making the big bucks or have a huge windfall one day.
It looks like you are trying too hard to find a life partner ;)
As the band Right Said Fred would say “I’m too sexy for my blog”
If you’re daughter is truly physically attractive, she’ll have many men vying for her attention and can be very choosy. Otherwise, she’ll be just like the rest of us. She’ll date within her league looks and income wise and pick someone who she is compatible with for the long term, maybe even a finance blogger.
“If you go out with a blogger, he or she will be able to clearly telegraph what the heck he or she is talking about with an intro, some supporting arguments, and a conclusion.”
This. Indeed. Learning first-hand.
Tell the truth…does it work for you?
I would fall for it.
Like your blog.
Keep up the good work.
Haha funny post. Very true attributes indeed.
I heard UC Davis offers a personal finance course now. Hopefully more schools will follow suit!
UC Davis will be getting a cease and desist order from the government, I’m sure.
Oh yeah! We are definitely the sexiest people on earth. I can say this with authority because I am both married to, and am myself, a PF blogger. Hey, hey!
Also, I have this EXACT same thought ALL the time: “Every time I hear someone 30 or older talk about personal finance, it’s always about the basics like saving, wondering how much to contribute to a 401k, whether they should start a Roth IRA, and so forth. It feels a little weird to hear them because I’m thinking these folks should know all this by now.” I have to bite my tongue so hard at dinner parties it’s a wonder I have a tongue left.
Wow, tag team! So much sexiness in the house!
Have you thought of starting a dating service for PF bloggers? Man of the most important characteristics of a PF blogger is what men and women want in a mate. BTW, I would add confident to your list. Most people who are secure and accomplished are confident. A very sexy attribute and attracts the ladies more than any other attribute.
OK, I’ll fit it in somewhere. I need to keep the list perfectly at 20 though for symmetry.
Regarding the “world famous financial experts” wow what a joke! Over half don’t even do their own management and almost all but you have a real estate allocation of 15% or less! You can’t call yourself a financial expert if you aren’t doing all of your personal finances, investment allocation, and taxes yourself. Especially not world famous! An expert would also know real estate is essential to building wealth (ok not essential, but much smarter).
This is to compliment you, of course. It was interesting to see Robert Kiyosaki thrown in there too. I believe you both are on different levels.
Come on, you can’t discredit the World Famous tag! I plan to use this in all my marketing materials from now on.
– Sam, World Famous
“Sam, World Famous”
haha. You are!
PF bloggers make horrible employees for all the reasons you mentioned ;)
Going against the grain, unless you work in tech or a startup, is not something too employable.
You can admit yourself that you don’t want to ever feel obligated to a job ever again. Employers want that feeling of obligation!
Is there any other job to do but tech and startups?
None nearly as exciting. Touché.
I’m always amazed at the constant positive attitude of PF bloggers, at least for the most part. You could always bag on someone else and their mistakes, but it’s a group of people just trying to help others. The world could learn a lot from PF bloggers than come from all over the world and all types of backgrounds and beliefs.
As a new PF blogger… I’m going out on a limb here – I’m quite sexy (for that reason obviously). Sharing this post with the fiance!
Jay
Congratulations this post just made my Friday, I’m going share this with my wife Mrs. Even Steven Money just so she knows how lucky she is……..OK i’m lucky but she’s reading this one for sure.
Let me know what she thinks!
These reasons are great; very entertaining! I have to admit that a guy that has his finances in order is definitely more appealing than a guy that is living paycheck to paycheck with no clue. It’s awesome you overheard that couple discussing emergency funds, too. Hearing about others making good financial decisions outside the PF blogosphere is always great.
Glad you agree Erin. See guys? I’m right.
Great post – I agree PF bloggers are awesome, and definitely people I aspire to be like one day, but I’ve got a lot to learn first.
My naturally good looks combined with my knowledge and love of PF have made me nearly irresistible to women. Not a day goes by where I’m not breaking some poor girl’s heart by telling her that these nimble typing fingers and robust emergency fund have already been claimed. It’s a heavy burden to bear, but we knew what we were getting into when we started blogging about PF.
There you go! Now that’s confidence right there. I wonder what your wife will say about this post.
Finance bloggers are very responsible people who take control of their lives to actively improve it. That’s an admirable trait. Their sexy ratio is probably equal to the generation population though.
It’s considered taboo to discuss personal finances on many occasions, so people probably avoid it. In the restaurant conversation, if the girl asked “so how much is your emergency fund now” and if the guy tells her and then asks her how much she has, etc. Those types of conversation can make people very uncomfortable.
Also, why the concern about a non existent daughter? Once she’s an adult, she can make her own decisions just like a future non existent son can.
I like your solution of curing worrywarts by just telling them to stop worrying.
Prestige trumps income and net worth in the dating world. Let’s be real, all else being equal, a doctor will do much better than a PF blogger. That’s just how it works, and that’s how it will (probably) always work.
Not if I can help it. We will move mountains, one pebble at a time.
I would 100% agree with all of these things, but the one that stuck out is that personal finance blogger have many talents and interests. that is so true! It seems like everyday I either find a blogger with new interests or a new blogger all together!
Left brain + right brain = domination!
It is as if this was speaking to me – very timely…I just started getting the ‘hello world’ blog out there. Need to add content!
I hope to always speak to you g.
(is it bad that I got turned on by this post?)
I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Of course were some of the sexiest folks on earth — but the men folk may be getting by a bit easier than us ladies. Not all regular (as in non-PF nerd) men are comfortable with women taking charge with bank accounts or being able to financially keep up. But hey, that helps us weed people out pretty quickly. Who wants to be with someone who won’t get financially naked with you?!
Nah, I think women have it easier due to expectations. Although everything is equalizing now. I do hope more women take charge of the finances and bring home the bacon!
I’m linking this article to the next pretty girl who finds out I’m a PF blogger.
Am I joking? Probably not.
Let me congratulate you on your success beforehand!
Hehehehe
Bah! The girl was not overly impressed. Although her family is pretty loaded. Money management probably isn’t much of a concern to her.
Hilarious! And very true. If aliens came down to earth and wanted to create a master race of humans I’m pretty sure they would use PF bloggers.
Master race! I should have used that line in the post!
Entertaining article Sam. On a serious note, why do you try so hard to maintain your anonymity?
You don’t see me in the Captain America suit?
I’ll tell you in 10 months. In the meantime, I’m always happy to grab a beer if you come to SF.
Haven’t you read his stealth wealth post? I don’t honestly blame him. If I had his net worth, I wouldn’t be too upfront with it either :P
Ah, but I’ve never revealed my net worth. I’ve only mentioned my passive income and wrote the average net worth for the average person.
Nice post! I think many Of those attributes can be linked to successful people in any field. The awesome thing about blogging on a public forum is most bloggers have goals they write about. Writing goals, then discussing them in detail and being held accountable by thousands of people really helps you get things accomplished!
Writing goals down is huge. Writing goals down for the public to scrutinize puts even more pressure on folks to succeed.
Haha I love all the work you put into this. I’m sure it won’t take long for my ego to get back down to its original size, though :)
You talking about this 2,300 word post? Pshha. No big thang. Whipped it up between doing some one finger push-ups and brushing my teeth, at the same time.
LOL! I guess I’ve still got tens of thousands of words to go before I reach Samurai status.
Forgot to mention “size matters”.
Size of your investment accounts and page views, that is…
Haha, I love it!
Unfortunately my experiences of discussing finance with others has never gone quite this well. It seems “Do you wanna see the size of my pension account” just doesn’t pull the ladies like you’d expect it to ;)
You’ll be surprised! Men who fill out very high income and net worth amounts on dating sites get 3x more inquiries. Shocking, I know!
Hmmm, shocking findings indeed. Although I suspect those most impressed by the net worth figure would be those most likely to drain it ;)
They want to know you have the $$$ but find it incredibly boring to listen how to do it themselves.