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The Wife

The Wife and I met in college and have been together ever since. We currently have two amazing children, and together they all keep me focused to accomplish my goals and objectives.

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I Can’t Believe I have Been Blogging for 4 Years

by Evan

On August 5th of 2008 I put up my first post.  I had no idea if anyone would read about my journey, nevertheless care about what was going on in my life, but I wanted to share my thoughts with whoever wanted to read them.  Since putting that first post up I have seen somewhere between 570,000 and 630,000 pageviews (analytics vs sitemeter) and while that is probably a day’s worth of views for a news site I am pretty happy with it, especially since most of the first year or so I was getting under 15 page views a day.

I figured I would go through the full archive of My Journey to Millions and pick out some of my favorite posts in hopes that some of my newer readers can see that my writing was actually even worse back then!  Some of the tax information may have changed but I think these posts stand the test of time almost a half decade later.

It is funny as I built this list there doesn’t seem to be a connection between the topic of the posts, some are financial planning based, some are just about my life, and some are law based.  While there is no topical question I think the style in each of the picks chosen were me being me.

Favorite Posts from 2008

Favorite Posts from 2009

Favorite Posts from 2010

Favorite Posts of 2011

Favorite Posts of 2012

We are only half way through the year but I have some favorites:

If you told me that I would be blogging 4 years later I would have said you were crazy!

  • That is as long as HS,
  • As long as College
  • Longer than I was in Law School
  • One-Third of my Relationship with The Wife (we dated a long time before getting married)
  • It is more than a seventh of my life

This blog has kept me on track with my finances and has opened up opportunities to save money like I never would have imagined.  I started a very viable business with someone I have only met once in real life (I don’t talk about it much here, but it is pretty damn successful); I have shared some of my happiness, scares and tragedies with people I will never meet.  I have actually met like-minded people who have their own blog which is always cool.

For all those things above I want to thank everyone who has ever stopped by my blog.

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The Wife

The Wife’s Confusing View on Credit Cards

by Guest Post

Post by The Wife

I am not a huge fan of credit cards, but I am aware that sometimes they are necessary.  It has been trying but I have learned over time that a credit card doesn’t always have to equate to an uncontrolled amount of debt.  Credit cards can provide security in an emergency, and better yet they can get you free stuff! But all the good stuff credit cards can bring get voided if you abuse them. And I am sad to say I think one reason America is where it is today is because of the misuse of credit.

I am a huge believer that if you can’t pay for something in full, you can’t afford it (minus things like houses or cars). It is way too easy to keep buying and spending, then only paying the minimum. But that adds up quick, and soon you are in over your head.

But there is a way to use credit cards correctly. Credit card companies probably hate people like me who always pay their balance in full, but they just have to deal with that. We use our card to buy everything, and while doing so we are racking up the rewards points that credit cards offer. Mind you, it takes forever to actually save up enough points to get anything worth while, but if you do your research and get the right card, you can get some great rewards.

I could go on for days about my disdain for credit cards, but I will save you the reading time. My little PSA is this: Use credit cards, but be smart. Don’t buy what you can’t afford, and don’t get over your head. The debt is really not worth it.

Evan’s Note: This post was inspired by the folks at Money Expert.  I asked The Wife if her views on Credit Cards have changed at all since we got married and entered into and succeeded in Operation Eradicate Credit Card Debt.  It seems like she has moved from I hate credit cards, to if I can find the right one and not abuse the card they may be ‘alright.’  I actually find this post very funny because you can sense her anger through the post about the little plastic, but I am rubbing off on her that the card isn’t the evil item but rather the person using it. Point for Evan.

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The Wife

Musings of a Work at Home Mom

by Guest Post

This is a Guest Post Written By The Wife.  The Wife also writes at After The Alter

I have always loved working from home. Although sometimes challenging, working from home has allowed me many luxuries that people who work outside of the home don’t have. Don’t get me wrong, I do sometimes miss the camaraderie of an office, but how many people can say that they can work sometimes in their pajamas? I’d say not many!

Some people have asked me if I have ever considered renting office space.  The honest answer is no! With how is it is to communicate in today’s world, there really has never been a need. Who needs the extra overhead when I can easily answer calls, e mails and faxes from my own home.

I have to admit that with the addition of our child my office space has become a bit cramped. My office, which once was in our second bedroom, has now been moved to the first floor. I now share my office space with a living room couch and my Husband’s Fisht tank! What was once a closet filled with work items, now has become a store all of children’s items. Luckily, I don’t spend much sitting at my desk, so the move hasn’t affected me TOO much.

The main challenge of working from home is making sure to actually do my job. You can easily become distracted, especially now that my son takes up most of my time. I doubt most people could handle the responsibility of working from home. I guess I am just the special sort who can.

I will be honest and say it’s not for everyone. What works for me may not work for everyone else. Also, my main focus is on being a mom these days. My work has now come secondary. It’s great and I love it. Yay for being a work at home mom/wife!

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The Wife

Happy 30th Birthday to The Wife

by Evan

cake

In honor of The Wife’s 30th Birthday I thought I’d go through the archives and find some of my favorite posts about her, from her, or that having something she did that made me nutty.

So say happy birthday to my love!

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The Wife

Regardless of your Financial Situation Don’t Forget to be Happy!

by Guest Post

My sister asked me the other day why I sounded like such a “Debbie Downer” all the time when I spoke to her on the phone. I apologized and told her I just have a lot on my mind. Later in the day she sent me an e mail with the “Dance Like Nobody Is Watching” Poem. I know it’s nothing new, and that most people have already read it, but when I read her e mail I cried. Not necessarily tears of sadness, but tears because the poem is so very true.

I wrote a post a while back titled Remembering To Live , and even though I wrote those words I find them hard to follow. Reading this is a good reminder to enjoy life no matter what. I love the part that says “happiness is a journey not a destination”. So true! So take a moment and read this poem. If i’s the first time you are reading the full thing then I hope you enjoy it. If you’ve read it before, I recommend reading it again. Maybe it will have new meaning to you.

Dance Like Nobody Is Watching

We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, then another. Then we are frustrated that the kids aren’t old enough and we’ll be more content when they are. After that we’re frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage. We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, are able to go on a nice vacation, when we retire.

The truth is, there’s no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, when?

Your life will always be filled with challenges. It’s best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway. Alfred D Souza said, “For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin – real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.”

This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way. So, treasure every moment that you have. And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time … and remember that time waits for no one…

So stop waiting until you finish school, until you go back to school, until you lose ten pounds, until you gain ten pounds, until you have kids, until your kids leave the house, until you start work, until you retire, until you get married, until you get divorced, until Friday night, until Sunday morning, until you get a new car or home, until your car or home is paid off, until spring, until summer, until fall, until winter, until you are off welfare, until the first or fifteenth, until your song comes on, until you’ve had a drink, until you’ve sobered up, until you die, until you are born again to decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy…

Happiness is a journey, not a destination.

Thought for the day :
Work like you don’t need money,
Love like you’ve never been hurt,
And dance like no one’s watching.

Author: Crystal Boyd , 1998. From the book: “Midnight Muse.”
© Crystal Boyd (Visit Crystal Boyd website)
Please note that the Thought for the day is not part of Crystal’s poem, but from an old Irish Proverb

This is a guest post from The Wife.  She writes on her own, very different but much better blog, After the Alter.  Check out her site, follow her on twitter @AftertheAlter and subscribe to her feed – you’ll notice right away she is a much nicer person than me!

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