Why I Started Blogging

Welcome to the first post on Lemonade Budget.

What’s this blog all about?

Glad you asked. In a nutshell, I’m going to be writing about money and sharing my financial independence journey.

If you wish to know more or find out who’s behind the curtain, then check out the About Page.

In this very first post, I want to share my reasons for starting this blog and my goals for it. So, without further ado…

Why I Started This Blog

I’m passionate about personal finance. I find this stuff fascinating. It just clicks with me. I could easily spend all day buried in an investing or wealth creation book or crunching numbers on a spreadsheet.

Over the years, I’ve learned a few things about money that has served me well. I want to share what I’ve learned with as many people as possible because what I’ve learned has changed my life… and it has the power to change many other lives.

You see, money is often a source of frustration, confusion and pain… but it doesn’t have to be.

Our problems stem from never being taught anything about money, or worse yet, we’re following the advice of people that aren’t generally good with money.

I wasn’t told anything useful about money growing up. There were no lessons on how to save, how to use credit cards responsibly, how to invest, or why you should even bother.

As a result, I made plenty of dumbass financial mistakes in my youth (too many to list here).

Luckily, I managed to teach myself about money in my early 20’s. Through self-education, I was able to turn what was once a source of stress and negativity into a resource that serves me.

I want to share what I’ve learned about money so that you can build a life that excites you, free from money worries.

And by teaching what I’ve learned about financial independence, I want to help you create the freedom to spend your time however you want.

Goals For This Blog

The savings hacks, budgeting tips and investing lessons I plan to write about will be helpful for anyone trying to get on top of their finances.

However, a lot of what I want to write about is going to be focused on the nitty-gritty of achieving FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early) in the UK – which leans towards the extreme end of personal finance.

I know this isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s where I believe I can add the most value.

As such, I have two specific goals for the blog:

1. Spread The FIRE

Ever since I discovered FIRE, I knew it was what I wanted.

It’s incredible that FIRE is even possible. The freedom and lifestyle that comes from financial independence was once reserved for royalty and aristocrats.

Now, anyone willing to prioritise saving over spending and adopt a few thrifty habits can retire in just a few short years.

Even if you have no intention of retiring early, financial independence (FI) will provide you with choices; you could embark on a new career or start a business without stressing over how to make ends meet.

I think FIRE is AWESOME, and I want to shout about it from the rooftops.

However, I realise that not everyone thinks like me or is hellbent on achieving FI. Instead of standing on my soapbox and preaching about the many benefits of FI, I plan for this blog to be a resource for anyone that comes looking for the information.

2. Share My Journey

After six years of hard graft, I managed to accumulate enough passive income that I was able to quit my job for good… at 30 years old.

I plan on sharing my journey so far, and also as I continue to pursue a greater level of financial freedom, as I believe it will help others who wish to pursue this path, and it will also keep me on track with my goals.

Although many bloggers document their journey, everyone’s circumstances are unique. If my story resonates with someone and inspires them to improve their finances or pursue FI, then that’s a win in my book.

That being said, I’m still not 100% comfortable sharing my own finances and money struggles. Money is a taboo subject not often discussed openly, and when you do, you open yourself up to judgment and criticism. Yet, I still believe the benefits of being transparent with my finances outweigh the downside.

I’ve yet to decide how I’m going to share my journey (maybe a monthly or quarterly update), but I’m sure that will become clear the more I blog.

First Post Done!

Pheww, that’s the first post out of the way.

In all honesty, I was hesitant to publish this or to even start a blog. I was waiting until I was “ready”.

But, just like starting on the path towards financial independence, it’s better to start, make mistakes and refine as you go along, than to never start at all.