I’m Elle and I’ve been blogging over at Couple Money for the past year. I’m a happy member of the Yakezie and I’m excited to share a bit about myself and my site.
Why I Started Couple Money
I’ve blogged about Personal Finance since 2007 with another personal finance blog that was focused with college students and new graduates. It was a wonderful catalyst for getting started with some freelance work.
After a while, though, it became harder and harder to write for it as I had grown. I kind of painted myself into a corner. Along with some family obligations, I no longer had the passion I had when I first started it.
I started Couple Money as an outlet for what interested me now in personal finance – building financial freedom as a couple. I specifically had topics covered broad enough so I could explore freelance work, monthly household cash flow, and any other financial issue or question that I may have.
My Financial Goals
I’ve tried to be as transparent as possible on my blog, so I’ve shared two big ones that we have on a few of my posts. They are:
- Have no debt except for our mortgage. Currently the only debt we have left right now is my student loans, which have a low interest rate. We buy our cars with cash and we pay off the credit card every month.
- Have a steady mobile income of $50,000/year or more. We definitely wouldn’t mind more, but this figure would allow us to pay our bills, give some money to charity, and have some leftover for personal fun. Having location independent jobs is our goal.
We’re hoping to accomplish both within 4 years. I think if we continue with our smaller goals we’ll reach them.
Joining the Yakezie
I remember reading a post from another blogger about the Alexa Challenge and I went over to see what exactly it was on Financial Samurai. I had been a reader of Financial Samurai and I was intrigued about trying the challenge.
Working on the Yakezie Challenge has been energizing and a learning experience. We push each other and work with one another with projects. When I launched my Netbook Giveaway a few months ago, they helped promote it on Twitter, on their blogs, and on Facebook.
There are some wonderful bloggers in the group who have selflessly promoted others and it motivates me to do the same. The friendly, but competitive nature of the challenge fired me up.
I think Yakezie fits into my blog’s DNA very well and I want to help introduce my readers to some of the fantastic bloggers in the group.
The Plan for Couple Money
I deliberately had a plan since day one for the site. My hope is that a year from now, Couple Money will be a resource for couples looking to work on their finances together. As I learn more about being self-employed, I want to incorporate more of that into the site.
I would love for other couples to share their victories and challenges on the site. I try to keep an open policy with guest posts to encourage others.
I believe successful blogging is about being accessible and honest. I try to make my more personal financial posts honest (while keeping some privacy). I include a monthly net worth update as a way to keep myself accountable and to encourage others to keep an eye out on their long term financial goals.
I’m also trying to support certain causes close to my heart. My hope is that Couple Money can raise awareness and funds for worthy charities like DonorsChoose and Charity:Water.
Mentors and Supporters
I have been fortunate to have many people in the personal finance community take time out with me. some of the more popular bloggers took notice of the site and have help me get the word out on Couple Money.
- Jason from Frugal Dad
- Sam from Financial Samurai
- Matt from Debt Free Adventure
- Pete from Bible Money Matters
- Craig from Free From Broke
I wish I could mention them all, but space won’t permit me. I’m also grateful for the support of my fellow Yakezie members who have tweeted me posts. I’ll keep doing my best to return the favor.
Checking Out Couple Money
I hope you got a better idea of who I am and what Couple Money is about. If you want to get an idea of the topics discussed over at Couple Money, check out my post on Financial Game Plan for Couples.
My hope is that you’ll look around Couple Money and join the discussion as we tackle handling finances as a couple.
This post is part of the Yakezie Member Post Series. See all member posts here.
Elle, I love the way you lay out your goals and go for it. Working together as a couple makes reaching the goals so much easier!
Good luck, and look forward to working with you here at Yakezie.
Thnks Dr Dean! It certainly makes it easier when the two of us are on the same page. When we disagree…at least it’s still interesting.
I applaud your transparency with your family finances. This openness not only brings your blog to life, but will help accomplish one of your goals: other couples sharing their victories and challenges on your site.
Wishing you and Couple Money great success!
Thanks Joe, it’s a fine line between transparency and privacy. I try to keep it balanced. I hope I can continue to host more guest posts from fellow blogger sharing their stories.
I enjoyed your post earlier this month on 5 steps to automate your wealth!
Hi Elle! I’m impressed that you have set very specific goals and are working together to achieve them. With your focus I’m sure you’ll get there ahead of schedule.
Thanks Mike. I figure if we have a timeline, it’ll light the fire under us and have us work for it. Sooner would be better, but 5 should be doable.
Howdy Elle! It’s great that you’ve been blogging for so long, and were able to successfully sell your first blog and move on to your new one that matches with your new stage in life!
I love that goal of having a steady mobile income of $50,000! I’ll shoot for that too and who knows, we might be able to get there just one year from now or sooner with the Yakezie!
Good stuff having a couple charities you are passionate about! Charities have always helped drive me to continue, and will be a key theme under the Yakezie Scholarship vertical once the bulk of our Member Posts is all set and done.
Cheers,
Sam
Seeing the Yakezie rally behind charities is something I’m excited about. I think we can make a big impact with it.
Indeed. Just the first month alone, via the campaigns in the private forums, I believe we really can make a bigger contribution than I initially thought.
You’ve got a great newsletter, and do everything so professionally. Good work!
I totally agree that honesty is a key with blogging. I don’t always trust someone when I read that everything is always perfect and wonderful. We all learn from our mistakes, and if others can learn from your mistakes, then that is a great thing.
Great intro!
Blogging is such a community experience that honesty is crucial. Developing trust takes time and showing your imperfections can help you relate with others.
Elle, I love the fact that your goals are so detailed! Also, the fact that you are so open in your writing definitely makes it easier to see where you are coming from in your articles. I’m glad that you have been so supportive of use “rookie” bloggers, and that we are a part of the same network!
I love meeting newer blog and I look forward to seeing KNS grow bigger and more popular!
Elle, thanks for sharing your story. I respect the mission of your blog, and how you’re setting specific goals. Glad you’re a part of Yakezie.
I love the goals and wish you the best of luck!
I am a huge fan of your writing and the interractions we have had on twitter and your site. I’d love to hear more on your site on HOW you are going to get to that goal of 50k mobile income.
I’m planning on including some more entrepreneurship posts on the site. It’s trying to flesh out a series so I can have it somewhat organized for readers.
Alright nice write-up, heading over to the financial game plan now! Was that stat on your mobile-income separate from earnings off your regular jobs? If so, then that is very impressive how much you’ve grown the site! congrats & good luck with the goals.
While I do get some income directly from Couple Money, most of it is based on my freelance work outside the site. I’m hoping to have Couple Money’s income grow in the next 3 months to the point that it can make part time income regularly.
Nice to meet you, Elle. A mobile income of $50,000 would be pretty nice, and I would love to have that myself. I think that would be part of the dream; to have an income you can generate as long as you have a laptop and an internet connection!
Pleasure meeting you as well. The group is so large now that I’m depending on the member posts to get to know everyone. Having a laptop and an internet connection is a big deal for me with work. Hopefully with the giveaway coming up this week at CM I’ll help someone achieve their dream.
Thanks for sharing your story Elle! It is very important to plan as a couple and work on it together, it is after all “our” money. Good luck with your goals!
I love your goal of having location independent jobs. That’s something that is a big part of my unconventional retirement plan. The job market is nothing like it used to be and you really shouldn’t have to be stuck in one town, or one job the rest of your life. Life’s too short!
We don’t mind working in the office as needed, but we’ve realized we’re much more productive working at our home office.
BTW, thanks again for doing a Sunday Blogger Interview!
Wow, I love your focus and goal! It’s interesting that you had another blog in a former blogger life! I would ask more questions about it, but I don’t want to pry. I think you made a wise choice in your financial blogging niche, one that you have great passion about!!!
Being married (although I joke about it), I’ll have to stop by and see what kind of solution you might have for my wife and I. Currently, I handle the investments and taxes only, and she handles the bills. But I would love to get her more involved in the investment area (afterall, she’s an accountant by occupation)…
My last blog was on college student and personal finances and I still write weekly for it.I love the site, but I was ready to move on.happy with Couple Money and hope to run it for years to come!
Each marriage has their own financial system. We have friends with different ones and they are successful too. It’s good though to see how other people do it, so you can get ideas for your own.
Oh cool, I didn’t realize you still have the old blog too! Sweet!
My wife and I are getting by with our financial system, but it could be better. I’m just afraid that if something every happens to me, she might be a bit lost about where all the accounts that we have are located… We never have and financial issues that most people have (it helps that she’s an accountant, and I’m very frugal) :)
I sold it, but a nice part of the transaction included an opportunity to still write for the site. I don’t call the shots there, but I get to be a part of it.
I didn’t realize that you had prior PF blogging experience. I think that’s one of the best things about these intros; I’m learning more about the bloggers I follow and it adds a little more depth into their posts. It’s also great to have the mobility that you’re creating. Keep up the great work!
I’m with you! I really had no idea how helpful these members would be. I love learning a bit more about others in the group.
Hi Elle, I really like the niche of personal finance you’ve chosen to write about. There is definitely a need for couples to learn to manage money together. Too many times we see husband OR wife managing the finances, but the other isn’t informed or involved. While one person is typically the person who pays the bills, tracks spending, etc., the other should always participate in making money management decisions. My wife and I try to have a weekly meeting to talk about money.
Thanks; my hope for this upcoming year on Couple Money is to have my husband write occasionally. He’s been behind the scenes – giving ideas and feedback. I think it would be a great boost for the site if he dropped a post or two each month.
It is no secret that couples that have mastered the art of managing their money as a team are more likely to stay together than those that don’t. I think you’ve mined a very smart niche, Elle, in the personal finance blogging world. Best wishes on your continued success! :-)
Best,
Len
Len Penzo dot Com
Len, I appreciate the kind words. I think this is a good niche for me as it allows me to explore different financial and career topics. Hopefully it’ll add variety to my posts. :)
It’s great to see such an organised blogger! I have enjoyed a great deal of posts on CoupleMoney and as always with these posts it’s great to learn a little about the back history.
Thanks, believe or not, it wasn’t until I started blogging that I was able to get organized! I’m so happy you enjoy CM posts. I’m trying to become a better writer and hope you’ll enjoy future posts too.
I have to chime in with others about the $50K mobile income, that is a great goal. I’m impressed that you’ve been able to get published at ProBlogger, that is bound to help your blog get noticed!
Darren has been kind enough to let me pitch articles. Even though he’s extremely busy, he has been nothing but humble and kind with feedback. I hope the Yakezie continue to do that for bloggers and encourage them.
If you have a post idea for Problogger, it never hurts to shoot Darren an email of your idea.
[…] up this. First, my post on building a blog network was featured on ProBlogger and yesterday, my Yakezie member post went live. Thanks to everyone who left comments on both […]
Elle, thanks for being supportive of me and Bucksome Boomer. I’m intrigued by the charities you support. I think bloggers have a bigger voice than they might realize and could bring a lot of attention to causes. How did you pick which ones to support in the blog?
I’ve read about these charities from other bloggers! I checked them out and decided these are cause that are important to me. I’ve read about numerous other worthy causes, but these stuck out in my heart, so I’m going to focus on them.
Thanks for sharing your story! Both of your sites have been very successful, a tough thing for one site no less two. Glad I could help with your growth.
It’s awesome that you are using your site to create more awareness for charities in need!
Elle, awesome introduction. I think it’s awesome how transparent you are on your blog. Ultimately, your courageousness is what allows your readers to get some much value out of your content.
Thanks Andrew! I’m hoping to continue blogging for a long time. :D
That’s great to hear!
Elle, that was a great introduction. I value your honesty and simplicity. Your reason for starting couplemoney is awesome. Helping others to grow should be the foundation of every human life. We help people more when we share our stories of how we’re tackling life challenges. Your financial goal rocks and i believe you can do more. I’m relatively new to the blogging world and i believe i’ll learn alot from you. I will join this network also.
Please keep sharing your success stories so that we all can keep learning.
Great to see you here to Elle ;-)
I hope you will continue to write for Green Panda for a while!
Hey Elle, I hadn’t seen your blog before, but now it’s bookmarked. It’s really a great niche in the personal finance blogosphere!
Elle, the focus of your blog is a great one! Couples discussing finance on the same page is great, yet so many find this a stressful subject. So kudos to you for reaching out on an important subject. I have enjoyed reading your posts.
Thanks MoneyFunk!
After 16 years of marriage, I must say it is about balance and compromise, respect and patience! Your blog theme is an admirable one and SO important: there’s a reason that finances is cited as the number reason for divorce in America today. I hope to pitch to you a guest post soon; I have so much to share on the topic from years of experience in my own marriage and “couplehood”. :)
I’d love to have a guest post from you; you have a wonderful sight.
Hey Elle,
It was great to read your intro and focus on your goals. I’ve definitely used couple money as a resource from time to time, and I’m happy to hear more about you and your goals. I’ve got a question about your 50k mobile income goal: How did you settle on that number? In my area, that’s a fortune, but I know in some areas it’s not. I’m assuming you want to take your lives mobile?
-Jeff
Our income has grown since we graduated from college. We know we can survive on less, but that amount would give us wiggle room. If a friend was in need, we would like to be in a position to help.
Thanks for the question!
I love your site and goals. One of the top reasons for relationship failure is money. Way to promote staying on top of it!
Thank you. Congrats on getting your e-book out!
Congrats on your anniversary and giveaway that you’re currently hosting as well. I’ve always been a big fan of your site, and wish you luck on building your mobile income to 50k. It can be done!
thanks; i’m really excited about the response to the contest. It’s my hope that this laptop bundle can help some reach their dreams or at least ease a burden. I’m grateful to every one in the Yakezie group and beyond who have promoted it.
Elle, thanks for the mention in your post of people that have helped. It was and is a pleasure working with you, and I know you’ll reach your 50k goal.
Thanks Pete for your support. It’s nice to have people who go over beyond what’s expected. Best wishes on all your goals!
Woohoo! I am just catching up on this new site, but I obviously have to chime in with you since we have interacted on twitter often! As a recently married man and often frustrated newlywed, I will have to start bouncing my questions of you and your forum before I speak out loud with my wife! What I admire the most is that you had a plan from Day 1, not many people can say that they have stuck to theirs! Keep up the great work.
Thank you so much. I’m a big fan of Finance Your Life and your morning tweets! I love talking about family and finances. We haven’t been perfect, but being on same page has help us with reaching goals.
[…] Elle at Couple Money […]
Hi Elle,
Good luck on getting the mobile income of $50,000/year or more. Once you achieve it shot for $100k ;-)
Thanks IJ! We will certainly up the ante as we work towards our goals. I’m looking forward to reaching it :)