Go for it if it is an expression of you and let people talk: that is what most of them stay doing anyway.

Maria

I'm sure they do :). I've realised there's more to blogging than I thought. It's great to get feedback from other established PF experts! Financially I'm sure it's great, but mentally and emotionally blogging about experiences is really where I've gained a lot from the challenge.

As I've grown up I've learned that my mother is much more human than I ever thought, and now we joke about which of us is the dumb one in the family.  It's nice to know I can talk to her about the mistakes I've made and she's more open with me about the mistakes she made when she was younger too.

I think that once I stop doubting myself and being afraid of what other people will think, that's the day I'll stop keeping my blog anonymous. 

The vast majority of people who question your motives do so because your decision makes them uncomfortable. It's not about you, really. It's about their comfort zone - you've disrupted their homeostasis. When someone they know makes a big change in their professional or personal life- it often causes them to feel anxiety and stress.

If your actions challenge their decisions, opinions or beliefs about what is right, fair, appropriate, etc. - they can't help but respond the way they do. They do it to make you question yourself and, hopefully, go back to what they consider "normal" behavior.

But when you know why they're acting the way they are toward you, it doesn't have such an impact. You can just shrug it off and keep moving forward.

Have FUN!

John, I know what you mean when you say it is mostly for you. I started my blog to really analyze my own terrible money management. One of my friends said I am always talking about my mistakes on my blog. Well yeah! My blog is not my resume or a career-builder. I am analyzing the best ways to understand money and use it as a tool and not stay broke forever. I also get to hone my writing skills and learn how to do something consistently (I've been blogging for almost 15 months now!) and that is a big deal for me. So don't worry about doubters because there are plenty of people who will tell you not to do something. But if you are doing it for yourself and to put some information out there that you think is valuable, and then you will be happy, go for it!

Cheers AmericanDebtProject! I really appreciate your comments and I can see after 15months it's making a real difference for you! Looking forward to getting to 15 months and seeing what i've built!

Well, the only doubter I've come across is an aunt who said that I'm being dishonest. When I asked what the heck that meant, she said that because I'm anonymous on my site that that's somehow dishonest (??). She couldn't understand why I wanted to add more "junk" to the internet and tell people about stuff they don't need to know. I tried to tell her that I explain the blue collar world to people, and I offer tips for DIY work that they might want to do, and selfishly, I'm learning about the internet, and websites, and how SEO works.  SHe was not satisifed. And so dude, when you get doubters, just shrug 'em off, everyone's allowed their opinion.

Hey TB! Good advice mate. Your aunt could be part of my family... are we related? :-) Some people don't understand how it works and I'm sure over time they will get it. If not, their loss!

I generally agree, advice can help you stop making foolish mistakes. It's an interesting point you raise about parenting. As they say, there isn't a handbook on how to be a good parent - everybody does it differently. It's the same in life. What one person will do in a situation may not be the same as another.

I'm an optimist, work hard and believe life will work out and in the end it'll generally be OK. Pessimism doesn't sit well with me. Life's too short to be negative!