2009 Fizzle Favorites and Plans for 2010

2009 is quickly coming to a close, and as everyone is making plans for Christmas and New Year’s, I’m making plans for the blog (and Christmas and New Year’s).

I want to take this opportunity to dig into the archives, and share with you today the five posts that really “worked” for me this year–whether it was something very personal, very passionate, or just downright useful. I hope you can take a minute to look back, as it’s definitely been a blast writing for you over the last +/- 11 months. I’ll also share a few things I’m working on for 2010 that will make Fizzle sizzle. Eh, that rhymes. 🙂

The Best of 2009

Over 200 posts made it to Fiscal Fizzle this year, which is a staggering number when I actually wrap my head around it. Trying to pick my favorites is no easy task, but I’ll try anyway. Here are five that really hit the spot for me and why:

1. 7 Ways to Find Your Financial Heart: I spent the latter part of the year examining money from many different angles, and going after new ways to find your financial mission. This was one of my most successful posts in that search, proposing seven ways of priority-finding. Originally published: September 15th.

2. 7 Ways to Stop Eating Out From Killing Your Budget: 2009 was the year we finally kicked our eating-out habit for good, and focused on making wholesome food at home. Health and financial reasons both played a part, as did these seven strategies that I wrote up in April. Originally published: April 14th.

3.  11 Ways to Stay Positive in a Bad Economy: Even as the recession hit hard, especially in my line of work, there were so many people around us who found the positive in everything. I wrote this post as a tribute to them, and as an idea-source for how to keep up your spirits when it seems like everything’s falling apart. Originally published: March 19th.

4. Why Reading Personal Finance Blogs is Good For You: I didn’t consider all of the benefits of blogging when I started, but I began to pick up on how powerful the medium was pretty quickly. Here’s a tribute to how good reading PF blogs really is for you. Originally published: July 16th.

5. Saving More vs. Insuring More: This is a long-term debate in our own house and with friends. When I asked readers to weigh in on the issue, there were some great viewpoints to consider. Originally published: July 15th.

I hope you get a chance to check some of those posts out and leave a comment or two to get the discussion re-started!

New for 2010

Many of you have asked me “What’s next for Fizzle?” Here is a preview of what’s coming in 2010:

• Three eBooks: That’s right–three eBooks are in the works, and if the stars align, I’ll be releasing a new title every four months in the upcoming year.

• Fiscal Fizzle Newsletter: For those of you looking for a weekly digest of everything going on in Fizzle-ville, a newsletter will make its debut in the first half of the year! I’m still torn on the title. Any ideas?

• More Video: December saw the introduction of video blogging to Fiscal Fizzle and Fizzlettes. I’m planning to get much more involved with video in the upcoming year, potentially creating a weekly program if I feel the connective thread is there.

• Brand Focus & Site Re-Design: While I’ve been focusing 90% of my energy and time on content and getting out into the personal finance community, I’ve been quietly forming a list of items I’d like to modify in the upcoming year. Look for a new site header early in 2010, which will include the brand new Fiscal Fizzle official “logo,” which has not seen the light of day yet.

Are You In?

I certainly hope so! If there’s anything I can ever do for you, give me a shout (wojo at fiscalfizzle.com), or meet me on Twitter: @FiscalFizzle. If there’s a topic you’d like me to tackle, I’m game.

Now raise your glass to an awesome year, and get ready for a new one!

Photo by lepiaf.geo