4 Years of Fiscal Fizzle

The first post on Fiscal Fizzle was published on February 1, 2009. In four years, the personal finance space in the blogosphere has changed considerably, expanding from a few hundred blogs to literally thousands with more starting up every day. I feel privileged to have been part of the growth of this space and see so many people get interested in personal finance and start sharing their stories and their knowledge.

As Fiscal Fizzle moves into its fifth year, 2013 has thus far been a quiet year on the blog. Behind the scenes, our family was busy welcoming our second child into the world, and executing on a goal that we set back in 2012 of buying our first home. Big changes in my professional career (all for the positive) are also taking up some time and energy. All of these milestones are now behind us, and life is slowly returning to what resembles a “normal” state. My desire to write and the time to do it are coming back.

2013 is looking to be a really good year. The local economy appears to be in a strong recovery, real estate prices are moving back up, and our personal income is returning to all-time highs. I’m excited to bring you back into the journey as a new homeowner, an experienced parent, and someone who juggles a professional career with an online business.

Before we move forward, I want to glance back and see what really worked. What content really resonated with readers? Here are a few of the top posts of the last 4 years:

• Progressive Snapshot Review (58,400 views; 202 comments)
• Buying a Car from Hertz Car Sales (38,600 views; 112 comments)
• Would You Buy a Rental Car? (45,200 views; 108 comments)
• How to Sell Your Car on Craigslist Quickly (90,600 views; 68 comments)
• There’s No Such Thing as Passive Income (63 comments)
• Should Kids in High School Work? (15,600 views; 59 comments)
• Can You Make a Living Recycling 10 Cent Bottles and Cans? (30,500 views; 39 comments)

Curiously, almost all of my top posts have to do with cars and transportation. In part, that’s a reflection of what people are searching for online and the fact that many of my other posts have less relevance to a search audience. On the other hand, it’s also a reflection on how attached and focused our society is on transportation, and just how big of a percentage of our income we spend on getting around.

I sincerely hope you continue reading this year. Personal finance is not something you learn and forget–it’s a lifelong journey!