These Are a Few of My Favorite Blogs

A surprising number of people ask me, “Which blogs do you read?”

I say “surprising” because what I read is going to be very different from what you read. Our tastes are different. Our needs are different. Our habits are different.

Also, there’s the whole “blogs are dead” thing. Blogs were big a decade ago, but the rise of Facebook has destroyed much of the ecosystem. Why bother to run your own site when you can simply share your views quickly and efficiently on Facebook? (There are lots of reasons to have your own site, of course. But I’ll admit that Facebook has effectively silenced my personal blog.)

When people ask me which blogs I read, I don’t know how to answer. I want to read all of them — especially the money blogs. And I do have my RSS reader set up to scan hundreds of sites so that I don’t miss anything great from my friends and colleagues.

But which blogs do I actually read on a regular basis? Which do I get in my inbox or seek out of my own accord. Well, there are far fewer of those sites.

Here are the money blogs I read most often:

• Mr. Money Mustache — I read Pete’s blog because I know and respect him in real life. He and I have very similar financial philosophies, and similar philosophies about blogging. I like the way he thinks deeply about money and retirement. Plus, he’s hilarious.
• Afford Anything — I read Paula’s blog because I know and respect her in real life. Plus I like that she approaches financial independence through a different angle than most folks (she’s focused on real-estate investing instead of index funds). And, like me, she’s constantly fighting to be less lazy and more productive. Best of all? She’s an excellent writer — a pro journalist turned blogger.
• ESI Money — I read this blog because I know and respect the author in real life. (See a pattern here?) A decade ago, ESI ran another money blog. I’ve always admired his ability to produce lots of high-quality content. That holds true today. With almost-daily in-depth articles, there’s a lot of great stuff here.
• Rockstar Finance — When I’m too lazy to check my RSS reader in the morning, I head over to Rockstar Finance. This site curates three money-related articles each day — and only three. (Although today there are four. Go figure.) I use Rockstar to discover new sites and to find material for Twitter and Facebook.
• Frugalwoods — I like Frugalwoods because everything is so authentic. Here’s a couple blazing their own trail — building a life on a 66-acre Vermont homestead — in a world where most other people are stuck on the same crowded road.

Again, there are tons of other great sites, and I feel bad for not recommending them. (My buddy Jim is doing great work at Wallet Hacks, for instance, and Melanie’s Dear Debt has become something beautiful. Oh, and don’t forget How Do I Money?) But if I’m honest about the money blogs I actually read and visit daily, those are the five.

And what about non-financial blogs? Believe it or not, I read several of those too. Here are the ones I visit most often:

• I Will Teach You to Be Rich — Ramit’s site started as a financial blog back in 2004, but in recent years it’s blossomed into something much richer. As his business has grown, so has the scope of his site. It now covers cooking and dating and becoming a better person. He’s deliberately shed the mantle of “money blogger”, but that doesn’t mean his material is any less valuable.
• Hunt Gather Brew — My friends Becca and Winslow are on a crazy, crazy life adventure. I never know what they’re going to do next. A few years ago, just after my divorce, we lived across the hall from each other (literally) in a northeast Portland apartment building. Then they moved to Washington. Then they built their own RV. And now they’re homesteading in the Idaho panhandle. It’s fun to read about their escapades, but I like Hunt Gather Brew because occasionally one (or both) of my friends dives deep into some philosophical topic. Great site.
• Wait But Why — I’m a little late to the Wait But Why lovefest. Paula Pant first told me about the site at Fincon 2015. But now I’ve read every article. (For obvious reasons, the procrastination pieces are my favorites.) I totally dig how the author dives deep into esoteric subjects. (Let’s rank every U.S. President!) Fun and educational stuff.
• Kottke — I read Kottke because I’ve always read Kottke. Okay, that’s not quite true, but it’s close. He started his first blog soon after I did, so it’s been fun to watch how his work has grown and developed in different (and similar) ways from mine. Most of all, his blog is simply a good way to find interesting and eclectic items on a daily basis.
• MacRumors — Finally, there’s MacRumors. It’s no secret that I’m a long-time Apple fanboy. Despite a foray into the world of Linux and Windows during the 1990s (the dark days of Apple), I’ve been using Apple machines since 1978. That’s almost forty years. And like any good Apple fanboy, I like to read speculation about what’s to come. So, I visit MacRumors every day.

I’m sure I’ve forgotten a favorite or two, but these are most of the blogs I visit regularly. I could lie and tell you I visit others, but what’s the point? I have limited time, and I want to parcel out my brainwidth carefully. And as I say, I have hundreds of other blogs in my RSS reader that I mine for nuggets of wisdom.

Now when folks ask me which sites I read, I can point them to this post.

What about you? Besides Money Boss, which blogs do you read regularly? What are your favorite money blogs? What blogs do you read on other subjects? Do you write one of your own? (Share it in the comments!) And do you think blogging is dying, as a lot of people have been preaching? Or is simply undergoing some sort of transition? Share your thoughts below…

from Money Boss http://ift.tt/2ghiOYJ