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I have attempted to start a blog for the longest time ever (roughly 12 years).
And I did. I started two private blogs and launched two public blogs which I deleted right away before I started Frugal Asian Finance.
Below are the reasons why those sites went inactive:
1. Those blogs were mainly about my private life.
On the two private blogs, I wrote about my feelings, questions, and concerns as I grew. A lot of those feelings were personal, and I didn’t want to share them with an audience.
But since I felt isolated with no audience, I eventually gave up and just kept those feelings to myself.
2. I didn’t want to spend money maintaining a website.
I was a poor college and grad student with barely enough money for rent/good/public transit. Writing a blog wasn’t a priority when I was poor.
Having a free website that ends with wordpress.org didn’t make me feel my identity. I was just one of those people on wordpress.org.
3. I wasn’t sure what I should focus on.
I was interested in learning foreign languages, being frugal, etc. I went public with my name at that time. While I was eager to share my income and expenses, I also got messages from friends and family telling me not to. I was discouraged.
I was caught up in that vicious cycle of wanting to start something for myself but being afraid and discouraged for 12 years.
But now
During that time, by discovering and following multiple blogs, I was able to figure out what I wanted to blog about, shape my own style, and find out what I liked or disliked about certain blogs whether it’s the page layout, writing style, or topics.
Overall, I don’t regret what has happened. It’s been a great learning experience for me for the past 12 years. Now I’m ready to launch my own blog and journey. And you just read my first post on Frugal Asian Finance. 🙂
Related:
3 Ways To Prepare For A Personal Finance Blog
List of Asian Personal Finance Bloggers – Part 4
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Good for you for launching a blog! I was a longtime blog reader for over 5 years, but like you, was afraid to share personal details with others. Glad we both made the plunge and decided to take on this endeavor!
Most definitely. Let’s keep at it. Best of luck with your blogging journey! 🙂
I think what you’ve done with your site, theme, and content is actually quite amazing, especially considering you started in March!
Have you had to do too much coding in HTML and CSS to get this to look the way it does now?
Are you using one of the major shared hosting services such as Bluehost? I got bogged down with all the technical stuff when I first tried blogging a few years ago. I was focused on making my site look good rather than writing stuff. After much reflection, I really didn’t have much to say, but three plus years later, I want to write to my kids, family, friends, and anyone else is gravy.
I bet you have a lot more to say now that you’ve waited 12 years. Don’t look back at a missed opportunity. You’re probably writing much better content than you would have, and you’re ready.
Hi Darren,
I picked the Kale theme but still had to do a lot of tweaking to get to where it looks today. If you look at my blog traffic report for April and May, you will see what changes to the CSS coding I made.
I do use Bluehost. And yes, I’ve spent so much time on technical stuff I can’t even keep track. I just wish that I could just write hehe.
Wow. I’ve wanted to blog for over 5 years… I started anonymously, then I quit. I am in a fix, I would love to blog and share my experiences (not everything ofcourse) and at the same time I’m worried about the people who know me (family / friends) also reading…you know I feel more comfortable for complete strangers reading my thoughts. What is your experience? How does one balance this? I also think that I’m not ready to be vulnerable, its tiring.
Hi Aisha, I had the exact thoughts before I started Frugal Asian Finance. I wanted to write about my thoughts, feelings, and everything that goes on in my life, but I didn’t want my family or friends to know. That’s why I decide to blog anonymously.
In the beginning, I wasn’t comfortable sharing lots of details. But as I continue to blog, I’ve been more comfortable letting the reader know more about me. I think you can start with what you’re comfortable with and keep exploring what boundaries you’d like to set. 🙂
I’ve been wanting to blog for years also but I always made an excuse and lost momentum. I have mixed feelings about social media and I also don’t want to put all my personal business out there for public consumption. Your blog has inspired me to start and keep going. Thanks!