(No) Money Chats + Thanks for 2023 + 2024 Plan
The money stuff that you wish they taught in school
Can you hear that…? It’s the sound of (relative) silence as thousands of brands and influencers fall silent and stop trying to get you to buy stuff. Black Friday is over, and it’s too close to Christmas now to get stuff shipped on time, so we get our inboxes and social media feeds back.
That’s why I thought it was a good time to reappear with a couple of messages for you guys.
A Quiet December
You might have noticed you didn’t hear from me this December. That was unintentional at first, then intentional. I always try and be honest with you here. So here it is: I was kinda out of energy as the year came to an end.
You might know how that feels - it’s that feeling you get sometimes at the end of a long school year or uni semester when your body or mind (or both) just sorta run out of steam.
That was me.
Money Chats is something I’m really passionate about. But it’s one of a couple of things I do. I work full time. I’ve got a wife. And we’re new parents! Plus I’ve got friends who I love hanging out with, and a couple of other hobbies.
So I’ve spent a lot of this year learning how all those things fit together. I think I’ve got a better idea of how to balance it now. It probably won’t be perfect. That’s okay though. It’s a lot like what you guys are doing as you learn to balance part-time work, school, friends, sport, family and everything else. You just try and figure it out as you go along.
Lessons Learned
Do Less - When I told my wife I’d started Money Chats her (very amused) response was ‘Really? Now? 3 months before we bring a baby home?’. Yeah. As usual, she might have had a point. So I’ll consciously do less so I can prioritise the stuff that matters.
Be Consistent - Between April and November I published a newsletter answering your questions every week. I’m really proud of that fact. That’s because consistency doesn’t come naturally to me, so I have to work hard at it. Hopefully that consistency has demonstrated to you that I really care about Money Chats and what it might be able to give you in terms of your money confidence.
Thank You
Money Chats exists because people like you open it, read it, talk about it with your siblings and parents and share it with your friends.
See, I thought 30 or 40 people might read this thing. It kinda outperformed those expectations. By a lot.
Almost 4,000 of you read every week.
And there’s been an incredible amount of positive feedback from people like you saying that reading has helped them understand something they didn’t get before, or to feel more confident with a money decision. That stuff makes my day every time I read it.
So for all of you who read in 2023, thank you.
2024
This is the part when most people / businesses will say something like: “We’ll be back bigger and better next year with some exciting changes for you!!!”
I’ll try something different instead:
Money Chats will be back in 2024 with the same format that’s worked so well for you this year:
Your money questions. My research and answers.
Your big money questions. Answered in-depth.
A monthly summary.
Enjoy your summer break and however you choose to spend it!
See you in 2024,
-Ry
💬🤔 Got your own question about money that you want to ask? Nice one. You can submit it here (and it can be totally anonymous if you prefer 🙂).