Money Life and More Interview

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As a member of the personal finance community, I’m amazed at how many people are a part of it. Unfortunately that often means that I can’t always keep up with everyone. It’s a shame because there are some wonderful bloggers with their stories and advice on handling finances responsibly and with fun.

To counteract that and get the word out on other bloggers, I’ve started the Sunday Blogger series. It’s my hope that you’ll discover some new voices in the series.

This week I'm sharing Lance's (from Money Life and More) answers to a few of my questions.

Why did you start Money Life and More?

I started Money Life and More to help others financially. I see a lot of what other personal finance bloggers see, people with crazy expensive cars living paycheck to paycheck just waiting for something to blow up. I know that personal finance isn't a simple topic, although it can be argued many of the principles aren't difficult. I try to break personal finance down and help people get ahead in their lives.

How long have you’ve been involved with finance and blogging? 

I have been reading personal finance blogs for many years and had wanted to start my own blog. I just never got around to it. I actually tried to start one in 2010 but had no clue how to be successful and quit blogging after just 3 posts! In April 2012 I decided to give it another shot. This time I reached out to other personal finance bloggers and started asking questions on how to be successful. I ended up stumbling upon the Yakezie network which has been instrumental to my blog's continued existence this time around.

As far as finance goes, I was an Accounting major in college and took the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam and became a licensed CPA in the state I lived in at the time. I have worked at a couple public accounting firms working with tax returns, financial statements and have even consulted multi-million dollar companies. I now work in corporate accounting.

How do you handle your own finances? What system do you employ with budgets, investing, and careers?

I have a budget that I generally follow but it isn't super restrictive. I normally have money left over in most categories and I just let it build up until it gets ridiculously large then I'll transfer some of that extra money to a different goal.

As far as investing goes I dollar cost average my investments. I contribute to and max out my Roth IRA every year and am contributing to my Roth 401(k) at work. I also have a taxable investment account for my next car fund which I also dollar cost average into. I personally love Vanguard due to their low fees and only am invested in two different funds right now, a retirement fund and a balanced fund (60% stocks 40% bonds) for my next car fund.

As far as my career I just try to work smart and hard. I network, have a positive attitude and am always looking for the next opportunity. I've also started my blog as a side gig to grow my income further.

What’s the biggest financial mistake you’ve ever made? What did you learn from it?

I know this isn't the most interesting answer but I don't think I've had a huge financial mistake yet. There are a bunch of little things I probably should have done differently, like start an IRA at my first job in high school or not buy my new car a year into my new job, but overall I haven't had any major setbacks.

I graduated from college debt free thanks to help from my parents, working on and off during college and applying to and winning multiple scholarships over my four year time in college. I graduated into the Great Recession but thanks to an internship I had a full time job secured a year before I graduated. I've never gone into consumer debt and I'd like to thank the personal finance blogs I read before entering the real world for keeping me on the right track!

What are your goals this year and beyond with Money Life and More?

This year my main goal with Money Life and More was to have a blog that still existed at the end of the year. Now that I've been picking up some followers I need to reevaluate that goal. I'd say I'd like to keep my growth going and help as many people as possible. So, if you haven't visited my blog before check it out or feel free to follow me on Twitter or Facebook.

Thanks again Lance for signing up for the series! If you’re interesting in being interviewed as part of the Sunday Blogger series, please email me.