Know Your Blogger Series

Bella Wanana

I have been interested in personal finance for a long time, probably since I left my parents’ home to attend university and had to start managing my own finances. Over the years, I have learned about personal finance via many blogs and YouTube channels. Reading about other people’s stories inspired me to want to share my best tips and tricks with others. I also love writing, so what’s a better platform than a blog!
My mission is to share the best tips and tricks on personal finance, wellness and how to live a balanced but fulfilling life, one blog post at a time.
Check out our Q&A with Bella Wanana here.

Follow the financial journey of Bella Wanana.

Each week at Personal Finance Blogs, we publish interviews from amazing bloggers from the personal finance space. This week, we are featuring the blog, Bella Wanana.
During these weekly features, we are hoping to provide a way for you to interact and learn more about different blogs in the personal finance space.
Below, you can read more about the story behind Bella Wanana, learn about the author, and learn personal finance tips from Bella Wanana to help you improve your financial situation.
A big thanks for Bella Wanana for this interview! Now, we will turn it over to the author for this interview.

Tell us about Bella Wanana

My mission is to share the best tips and tricks on personal finance, wellness and how to live a balanced but fulfilling life, one blog post at a time.

What makes you and your blog unique?

I take a two-pronged approach when it comes to writing about personal finance on my blog: I talk about “finance”, and I share a “personal” side as well. This is why on my blog, not only will you see educational pieces, but you will also see more personal and lifestyle pieces. I am a strong believer in balance, and I want to create a balanced atmosphere on my blog as well.

I am passionate about my blog, and I have set for myself a list of Values that serve as guiding principles for my actions. My values are:

Quality: I only produce high-quality contents for my readers to enjoy
Originality: I only produce original contents that add value to my readers’ life. Even if the topics have been covered in other blogs, I make sure to add my personal interpretation and understanding.
Authenticity: I say what I do and remain true to myself at all times. This value also applies to recommendations. I will only recommend products/services if I genuinely believe they can have a positive impact on your life
Freshness of content: I update this blog regularly, at least once a week.

What does “being good with your personal finances” mean to you?

“Being good with your personal finances” means that you have developed good habits and are disciplined in managing your money, and that you are able to live a happy and fulfilling life without financial stress.

What are some habits you practice to keep your personal finances in order?

I track my expenses religiously. Tracking expenses not only gives me an understanding of my spending behaviours, but also lets me recall the happy memories associated with the money spent.

In addition to tracking my expenses, I also have a personal “month end” routine, in which I check actual spending vs. my budget and update my net worth.

What are your three articles people should read to get to know you and your message better on your site?

Here are three articles which I think people should read to know more about my blog and message:

For someone looking to improve their financial situation, what’s your best advice?

My best advice is to set up SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) goals for yourself. Because you have something specific in mind, you will be motivated to get there.

In your opinion, what’s better? Renting a place or buying a house to live?

Depends on what stage of life you are in. Renting is a good option if you don’t know whether you are going to be living in a particular city long-term, whereas buying a house is more suitable when you have a stable career and ready to start or already have a family.

Of course, if you have the money and are knowledgeable about real estate, you may consider buying a house as an investment, even if you may move in the future.

What are your favorite personal finance books?

I have so many that I even have a Ultimate Personal Finance Book List on my blog!

If I have to pick though, I’d recommend The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason. This is a personal finance classic that has withstood the test of time. It is fairly short and easy to digest, suitable for anyone looking to improve their personal finance knowledge.

Another book I’d recommend is Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker. I find this book refreshing because it acknowledges the impact of our sub-consciousness and environment on our view of money. This really helps lessen my guilt about some of my bad money habits, and sets me up to face the problems with courage and a positive mind. However, the book doesn’t stop there. I also learned from the book how to adjust my not-so-perfect innermost blueprint to be more in control of my financial well-being.

In your opinion, what’s better? Focusing on increasing your income, or focusing on decreasing your expenses?

I believe both of them are necessary; however, I recommend that people focus on decreasing expenses first.

The reason is twofold:

It is easier because you have full control over your expenses
You can see immediate positive effect on your personal finance, which creates momentum

Of course, you can only decrease expenses so much. After all, I advocate for a balanced life, and I believe that you still need room in your budget for little luxuries. Therefore, after you trim your expenses to the lowest acceptable level, you should redirect your focus to increasing your income.

If you received a $5,000,000 windfall tomorrow, what would you do with the money?

What a dream!

For me personally, I would:

Help my parents pay down their mortgage
Buy a house
Share my winnings with some family members who are less well-off
Devoting more time into blogging now that I have a nice cushion
Donate to charities that I believe it

What’s a non-money related interest you have and what do you love about it?

I love writing (hence I freelance in my spare time). Other than writing about personal finance, I also write about careers, wellness, etc., both on my blog and on other platforms. My journal is my best friend, and I have been writing in my journal on a daily basis for almost twenty years.

Writing is my creative outlet. I love it because it is a way to express myself freely, and it gives me the ability to create anything in my wildest imagination.

How You Can Contact Bella Wanana for More Information

You can learn more about Bella Wanana at https://bellawanana.com/, like them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Bella-Wanana-105142627902403/, and follow them on Twitter at @BellaWanana.

Thank you for reading this interview, and thank you, Bella Wanana, for providing us with some great personal finance tips!