Know Your Blogger Series

It’s Not Your 9 to 5

Having lived through 3 financial downturns in my career, the most recent one being the 2020 pandemic. Each time coming close to seeing my 15 years of giving my heart and soul to the company being turned into a simple statistic, another number showed the door. It finally drove home the lesson that I need to take control of my finances, diversify my income, and save money for the rainy days. This is when I started my personal journey to really figure out how to save money and earn extra income outside of the 9 to 5. A year into it, I started to see success and that’s when I created the blog It’s Not Your 9 to 5, so I could share my experience and help moms like myself to take control of their finances, diversify income and be more than just a 9 to 5.
Check out our Q&A with It’s Not Your 9 to 5 here.

Come read about the great personal finance blog, Have Your Dollars Make Sense.

Each week at Personal Finance Blogs, we publish interviews from amazing bloggers from the personal finance space. This week, we are featuring the blog, It’s Not Your 9 to 5.

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 It’s Not Your 9 to 5, learn about the author, and learn personal finance tips from It’s Not Your 9 to 5 to help you improve your financial situation.

A big thanks for It’s Not Your 9 to 5 for this interview! Now, we will turn it over to the author for this interview.

Tell us about It’s Not Your 9 to 5

A few years ago, I was laser-focused on climbing the corporate ladder hoping my next promotion would ease my growing financial anxiety that comes with life responsibilities.

This is when I started my personal journey to really figure out how to save money and earn extra income outside of the 9 to 5. A year into it, I started to see success and that’s when I created the blog It’s Not Your 9 to 5, so I could share my experience and help moms like myself to take control of their finances, diversify income and be more than just a 9 to 5.

What makes you and your blog unique?

Although my blog is all about money, I share my tips and tricks in very simple terms so anyone can easily understand. I write the way I speak with my best friend, straight to the point, and sprinkled with some wittiness. Reading my blog is like chatting with your girlfriends, while learning about money.

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

To me, “being good with your personal finances” is always having your finger on the pulse, knowing how much you got coming in and going out.

I like to always do monthly and yearly budget planning, so I can anticipate if there are any big upcoming expenses, and plan my longer saving goals around them.

Having this bird’s eye view of my money always helps me make smart financial decisions long term and short term.

In addition to budgeting and saving where possible, it’s also important to diversify your income. There are so many ways of earning income, the key is to find something that fits your lifestyle and interests.

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

I do a monthly and yearly budget forecast to keep things on track.

The key to success is consistency.

To be a good runner, you need to run every day; to build muscle, you have to work out at the gym; and if you want your finances in order, then you need to put systems in place that will help keep them there.

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

Here are three you should check out:

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

“Money managed is money multiplied”

First and foremost, start to know your numbers. Use a simple budgeting tool to know what you have coming in and going out.

Then make plans to pay off debts, if you have any.

“Money saved is money earned”

Start finding opportunities on your spending list, where can you spend less, or eliminate them entirely.
Once you get a handle on budgeting and saving, you can start looking for ways to make extra income.

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

I always like this question, because there are few different perspectives people can have and nobody is really wrong. On the one hand, debt is absolutely the worst part of anyone’s finances. Any interest paid is wasted money that you can’t get back. Telling anyone to crush their debt before anything else is never bad advice.

However, the caveat here is that the longer you are invested in the market, the sooner you’ll see the power of compounding gains. Starting even a year or two later can make a big difference down the road. Investing really is the best way to create wealth and you don’t want to delay that. Plus you can argue that if the gains on your investment are higher than the interest you pay on any debt you have, you’re up money in the long run.

So which is it? If I really had to pick one, I’d say get rid of that debt first. Yes, investing is great, and the sooner you start the better, but to really get someone out of financial trouble, debt has to be the first thing to go. Investing, in the end, is optional, but debt collectors will keep knocking at your door. Plus the mental relief of paying off debt can’t be understated for most people.

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

Finding ways to increase your income can be fun but potentially more challenging. Depending on the countries you live in, you will also need to consider paying income tax.

On the flip side, it might be much easier to find opportunities to cut down on your expense and save. You will be surprised once you have a list of expenses written down. Look for opportunities in those “nice to have” expenses.

Remember, money saved is money earned (minus the income tax!)

Do you have any financial mistakes you’d like to share, and how have you grown from these mistakes to improve your personal finances?

My biggest financial mistake in my earlier days was avoiding my finances altogether.

I had a stable corporate 9 to 5 job and wasn’t a big spender, but for years I had no confidence in what things I can or can’t afford which made me constantly stressed out about money.

My money anxiety got much worse when my children came on the scene, and my responsibilities increased. Then, life just expands with college funds, retirement, larger houses, bigger cars, vacations for four, etc.

I finally stopped putting my head in the sand and faced my fear of money.

This is part of how I started my journey to take control of my finances. A few years on, I am no longer stressed out about money. Instead, by knowing my finances and having a long term plan to work towards, I am much happier.

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

I’ve always been very interested in health and nutrition. I found it fascinating how foods can impact us differently. There’s no one size fits all. I’m constantly optimizing what works for me.

I also love trying out new recipes and cooking healthy meals for my family. It’s a great way to save money and eat healthy at the same time!

Why do you believe learning about money and caring about personal finance is important?

There are a few reasons why I believe learning about money and caring about personal finance is important.

First, if you don’t know where your money is going, it is very easy to overspend and get into debt.
Second, by understanding personal finance, you can make better decisions on how to use your money to achieve your financial goals.

Lastly, caring about personal finance can help you become more financially secure and independent. And who doesn’t want that? 🙂

How You Can Contact It’s Not Your 9 to 5 for More Information

You can learn more about It’s Not Your 9 to 5 at https://www.itsnotyour9to5.com/.

Thank you for reading this interview, and thank you, It’s Not Your 9 to 5, for providing us with some great personal finance tips!