Why is everyone talking about transparency on personal finance blogs?
Every so often I steal five minutes to read other blogs. It’s tough to keep up with the blogging world when you work full time and have a family, but I at least skim my Feedly a few times a week. I often find useful bits from friends in the space and from big-name bloggers who can drive traffic to this creaky little site — usually via a short comment from me.
I haven’t done a full, no-holds-barred life reveal yet. I hinted at some things in the Millionaire Decade post, but I think it’s worth walking through what advantages and disadvantages shaped my path to Financial Independence. So, here goes…
I was born and raised in a GM rust-belt town that had been declining for decades. My parents split when I was small, but we always had the basics — a roof, food, and clothes. We were solidly middle-class in a blue-collar place, and the public schools did their job even though I goofed off a lot.
There were bullies and too many cavities (thanks, Kool-Aid). Bullying hasn’t disappeared — I still see it at work — and I’ve long been the person who steps in when someone’s being picked on. I grew up in an era of free-range kids: unstructured play was the norm, not the exception. I credit those hours of unscheduled play with helping me handle stress, stay creative, and build resilience. Structured activities can help, too, but having the freedom to explore toys, sports, bikes, video games, and whatever else I wanted was a big plus. And we were lucky to grow up safe and away from drugs and gangs.
Kids don’t need much more than food, shelter, clothes, and loving caregivers — but without free play they miss out on building curiosity and problem-solving. That’s my take.
School wasn’t my strong suit at first. I was a slacker — I even nearly got expelled from State U. after two years. I did work part-time to pay tuition and living costs, but it took a blunt wake-up call from my advisor to change. After that, I started putting in three to four hours a day in the library. It took five years (and a few retaken classes), but I finished college and went straight into the cubicle life.
My grandparents helped by covering some tuition that loans wouldn’t, and I ended up owing them about $5,000, which I paid back within two years of graduating. Without that help, I might have had to drop out.
I fell into IT mostly because I liked computers. My grandparents even loaned me money for a college computer, which let me learn PCs right before Netscape showed up. Eventually I got bored with the work and used my employer’s tuition reimbursement to start an MBA. Halfway through, during a big company layoff, I was let go and had to finish the degree on my own dime while unemployed. Today I’m still in IT and glad I finished the MBA — the tuition help early on made a difference.
I suspect being a man gave me some advantages in my career, though I’m not totally sure. Many of my bosses and peers have been women, but the C-suite is still often dominated by older white men.
My journey to early retirement and financial independence was full of lessons but no major disasters. Growing up with money drama — like child support issues and not always being able to afford extras — made me determined to avoid that kind of stress. My mom deserves a lot of credit for believing in me. She bragged about my art and how well I connected with people — communication skills that have helped me everywhere.
Looking back, I had real advantages, and I used them. If I could wave a magic wand, I’d level the playing field for all kids. Give everyone the basics and a chance to figure things out, and we might finally move closer to the ideals of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for everyone. I didn’t truly earn many of the advantages I had until I started applying myself in college. Let kids get their act together and see what they can do.
As for blog transparency: my progress toward financial security comes down to time, discipline, and continuous learning. If you want more detail, the clues are scattered across the many posts I’ve already written.