Whew, it seems like just yesterday that I was wrapping up my top posts of 2017.
Yet, somehow, I blinked. A apparently, we hit a time warp, and now the year’s closing down, this site is approaching it’s third birthday, and I’m nearing my 6 year anniversary for my non-blogging career. (You know, that thing I rarely talk about that’s silently responsible for keeping this whole engine running…)
Before I get too misty eyed, let’s get to the point.
2018 is a few hours from being over. And in blogging land, that can only mean one thing… a whole bunch of wrap up posts!
These aren’t your usual, lame wrap ups either. Over the coming weeks, I plan on publishing:
- An epic report on every single dollar I spent in 2018
- A review of my portfolio’s total investment performance during the year
- A look back on my often-failed 2018 resolutions (but hey, with a few wins, too!)
- A look forward to my 2019 resolutions
- Maybe even a behind-the-scenes look at the website itself, if you’re into that sort of thing.
What’s my master plan for tackling all these possibilities?
I’ve got no clue, if I’m being honest. I’ve been too busy spending the last few weeks wrapping Christmas presents, stuffing my face with Christmas feasts, and then hitting the gym in a futile attempt to counteract my Christmas gluttony.
BUT… I do have one look-back ready to go, because you’re reading it right now!
Introducing the Second Annual Best Posts of the Year Awards
Who hands out awards to themselves!? But hear me out.
As much as I like to envision my writing as being so engaging that it catapults every visitor towards reading through every post I’ve ever published, I know how it actually goes.
I’m busy. You’re busy. We’re all busy.
Most visitors check out an article or two, and even the most devoted readers go weeks without checking in.
Of course, that’s not to say I blame them, either. There are times when I can barely keep up with writing out my own thoughts on here once a week, so I can’t imagine how tough it is for you all to follow along!
But what that does mean, is that at any given time, there’s a whole library of articles that haven’t seen the light of day for most of this site’s visitors.
So, last year I started the annual tradition of looking back on my most proud, most popular, and even the most-overlooked posts of the year. You know, just in this writer’s humble opinion…
The Most Viewed Posts in 2018
To come up with this list, I used a super-unsophisticated strategy of checking my website traffic dashboard, and filtering out anything published in 2017 or earlier:
1. 18 Income Producing Assets to Generate Serious Passive Income
In a landslide victory, with over double the number of page views as the second closest competitor, is my massive list of all the different ways you can put your money to work for you. Apparently, MyMoneyWizard.com readers are interested in all those possibilities, ranging from boring old savings accounts all the way to shady investments in trailer parks.
2. Everyday I’m Side Hustlin’: A Step by Step Strategy to Side Hustle an Extra $11,207 in 2018
Coming in at the second most popular post of the year, is what might have been the most controversial post of the year.
I had few readers email me to let me know that I was a “Total Sell Out, maaan,” because some recommendations in this article help support this site. Obviously, those readers don’t care that this site is 100% free and always will be. Nor do I get any credit for turning down the hundreds of (much more lucrative) promotional offers that flood my inbox on the weekly, and instead limiting this list almost entirely to recommendations I’ve personally used to save boatloads of money.
(I’m assuming the tens of thousands of other readers who read this post were too busy enjoying their easily-side-hustled cash to bother with any of this drama.)
3. The Correct Order for Investing Your Money
I love this post, because it answers a question that all of us non-billionaires have no doubt struggled with: Where do you invest your money, when you don’t have unlimited money?
This is the guide I always wish I had, and I was thrilled that people seemed to find it as beneficial as I hoped.
2018 Email Subscriber Choice Awards
Email subscribers get the high-tech benefit of having all new posts delivered directly to their inbox. And another neat high-tech feature, for me anyways, is that I get a nifty report showing what percentage of subscribers read through the whole article.
So, I went through all my reports for the year to find which topics the MyMoneywizard.com subscribers enjoyed the most.
(Pssstt.. you should totally subscribe if you haven’t already!)
1. Apparently, compound interest is so powerful, I’m now set for life.
In another landslide victory, this site’s email subscribers read through my compound interest post far more than any others.
What’s interesting is that I almost didn’t even publish this article. The article idea was originally just a weird coincidence I noticed when looking at my portfolio one day, and I wasn’t sure if it was worthy of an entire post.
In the end, I decided to slap together a quick post about it, and it got better feedback than half the posts I painstakingly edited for weeks. Funny how that works…
2. How to Earn $101,200 per year and pay ZERO taxes
Most tax talk is boring. What kind of tax talk do subscribers not find boring? How to never pay them again!
This topic has always been a secret life goal of mine, and it was really fun to share this strategy with all of you.
The Most Critically Acclaimed Blog Post of 2018
Okay, this is a totally tongue in cheek category. But, this post did pick up the most link-backs from other bloggers and was chosen as a feature article on RockstarFinance.com, a website that looks for the best articles from thousands of different personal finance blogs.
1. Liquid Net Worth – How to Calculate Your Runway to Financial Freedom
This was one of a few RockstarFinance.com features I was lucky to score during the year. But of all those, this one stood above the rest for both the number of readers who stuck around because of it, and the number of other bloggers who also mentioned the post.
The Most Shared Blog Posts on Social Media
1. The Only 3 Expenses that Matter for Saving Serious Cash
Coming in at 427 social shares and counting! If you enjoyed this one, hop on the bandwagon and spread the word!
2. The 30 for 30 Rule: Become a Millionaire by Saving just $30 per day
It’s neck and neck! This article racked up 419 social shares, despite have two fewer months to work with.
Honorable Mentions
These are the more underrated posts of the year, at least in my admittedly biased mind.
3 Fund Portfolio: The Lazy Investing Strategy that Crushes the Pros
Another guide that I wish I always had, this post outlines what I’d consider my favorite strategy for the vast majority of investors. If there’s one article I think every reader should read, this might be it, and I find myself referencing more than any others when answering reader emails.
3 Things You Should Never Do When Your Stocks are Tanking (From a Guy who Just Lost $15,000)
We’re on a four article streak of article titles with the number three in them!
If you missed this one, this article is as relevant as ever, especially since my $15,000 of losses is more like $50,000 of losses as I type this. Ouch.
Does Money Buy Happiness? Britain’s Most Eccentric Billionaire Reveals the Truth
I had a blast moonlighting as a psuedo-biographer in this one, which was a fun departure from my usual investment planning and number crunching.
Plus, I thought closing this list with an article to keep it all in perspective would make a fitting conclusion, especially during this holiday season.
Happy New Year! Thanks for sticking around for another year!
Happy new year from Denmark (the one in Europe). I’ve enjoyed most of your posts in 2018 – though the ones about tax and American retirement funds have little interest to me. I enjoy the no-nonse way you write about money and personal finances. A lot of people think there is a secret to becoming rich, but it is very simple, as you brilliantly explain.
If I should provide one piece of advice, it is to increase you target. When you and mrs. Moneywizard hopefully some day have kids, you will find out that they come with a hefty price tag, which will increase your monthly spending considerably. Since you are planning to retire before they have left the nest, this should be included in your calculations. 1.5 – 2 million is probably a better goal – But I am certain you will get there as well 🙂
Godt nytår!