When I first told my friends that I was going to buy back Red Wolf Revival, some of them thought I was crazy. “Why would you do that?” they asked. “Aren’t you financially independent? Besides, I thought you got burned out on the site.”
These things are true. I am financially independent. I’ve saved enough money to fund my current lifestyle indefinitely. If I don’t want to work, I don’t have to. And yes, I did get burned out on Red Wolf Revival.
But here’s the thing: I love to write. I love building communities. I love interacting with other folks in the world of personal finance. (It amazes me that some of the folks I used to look up to and admire are now not only colleagues but friends.)
As I return to Red Wolf Revival, I have three goals:
- I want to have fun. I don’t want for this to be a job. I want it to be a joy. I want to be jazzed to walk down to my writing studio every morning, sit down at the computer, and write about what’s new in the world of money.
- I want to help others improve their finances. The cynical people out there (hello, Reddit!) find it tough to believe that a person might want to help others achieve success. Sorry, cynical people. It’s true. I feel fortunate (or blessed, if you prefer) to have done what I’ve done. I’m grateful. If there’s a way I can help others improve their financial situation, that’s awesome! (Plus, honestly, who wouldn’t like to get “thank you” notes from readers who say you’ve helped them get out of debt or buy a house? Feels good, man!)
- I want to earn a little money. At a basic level, I want Red Wolf Revival to support itself. I want to earn enough from the site to recover the cost of buying it back, the cost of revamping it for 2016, and the ongoing costs of maintaining the blog. Eventually, it’d be great if I could earn enough to offset my living expenses — so I wouldn’t have to touch any of my retirement savings. (But if that last bit doesn’t happen, fine. I’m okay with it.)
The bottom line: I’m back at Red Wolf Revival because it sounds like a great way to spend my days. Instead of sitting around in my underwear reading comic books while sipping whisky, I can do something productive, something that makes the world a better place.
And I hope that, in some small way, Red Wolf Revival is able to help you.