Hi. Thanks for coming to my personal finance blog. Unfortunately you probably shouldn’t be reading what I have to say. You see, I recently posted about how I’m spending $20,000 on my wedding and apparently if you waste $20,000 then you are no longer eligible to have a personal finance blog.
It’s all there in the comments, and since it’s on the internet it has to be true. Check it out:
You are crazy…After reading this post, I have a hard time believing that anyone would actually listen to the financial ‘advice’ you dish out on this blog. Dude, you don’t even have a car! Why would you spend $20,000 on ONE day?!?!?
Hello, my name is Kevin and, apparently, I am trying to lose all credibility with my readers who come to my blog to get ideas for sound financial planning. [this was not actually me]
Dude, you totally lose your license as a financial blogger….
So there you have it. Apparently if you “waste” $20,000 then you lose your personal finance blogger license. While it is a little upsetting that I’ll have to shut this site down due to the revocation of my financial blogger license, I also want to make sure we shut down as many other sites as possible so people aren’t reading unlicensed personal finance blogs.
Here are a few other categories of people who waste $20,000 or more. Make sure to find out if your favorite blogger does any of these things, and if they do stop reading that site immediately before you catch their stupid.
Anyone Who Doesn’t Live With Their Parents
People who move out of their parents’ house call their decision “being independent”, “growing up”, or “getting some privacy”. Let’s just call it what it really is: a big fat waste of money.
Renting or owning a place costs as little as a few hundred bucks a month, and as much as a few thousand or more! Then those people have to buy all new furniture, kitchenware, get renters or homeowners insurance, and who knows how many other costs.
If someone wants to waste their money paying for a house or apartment, just make sure you don’t waste your time reading their website!
Anyone Who Owns A Car
The next time someone posts about non-traditional investments or generating a second income, you should blatantly ignore whatever they said and ask the important question: do you have a car?
People take out loans (gasp!) to buy cars. Then they pay for car insurance, gas, oil changes, tires, and any other expenses associated with owning a damn dirty vehicle. How ridiculous! You can easily waste $20,000 on a car in just a year or two. Those car owners have no right to talk about personal finance, and you have no reason to listen to a word they have to say!
Anyone With Kids
Can you believe people actually have or adopt kids? From the moment they come into your lives you are paying either expensive medical bills or adoption fees, and the costs just go up from there. They need to eat, have a place to sleep, wear clothes, and more. Do the expenses ever end!?!?
Not to mention the fact that they will probably expect presents on their birthday and other holidays. They will want supplies for school. They’ll even want to tag along with you when you go on vacation. Some kids even have the audacity to want to go to college and ask their parents for financial help!
Forget wasting $20,000; each one of these little money suckers can cost you well over $100,000! Honestly, these parents who think they have a right to have a personal finance blog are simply ridiculous.
Anyone With a Pet
If there is one good thing about kids, it’s the fact that they might actually support you financially when they become adults. But has anyone ever heard of a dog paying for someone’s retirement home? Of course not!
Dogs and cats eat, poop, get sick, need shots, and will never contribute a penny to your net worth. One estimate suggests that a dog can cost up to $3,000 per year! Do yourself a favor and never read a personal finance blog if someone wastes their money on an animal!
Anyone Who Goes Out to Eat
Question: Why would a person with any financial sense go out to eat? Answer: Because they want to lose their financial blogger license!
Seriously, you can buy 50 pounds of rice for less than $23! Anyone who would dare to pay a restaurant to make and serve them food has absolutely zero financial sense. You should actually try to avoid even driving through restaurant parking lots, because stupid financial decisions might be associated with some airborne pathogen, and you don’t want to risk breathing in the air of those financial imbeciles.
Readers: Can you believe people try to justify spending tens of thousands of dollars on stuff like homes, cars, kids, pets, and restaurants when they could easily avoid all those expenses? Sure they might not get to live the life they want, but think about their 401ks!!!
Sarcasm Note: This entire post was dripping with sarcasm. Unfortunately, I’ve been blogging long enough to know that some people might not catch it. The point is that we all spend money on things we don’t “need” because it makes us happy. That’s what I’m doing with my wedding.
Kevin McKee is an entrepreneur, IT guru, and personal finance leader. In addition to his writing, Kevin is the head of IT at Buildingstars, Co-Founder of Padmission, and organizer of Laravel STL. He is also the creator of www.contributetoopensource.com. When he’s not working, Kevin enjoys podcasting about movies and spending time with his wife and four children.
I guess I am screwed financially… I rent, I have a couple of vehicles, I have three kids, and eat out occasionally. How did I not see the direction that my finances were going. Haha
Kevin, do yourself a favor, have your wedding that you want. Enjoy it. They don’t come every week… unless you have celeb status.
Great post. I guess I was never a pf blogger since I have been paying off my car loan for as long as I have been blogging. I moved out of my parent’s home for some independence and I have a dog and a cat!
Hope you have a fabulous time wedding planning and at your actual wedding!
Great response!
I read your blog weekly and have found a lot of the financial advice you post to be sound and helpful advice. I also like the occasional pro-libertarian comments and posts.
What people need to realize is that while finances are important, they are not everything. You can’t take money with you when you die and chances are, whatever person inherits it will blow it on a new car or house anyway. It’s important to be financially stable and have a plan for the future but you have to enjoy life as well!
My suggestion for those who are upset that you are spending $20k on your wedding (which, I believe, is actually below average) is that they consider the fact that you are even ABLE to spend that amount of money on your wedding. I think it’s awesome that you and your girl have the financial stability and savings to be able to give yourself a wonderful wedding and not have to rely on parents or other relatives to provide that for you. I’d be interested to know how many of your angry readers had the financial stability to be able to spend $20k on one day at your age.
Enjoy your wedding– It will be one of the best days of your life!
“You don’t know what you don’t know”.
I feel some don’t know what it’s like to save to earn. They base their idea of money on the quantity and their perception is subject to the amount something cost. Like a $5 happy meal is a good deal but spending $57 on ten pounds of frozen meat is just too much.
20k sounds like a lot to some but those same people piss away small money on useless items that they never see adding up. I’ve done it myself. The dollar amount is irrelevant when the decision is calculated. It’s money management.
Money can be had & spent over and over and over. Make your wedding what you want and let the haters hate.
I get the sarcasm but I guess I don’t read enough “cheap” blogs to regularly hear people who say these things. If I find a blog where the person is graduated from college and living at home, I immediately stop reading.
Like I said in our emails, my husband and I didnt go the route of large wedding because neither of us wanted that. We opted to put our money elsewhere. It’s all in what you feel is a good “investment” for you. If you have the means to have the day of your dreams, why not. Actually $20, 000 is not bad considering what kinds of things people spend their money on. Of course, we didn’t earn YOUR money., I don’t feel I can tell you how to spend it. I look at your blog and consider it advice, because thats what it is…advice. If you take a common sense approach to your finances, anyone can have $20, 000 to waste as they wish.
Good job sticking up for yourself.
Just don’t let the internet trolls bother you too much. 😉
I own three cars (2 paid off, 2 expensive sports cars) and I’m proud of it. But, I’m frugal have a good pile of money saved in savings/401k. I splurge on things that are important to me, and save everywhere else I can.
Haha I love this post. Considering I do all of these things (not yet with kids, but soon), I must be a horrible finance blogger!
Live with your parents? Oh, Kevin…….no REAL personal finance blogger would be caught dead being a financial drain on their parents. REAL PF bloggers live in a cardboard box and live off the birdseed and bread that others throw in the park.
And to think, I’ve respected you for the last for years…. 🙂
Hi Kevin,
I got married 3 times (to the same lady, that’s speak volume about masochism), the first one costed 100$ (civil union at the judge).
The second time with friend on a hawaiian beach, costed a total ~2000$ (half for the dress, 24% for the photograph), but we lived there so it was easier for us.
Last was with her familly a year later in her country, I am not sure about the price, but I easily believe it was in 4 zeros range, and then what? How many time do you marry in your life? (with a different person).
If you don’t go for stupid thing, there are the essential, as long as you have it it’s ok.
I read a bunch of those mean comments from your past post–people are so rude! It is your wedding, your money–do what you want 🙂 THAT is why it is called *personal* finance 🙂
Kevin, go have the wedding you want as long as you are not borrowing $20k from a high interest credit card, whats the worry? If you are paying cash or getting help from family then I dont see the problem, you still have cred with me!
Why so defensive? You seem to be extremely miffed at the idea of some people disagreeing with your spending habits… Don’t discredit yourself by forgoing your aloofness. Blogging 101.
Love the sarcasm. Some people spend double or triple the amount you’re spending on your wedding. So 20k isn’t all that bad.
What a ridiculous comment. You’re a financially secure individual. The money you are spending on your wedding is discretionary spending. People are annoying.
Hahahahhaa… By far the BEST post I’ve read all month.. And we’re already halfway through with it, it’s not like the month just started! 😉
Totally going up on my new site because I’m only allowed to put AWESOME stuff on it. No joke.
http://RockstarFinance.com
I got my pf blogger license revoked a long time ago–because I travel and eat out! Nice post and I always reply that personal finance is PERSONAL.
Ha! Thanks for the laugh this morning. Good sarcasm on a Monday. Best way to start the week.
My husband and I spent only $3,000.00 on our wedding dress, rings and all. However, I do not judge anyone who can afford to spend more on their wedding. It is a day of joyfully celebrating the union of two people and the amount of money that should be spent should be the amount of money that people are comfortable with. My husband and I decided to spend the amount above on our wedding because we would be moving a thousand miles away from home and thought that it would be better to save or money than spend it on a wedding. Some people gave us slack for not spending a lot of money on our wedding. But you know what, we are just as married as someone who spent more and just as married as those who spent less.
Weddings are fun, but they last a day. I HOPE a home, car, kids, and pets all last longer than a couple of hours. I think this is the major difference and what had people getting their panties all in a twist about your $20k wedding. You’re talking about spending thousands of dollars on what is essentially a party (because it’s not the ceremony, where you’re actually married, that costs the big bucks, it’s the reception). Plenty of folks out there have had first-hand experience with pulling of amazing, beautiful weddings for half of what you’re proposing to spend, so they know there are ways of having a gorgeous event that costs less – maybe that’s why you got such a strong response from your readers. Not trying to defend any rude or abrasive commenters, just trying to point out that not everyone who was shocked by that price tag for a wedding was being unreasonable and deserved to be attacked for disagreeing with your opinions.
I don’t know that renting an apartment is the same as having a $20,000 wedding. Of course we all have different priorities and can chose how we designate our funds. For me, $20,000 for a party is not in the cards, but I definitely “blow” my money on restaurants more often than I’d like.
Thanks for the laugh! I don’t see a problem if you’re spending your money on what’s important, and not sacrificing your future happiness for stuff that really doesn’t matter.
This must be going around. I recently wrote a post called Don’t Believe the Debt Hype basically telling people to think for themselves because everyone’s situation is different and because every piece of advice is not relevant to everyone.
People need to stop being sheep with the thinking. If you want to and can afford to spend $20K on your wedding, it’s your wedding! Enjoy!
Well, cars are indeed a huge money sink – one of the biggest money sinks there is. If possible, try to get by wtihout one, or at least try to get rid of extra ones you might have.
Great post Kevin. A wedding isn’t just a one day party. It’s a pretty momentous occasion. We tried to cut costs on our wedding but you don’t want to go bare bones on one of the most awesome events you’ll ever be a part of. No booze, no decorations, etc means your day sucks. Spend a little to make it awesome.
Hilarious post. I hope you have a FABULOUS wedding. If you can afford it, there is absolutely no problem in my book!
=)
To each his own! Don’t be reckless with your money (especially if you’re in debt) but remember that life is meant to be lived – and sometimes it takes spending some hard earned cash to achieve that life happiness.
I’ve had relatives who’ve scrimped and saved millions and then met a early demise, and not only did they NOT get to enjoy their own savings, their children then squandered their money quickly thereafter.
I paid pretty much my city’s average on my wedding with no regrets. Enjoy your special day… YOMO right? (You Only Marry Once, if you didn’t catch my slang)
Is it just me or didn’t all of us go into learning about personal finance so we would have the kind of cash flow that would allow for things like $20,000 weddings – if that was what we wanted?
Or can you only have them in retirement? I’m pretty sure that’s the only time you’re allowed to spend money and move out of the cardboard box in the park (@Travis – that made me laugh a lot).
I am sorry I missed this one. Great post Kevin. I don’t remember even getting the blogging license, so I am sure no one can revoke it. What a great way to respond to the comments. Genius!
The truth is, it was me who wrote the majority of the negative comments about your wedding plans several posts back. I made up at least 12 different aliases and posted different things about how it’s dumb to spend all that money on a wedding. I just thought I would get all the negative vibes flowing and then the nay-saying floodgates would open up, but the majority of people actually came to your defense. Probably only 5 people agreed with me. Anyway, I just wanted to be honest about that…mostly because I feel bad that TAG got involved…It made me feel like a jerk when she personally responded and came to your defense…I don’t really want to take anything away from her special day. If you want to know which posts were mine and which posts were genuine blog readers, just ask me and I’ll go through the list and let you know. Anyway, I’m sorry for the hassle man. I wanted to see how you would react to a perceived rejection of your reader’s trust, and a blow to your strength of popular legitimacy. The results? You couldn’t get that surprising, perplexing sense of rejection out of your thoughts…You stewed over the comments in your mind…you tossed around the counter-arguments and reaussured yourself of the decisions you made…talked to TAG about the thread of comments…and DAYS later, you wrote a lengthy rebuttle to what you considered a veritable mutiny of opinion! Very interesting to a person like me…I just like to find pathways into the innerworkings of the human brain/emotion complex…”To find out how someone acts when flustered is to discover key elements of their sans-facade character.”-E.B White …Kevin, my business can be described as cranial recon…ISR of your psyche…Windows into your mind. You were an interesting and amusing subject…’entertaining finance,’ indeed. #OperationFenestration
I was 22 when I got married. We spent around $30,000 for our wedding and maxed out all our credit cards because it was something we really wanted. Money comes and goes, might as well make the memories last.
So you equate not imposing on your parents by living in their home or making the sacrifice to get the joy and fulfillment of raising children, with spending $20,000 on a party?
$20, 000?
On a party?
Really? You don’t see a difference?