This Crap (Personal Finance) is Boring

Personal Finance is not exactly an edge-of-your-seat thrill ride.

Nobody wakes up in the morning and says “Boy, I’m going to talk about Individual Retirement Accounts today!”

Except for maybe Jeffrey of Personal Finance Advice. And uh, many others in the personal finance blogging community. But they’re exceptions (aka freaks). So you shouldn’t take them into consideration.

Keeping a budget, being smart with your spending, saving a good percentage of your income—to name a few, are all necessary components to a healthy personal finance—but they are hardly exciting conversation topics. You see, personal finance can be rather stale at times.

BUT, just because it’s boring doesn’t mean it’s not important. It’s so important that you should devote as much time to it as you would with sleeping, eating, or going to the bathroom. It’s so important that if you neglect it, you wouldn’t have a place to sleep, eat, or poo—which is a fate terribly worse than boredom.

Don’t let personal finance’s somewhat boring nature stop you from caring.

jamesvanderzanden Says:
July 14th, 2006 at 4:10 am

I disagree, respectfully. Since I have started reading massive amounts of Personal Finance blogs, I find it to be a fascinating subject. Not only discussing what some of the basics are, but also to read of the strategies that different people use. Also, when I am talking with friends, I throw in basic personal financial tenants when we get on the topic of finances. Before I started reading these, I knew about the basics, but never understood, nor cared to really implement them. Now I have an emergency savings, paying down debt, planning out my investments, etc…and that to me is fascinating.

Cap Says:
July 14th, 2006 at 10:24 am

I’m rather happy that you disagree, actually. good response.

sf mom Says:
July 14th, 2006 at 10:26 pm

I, too, disagree. I’m obsessed with reading personal finance books and most recently personal finance blogs. I love watching my debt decrease and net worth increase. As my relationship with money develops, I’m learning more about myself and about what’s important in life. And that is fascinating!

I have to say that I think my husband agrees with you. Hehe!! That’s why I have to talk about PF here:) I get the glazed-over look everytime I break out the net worth spreadsheet.

personal finance advice Says:
July 15th, 2006 at 1:30 am

hmmmm – I have to agree with you…no doubt about it, I’m a freak ;) (although I’m not sure if I should be concerned that I was highlighted above all the other freaks, oh, um pfbloggers)

I also agree that personal finance can be extremely boring and it is one of the greatest challenges of pf bloggers to make it interesting to those who don’t think about personal finance on a daily basis (aka normal people). When one of us can master that tasks, you’ll see a lot of relieved average people…

Michael Says:
July 15th, 2006 at 9:47 am

Making money is boring? Saving money is boring?

Maybe if you’re Bill Gates.

Honestly, though, personal finance is boring … until you realize the power behind it.

Average Person Says:
July 17th, 2006 at 2:10 pm

Clearly, *we* don’t think personal finance is boring. That’s why we’re here reading this and dozens of other sites. However, the general population (i.e. people not reading this) often consider personal finance and financial planning boring.

mapgirl Says:
July 18th, 2006 at 5:59 am

This goes back to the comment that my blog is dry. But hey, they don’t have to read. I just hope I don’t have to bail out the commenter when he’s retired with no money left!

Eric Says:
August 4th, 2006 at 8:02 pm

Yeah, gotta toss my hat in with the disagree’ers and say this stuff invigorates me, even if you don’t take in to consideration the money to be made or saved quite easily.

Though, I majored in Finance in college, so I might be a tad biased in my opinion.