Reflecting Back on 2011

It’s about that time when we all reflect on 2011 and look forward to 2012. In short, 2011 has been an amazing year for me. I proposed to my future wife, I moved across the country, I got my first car, a new job, and my blogging has brought me success I never imagined could be had from a blog.

I don’t think I set any specific goals in 2011, and I’ll go over some 2012 goals in a few days, but when I look back, a whole lot has happened. And most of it was unexpected, so any goals I set would be irrelevant. Let’s look at my year in review:

Posts I’m Proud Of

I’ve written a lot of posts this year, but there are a few that I really liked (and a few others that were popular in the personal finance community):

Stable Government Jobs Promote Laziness

How to Be a Frugal iPhone Owner

Would You Ever Move Into Your In-Laws’ House?

It Pays More To Have a Side Gig If You Make More Money

A Nigerian Scam Could Be A Legitimate Transaction

Federal and State Estimated Quarterly Tax Payments are Due!

Blog Improvements

In addition to a new theme that was put into place around March, I also was able to increase readership dramatically. In December 2010, I had just over 5,500 people visit my site. In December 2011, the number is over 13,000 and growing rapidly. Compared to 2010, my traffic increased by over 130%. I’m pretty proud of myself in that area.

Side Income

Through this site, a related side venture with a partner, and various staff writing positions, I was able to increase my income dramatically, and in total I made about 300% more from my side business in 2011 than I made in 2010. It was great to have second and third sources of income, and that allowed me to become self-employed for a few months over the summer and relieved what would have otherwise been a lot of stress.

Thank You!

Finally, I want to thank you guys for reading. A blog is nothing without readers, and without knowing that people were reading, I would have stopped writing years ago. Please let me know if there is anything you want me to write about, I love suggestions!

This year has truly been amazing for me, personally and professionally. And yet, I won’t bask in any of my accomplishments for more than a few minutes this morning. I’m already looking forward to 2012, which I hope will be just as amazing.