It’s time for another giveaway!!!
Gift cards are in demand and since we’re coming up on the gift-giving season (FYI, I start the Christmas music on October 1), I thought the time was right to give away some popular cards.
Before we get to that, I did want to share a bit of an update now that we’re at the end of the summer.
First, It’s been a GREAT summer for us. I hope you had a terrific one as well.
Second, you may have noticed I have ramped up the Millionaire Interviews to twice a week lately. I’m doing this for a couple reasons: 1) Lots of volunteers and 2) I’m trying to get to 100. At that point, we’ll space them out a bit. I’ll also summarize what we’ve learned after 100 interviews, so that should be fun. 🙂
Third, I’ve been taking most of the past month off and plan to do so for this month as well. I wrote a TON in the early summer, got way ahead, and simply needed some time to rest and relax a bit. It’s been good and has allowed me to work on some non-writing tasks with the site. I’ll be back to a more normal schedule (with more posts from me versus interviews/guest posts in October and November. One thing the break has allowed me to do is think of some great topics to write about. 🙂
Finally, things are going GREAT at Rockstar Finance. I’ll give you an update in the new year, but for now if you want to follow the action you can subscribe here.
Now let’s get on with the fun…
The Giveaway
This giveaway will be a bit different than in the past. Previously all you had to do to enter was to leave a comment.
This time, I need some advice, I know many of you have great wisdom, and I will reward those with the best thoughts for me.
I’m in the process of considering ideas for an ESI Money product. It could be an ebook, a course, or something else.
I need your thoughts on what you think I should create, what you’d be interested in, how much you’d be willing to pay, and so on.
I’ll even help you out!
Here are some ideas I’ve batted around a bit:
- Seven Simple Steps to Career and Income Growth
- 50 Ways to Save Thousands
- The Three Steps to Financial Independence/Retiring Early
- The Best Money Advice from Millionaires
- How to Create a Money Making Blog
- A Young Person’s Guide to Becoming Wealthy
- The Basics of Real Estate Investing
- Mastering the Three Keys to Job Search
- How to Retire in 10 Years or Less
- Seven Steps to Saving Hundreds on Buying a New Car
- How to Have the Wedding of Your Dreams for Half the Price
There could be more, but these should get you started.
What I’d like to get comments on include, but are not limited to:
- Content/subject ideas
- Format of the content (ebooks, audio, video, etc.)
- Price of the product
- Size of product (pages for book, hours of video, etc.)
- Any extras (printables, electronic docs, etc.)
- Anything else you think I should consider
Now with that preamble, here are the details of the giveaway:
- I’ll be giving away $360 in gift cards including $200 from Amazon (8 cards at $25 each), $100 from Starbucks (4 cards at $25 each), and $60 from iTunes (6 cards at $10 each) (one card per winner, total of 18 winners).
- To enter, all you need to do is leave a comment below with your advice on what product(s) I should consider developing
- Also list which card you would prefer to win
- Be sure to leave your email address when you leave the comment so I will know how to reach you if you win (the email address will not be visible to anyone other than me).
- The winners will be selected by me based on which I think are “best” — the best suggestions, the most thoughtful, the most complete, etc.
- The top selections will receive their cards of choice, but as those are taken other winners may or may not receive their preferred card. If you card is not available, I will select one for you.
- You may enter multiple times. You might have an idea now and suggest it, then think of something different later. You can come back and make that suggestion as well. You can only win once, but multiple ideas give you several chances to be a winner.
- The selection of winners will be held on Wednesday, September 19, 2018.
- Once I hear from all winners I’ll mail out the cards (you’ll want to get them soon, right?)
- As with most giveaways, there are rules. Here they are.
Good luck!!!!
Greg V. says
I think your idea of “The Best Money Advice from Millionaires” is a great one. Especially having the ability to pull from all the millionaire interviews you have conducted. There is a definite shortage of recent titles with this topic.
Kristen Mazzotta says
As a busy “young” mom, I’d love to see an audio book about Millionaire’s best advice for “young” people. Their mistakes etc. I personally love the Millionaire interviews. They provide so much insight. I know so many people my age who have zero financial sense and couldn’t benefit from something like this. Audio books are awesome too because many parents
who are busy with kids like to listen to books on their commutes to work. Thank you for such a great blog! I’d love to win an Amazon card 🙂
Greg Garcia says
First off, thank you for sharing and doing this blog/newsletter. Business and finance is something that I, quite frankly, am not good at nor put any real effort into (long story short, my job had a great pension until it crashed, and then all the rules changed).
I would like to see the 10 year to retirement plan – what steps I should take, what needs to be taken care of while I am still employed, how to generate passive income / retirement income, any pitfalls to avoid. I’m 42, a police officer, and I’d like to get out of this career ( going on 20 years of service).
I have a lot of drive time, so I would prefer something audible, but I would also like something visual.
Thank you for your time. If this goes through, I’d be fine with Starbucks.
Jon B Kennamer says
What an awesome idea. If I were launching this service, I would probably want to be super-focused on one single course to begin with. Focus, and gather data from the feedback you receive. Is your price right? How engaged are the users? Are they just buying the product but then never actually using it? Or are they really consuming the course, watching your videos multiple times, posting in course-specific forums, and sharing (referring) other people to the product. Then, get feedback in the form of testimonials. People need to say, “I was in the market for a new Honda Accord. I had three quotes already, but after taking this course, I was able to save an additional $1,000 off the best quote.”
I personally need to be able to measure the value I am getting. If you can save me $500 more on my next car purchase than I would be able to save myself, I am happy to give you a cut. Maybe 10-20% of the savings. If the course were mastering the three keys to a job search, the course might end with a one-on-one review of the user’s resume. In that case, your time (or preferably, your staff’s time – try to outsource what you can!) is money.
This sounds like a great extension of the ESI brand. For it to be the best it can be, the reader should be able to see TANGIBLE results if they use the resource. Example: your idea for “Seven Steps to Saving Hundreds on Buying a New Car” might include 7 short videos along with a bulleted list for how to negotiate the very best price. For value-add, you could offer to do the negotiating for the client (perhaps make them go through the process of getting bids online, but then sharing the responses with you and your team for advice on how to move forward).
For a fee-based product, there has to be a good, value-added reason for the reader to fork over his money. I think one of the most compelling ways to do that, regardless of the product, would be to offer a one-on-one consultation at the end of the program. It doesn’t have to be much, maybe just 15 minutes of dedicated advice between you (or your staff, if you recruit people to assist) and the reader.
A couple broad ideas that I would love to see: I am a real-estate investor. Several of my properties are out-of-state, Section 8 rentals. I use a professional management company, and service calls are killing my profits. I’ve been working hard and making my properties bulllet-proof – removing things that often break, or buying more durable products. I also invest in a triple-net REIT and just launched my first AirBnB on Florida’s Gulf Coast. I want to outsource as much of the “hassles” as I can so that I can spend my time on the fun stuff and on what gives me the best returns. But it’s complicated. A mentor would be nice. A solid course on this, accompanied by a one-on-one consultation, would be worth money.
Another idea would be travel hacking. You could advertise that your program will give people $3,000 in free travel (or whatever claim you end up making). Offer a money-back guarantee but charge for the course. The user is required to take the entire course, and show that they implemented the ideas, before you’d offer a refund if they aren’t 100% satisfied. Then take them through the very detailed steps of how to get the best price on a hotel room, maybe something on attending a timeshare presentation in order to receive substantial travel savings, or signing up for a rewards credit card to earn free travel.
If I am a winner, I’d love the Amazon gift card. Thanks!
Robert A. says
Suggest an e-book geared towards post-college young professionals, geared towards basic steps to take to help ensure long-term financial stability. (You mentioned “A Young Person’s Guide to Becoming Wealthy” in the post, but that title might need to be focused since “young” is a relative term.)
Ketan says
Content/subject ideas: how to get your spouse/partner on board with early retirement
Format of the content (ebooks, audio, video, etc.): Podcast or blog series
Price of the product: subscription, or one time fee for all casts. Depends on how many you think you could do. I.e. $50 for 100. Book would be $15, but less interesting. Most people’s seem to want snippets, not novels these days.
Size of product (pages for book, hours of video, etc.): 25 podcasts at least, at 10 minutes each. 200 page book
Any extras (printables, electronic docs, etc.). A1 page cheat sheet on “how to have the conversation”
Anything else you think I should consider: want to be super creative? Create a tracking system like Richard Simmons did for dieting! Remember his “cards’?
Karen says
I would gain insight and motivation from case studies of folks that turn their financial lives around. Outlining how they learned from mis-steps or life circumstances and managed to achieve FI. Kind of like WW success stories, but with plenty of useful details.
Case studies are probably like your millionaire interviews but focused on the digging out and building up towards FI. As for format, an ebook with a low price point, cause hey, the folks who would be motivated by reading it don’t have a lot of $ to spend! I would also like to see the granular details that could be formatted and downloadable to help people organize their own finances.
Thanks for the chance to win an Amazon card
Scott Halet says
it may be a redundant thought, but I think the subject should be mixed content dealing with rises and falls in the market and how it affects your investment decisions. The formats should be video/audio and blog style so that readers can go at their own pace and have the ability to respond with ideas gleamed from the information received.
michael williams says
Here’s my entry for the giveaway. I’d like a course on how to start an e-business. It would be fine to cover the technical details (how to set up a website, search engine optimization, ad choice and placement, etc), but everybody does that. I want to know the financial aspects. Am I required to get a business license, a doing-business-as license, etc? When does it stop being a hobby and become a business? Should I set up an LLC? Which income is taxable (Federal/state)? Do I need to open a separate bank account for it? If I hire people to help on a regular basis, what are my legal responsibilities toward them? Do I have to make sure they are US citizens/legal residents? When would I need a lawyer/accountant/business advisor? I wouldn’t be making any money when just starting out, at what point do I need to move to some “next level”?
You could also include some more advanced aspects (and if you do this next year after I retire, I could help research these topics, I’m certified on some of it). How do you protect your website from being hacked, or from denial of service attacks? Which ISPs have better tools and support to prevent hacking? How do you know when your site has been compromised, and how can you respond quickly?
I have searched for the legal details of starting a business, and found very little. If you made a self-paced course or book, I think that would be worth paying for. You could also offer some kind of personal consulting package at additional cost.
Good luck with your idea quest, I’m sure you’ll get lots of great entries. If you choose mine, I’d prefer an Amazon gift card. If that is not available, then I would pass on the other cards, just give me a discount on the book or course! 🙂
Mike says
ESI, any thoughts to starting a podcast? I think your blogs are great and contain excellent content. Getting your content into a podcast format would allow 1) your audience to consume the content during windshield/commuting time, 2) you to find new podcast-friendly audience, and 3) allow advertisers to crossover between blog and podcast.
ESI says
I have considered it, but I’m actually looking at doing LESS work, not more (once I get a product and a podcast is an on-going commitment. I have thought about partnering with someone and having them do the “work” while I do the promotion, but haven’t found the right fit yet. 🙂
Georgia E Cullors says
How to retire in 10 years or less. I’m 42 and have done pretty well with building wealth for my family of 2. I’m excited about grooming my son into a millionaire with all I have learned. I just started with DR in Dec 2017 and am fired up!! Will be totally debt free to include 2 properties in 2026
*Amazon
Julia says
Ok, my idea comes from being a member of the sandwich generation. This could be a downloadable set of papers; probably one set for the younger ages, and another for those of us in the middle, and another for my parents.
What legal documents should I have for my 20 year old sons (POA? HIPPA release? Is there a simple do it yourself will so that they can easily and cheaply have a will in case something horrible happens?)
On the other end of the spectrum, what legal documents should I have my parents sign (Health care POA? HIPPA release?) and what are the ins and outs of the differences between a durable POA vs a POA that takes effect upon incapacitation?
I would be happy to go into this in more detail, but I have to get to work…sigh.
I’d love an Amazon gift card. Thank you.
Priscilla says
Hello, Thanks for the giveaway. It would be great to have content on:
1) Profiles of people with moderate incomes and various family sizes – savings, retirement and tax considerations – what if you are single, divorced, a single parent with children/ primary custodian?
2) Profiles of high asset owners, who started late and their wealth building strategies.
I would prefer Amazon or Starbucks. Thank you!
Shailesh Thadani says
How about a “you just had a baby.. now what” blog/ebook. I’m 34 and just had a baby a month ago. Besides the usual good bye sleep I think it would be great to talk about jumpstarting college savings, opening up a 529 plan and any other financial planning one could do for their newborn so they never have to worry about taking on student loan debt when they go to college. Especially with it being our first child we are clueless with all things baby so any and all advice would be great. We talk a lot about early retirement and savings for ourselves. How about teaching our kids to live like us and getting them started early. Thanks!
Julia says
Ok, I really have to get out the door to go to work, but my other idea is a blog/video series on what to do when inheriting wealth/property. No matter how much someone inherits (whether it is $20,000 or $200,000) there are decisions that have to be made, and middle class people like myself and my friends are struggling.
In my experience, because of the way that family is spread out all over the globe and because people are living longer, when someone dies the person who is the executor has to figure out all on their own what needs to happen (how many death certificates do I need?!) and then there can be tax implications or rules that need to be followed.
So Grandpa bequeathes 1/5 of his IRA to my minor child. Are there tax implications? Does he have to take money out every year? Do we have to declare that money somewhere? How do we divide the IRA?
And what about me? Let’s pretend that I now come into some money (less than the whatever millions require inheritance taxes)…obviously I’m going to think long and hard about how to best handle that windfall. How do I determine whether it is better to pay down my mortgage vs invest it?
And as part of the blog/video series, some sort of “what to do” when someone dies would be very helpful. (Kind of the opposite of the pregnancy “what to expect when you’re expecting”?! lol) I’d love a checklist of sorts: contact the IRS? (or is that done when I do their taxes for the last time?) contact social security (and talk about the clawback that happens when people don’t die on the last day of the month)? What is the legal process with a will? How do I contact/cancel credit cards? What are companies allowed to do in order to get money owed to them (ie, car notes? credit card debt? Do I have to pay those even if I haven’t gotten any money yet?)
Many middle class people don’t have an accountant or a lawyer. They probably have done a will because they knew they should…but there is no one who knows the proper steps or can advise. Since life insurance policies can take 60 days to pay out, decisions have to be made before some money comes in.
Some sort of course would be really helpful.
I’d love an Amazon gift card (and I’d love to help you brainstorm for this course!)
michael williams says
This idea has my vote! These are all excellent things to have answers for.
Andrew says
Have you considered doing something like a lead magnet upgrade? For example if you had a free offer of “7 steps to creating a budget”, you could deliver it as 7 emails, or a PDF or whatever.
After they sign up you would offer bonus content for a small price – downloadable excel templates, budget printables, etc. (Amazon)
Eric Cin says
First off thanks for the outstanding information and insight into how people got to their success.
I really believe that getting to where the individuals you highlight is all about a path to their success. It would be a cool message to highlight the right path. Every path has turns along the journey, and if you take a left you end up somewhere else than taking a right turn.
It would be very interesting to document paths with key decision making points along the way and why some paths are smarter, safer, and better choices than others. Trying to minimize luck and identify how each decision along the way drives you to a better chance of success.
Just a thought hope it helps. I am also biased to an old school book, all because ebooks about money, investing and wealth building are hard to listen to numbers. I find that these types of books are like text books or hand books to go back to and or write on.
Again thanks so much for the interesting articles!
Jennifer Marchant says
You already have great content ideas so I’m going to focus on pricing and distribution strategy. Distribution: Studies have shown that people all learn differently. Some people prefer to learn by listening, some prefer to read, and some people need to take notes in order to retain what they are learning. Therefore, it would be great to have the content distributed in all of these different ways. Some sort of presentation where people could hear it, or read it. The content can be a subscription series administered throughout the course of the year. People can buy one, two, Etc. sessions of the subscription, with reduced pricing for quantity discounts.
Suggested pricing: $19.99 for one session, $29.99 for two, $39.99 for 3, and so on. If you did 10 total maybe make it like $79.99. Stay under the magic $100 for the first year to assess consumer feedback. Good luck!
Jon says
Use the compilation of 100 Millionaire Interviews to summarize the best advice and common themes across multiple interviews. Throw in your own personal experience along your journey. Find a good spectrum of people that have had average incomes and above average that have been successful according to their own definition.
Secondary topic of career and income growth. Savings will only get you so far to FI. Growth in salary and income, with disciplined savings/investment, is what gets you to FI.
Price point – depends on final content. Recognize that you already have a lot of content right on your blog. This product may complement that in a summary fashion for ease of reference.
Amazon card.
Amanda says
I second this one (pulling from the millionaire interviews). I mean, these people have already made it happen – there’s so much to learn from them. Pulling out the common themes and putting it into actionable steps would make an amazing product.
I like a combo of video with worksheets & checklists. Video makes a course seem a little less time consuming and the worksheets/checklists are where the student/consumer can take concrete action. Video – around 1 – 2 hours with actionable steps on printables.
Price? I think you could ask $100-200 easily. But, then, I really don’t know since I’ve never been on the producing/selling end…
(I also like the job search idea – and I’d go with the same format)
Ann Marie says
Hi! I’m a fan of learning how to do things on a budget…which made me think about the how to get married for half the price, as I’m also single and love weddings! However, there’s a lot of things for free on the internet – so, so being frugal myself, I don’t know if I’d pay for that…
I was also attracted to the first on your list – 7 Simple Steps to career growth…I’m an Executive Assistant and always interested in learning how I can increase my value and salary!
Perhaps you could give away one of these shorter – to entice people to purchase another…
Buy this e-book, and get some tips on how to have a wedding at half the price!
I would suggest e-book…maybe for $5.00? $4.99?
I’d love the Amazon card – that’s where I get most of my personal items, and I make the orders for my company, so they reimburse me for my Amazon Prime membership! Score.
Or else the Starbucks card – I no longer buy coffee (as part of frugal living) but if it’s a gift card, I’ll splurge! 🙂
Kelly Angel says
For content: make micro-saving (or micro-investing) work for you; how to say no to those who have the next great plan or want to detour your goals; best ways to keep your eyes on the prize.
Thanks!
Mary S says
Weddings are a crazy expense, my oldest daughter’s wedding was $30,000 plus?. Since we have another daughter who will eventually marry, I would like to learn how to have the wedding of your dreams at a reasonable, affordable cost. I enjoy your blog, thanks! Someone told my husband and I, “live today like no one else, so you can live tomorrow like no one else.” Any gift card is fine.
kristine bengs says
The basics of real estate investing, and I would love an amazon or Starbucks card!
Margo says
Hi John,
For the titles, I think “50 Ways to Save Thousands” is the most catchy. I usually think about referring books, and short titles are usually the easiest for me to remember. I also think that with 50 Ways to Save Thousands, you are free to dig deep into a variety of ways to save thousands – in your opinion and what has worked for you. But also, as a reader, I like to read about what others have done to be successful too. For example, if you wrote about real estate investing, you could include an anecdote about another person from the FI community who uses real estate to build wealth.
Price of the product: between $5-10
Format of content: audio book would be a great option for those who are visually impaired, ebooks are popular as well.
Size of product : no more than 300 pages for a book
PS- Amazon or Starbucks please!
PPS- loved your interview on FireDrill podcast
Matt says
Hey ESI! Thanks for the great content…my wife and I have been following your blog ever since you were a guest on the ChooseFI podcast.
1. To drive traffic to your blog a “free” printable product to of the 7 ways to increase your income would be great. That was really the aspect we liked about your interview and brought us to your website. From there we’ve really been interested in your interviews because each one brings a little insight and wisdom into the lives and habits of the people that have been successful.
On that note, my wife mentioned she would be more likely to click on the emails if there was a little more teaser information about the millionaire interviewed in the email.
Once people get tied to your website you could then have a better chance of selling the next product discussed below.
2. Thinking about all the great information you’ve obtained from your millionairs, I think that information could be turned into a book that is cleaner and more organized. Kind of how JL Collins turned his Stock Series into a book. Technically everything in the book is online, but the book is more organized and more concise.
To answer your questions specifically by bullet point:
– Content/subject ideas: Interviews from Millionaires and how they reached their goals.
– Format of the content: An actual book appeals to me. Others have mentioned something cheaper like a ebook but I think a nicer book has more appeal. The concept of, “you get what you pay for” and a nicer book would seem more valuable and legitimate.
– Price of the product: $15-$20 – I think your audience would be very comfortable at that price point because they might be in a little higher tax bracket that some of the other more frugal websites.
– Size of product: Again, I’m imagining something similar in size as A Simple Path to Wealth by JL Collins.
– Any extras: Links and resources in the book are always useful! If the book is successful you could always create an ebook/audiobook version.
Amazon Gift card would be first choice! Thanks again for all the insights!!
Mike H says
Hi ESI,
I think you should make an ESI board game, a physical one (you can also make an e-version). Players will have to navigate a board and pass through and over squares for E, S and I that causes them to draw a card from the respective stacks and either propels them or sets them back.
For example, E: move to a low cost of living area while earning a new salary- move forward. Get relocated and have an expensive and painful commute- go back.
You could market it to those 12 and up. I’d totally pay $34.95 for this and if it’s discounted then even better. I’d buy a few as gifts for friends with children and some young adults that I know.
If you pick my idea I’d appreciate an Amazon gift card if available.
Thanks,
Mike
David Bell says
All of the above titles you suggest are excellent and could make a nice series of mini ebooks/audio books for all types. I would recommend 3 books: 1 for earning 1 for saving and 1 for income. This would dove tail nicely into your over arching theme and appeal to followers like me who value all 3 as important factors in becoming a millionaire. I think you need all 3 to do it right. I have read many financial books and they rarely cover all 3 categories – especially the earning piece. I would pay 20 plus dollars for each book. Each could be around 200 pages and 10-12 chapters. You have a solid writing style and copious amounts of interviews from millionaires to help build content. Do 1 book a year and all 3 will be winners.
Xrayvsn says
Great idea ESI.
As a new blogger, I would love to have a product that would show tried and true methods of how one should monetize it. Chapters on at what level of traffic would you do this or that. A breakdown such as when you first start a blog you can do Google AdSense and Amazon afilliate programs (which is what I do). What level of Alexa ranking/pageview/session would you suggest going for advertising and what are the best resources. What are some of the higher paying affiliate programs and what level do you need to get them (example Mediavine at 25k sessions/mo).
As far as price, if it is something as simple as an e-book, probably under $10 would be a great price point. If it is something that is going to be a physical book you can hold, $19.95 seems reasonable if it is around 200 pages or so.
I think with the resources you have from your Millionaire series and ESI scale you have the makings of an amazing book if you can compile all the lessons they have given throughout time (much like the Millionaire Next Door). You probably have more data than those original authors and it will likely fly off the shelves.
Have chapters on:
Regrets/What If’s
the Aha Moment.
Potential Pitfalls.
Advice to wannabe Millionaires
I think this would be best as a paperback/hardcover option, $19.95-24.95 would be a good range to shoot for. .
Heidi says
First, I follow a lot of financial blogs as I wind down my debt-free journey. Since my divorce, I’ve started taking it really seriously since that completely changed my life. That was 5.5 years ago, so it’s easy to get burnt out when you haven’t had a real vacation in you don’t even remember how long and you’re really strict on spending. I’ve loosened up a little allowing some “fun money,” but everyone looks at you and says, “You only live once.” Hahahahaha. Yeah, and I don’t want to ever be in debt again!
I read all of your posts and find your blog the most practical, so thank you for that. I religiously read the millionaire interviews. They get me all fired up to keep going, which is what I need when everyone else is encouraging me to spend, spend, spend.
Having said that, I work in a ministry setting and do not have a high income. I have taken on additional income streams this year, but got burnt out again. I will turn 37 in October and have 2.5 years to go until being completely debt-free. I have done without a lot but this is not a post for sympathy. It’s just how it is when you have a low-income job and you desire to be debt-free.
I would benefit the most from a course on maybe not necessarily getting wealthy, although who doesn’t like that idea?!?! I just want to be financially free as a single woman who is not looking to get married again. But I do not want to leave my job. I love the ministry aspect and it has provided tons of healing to me. I firmly believe some things are worth more than money. But I don’t want to be frivolous and I do want to be able to provide for myself totally and completely.
I would love an audio course because I regularly listen to podcasts on my way to and from work, church, etc. I don’t get on my computer much on the weekends because I’m always on it at work Monday through Friday. I would be willing to pay if the coursework interested me enough. I have done some dream coaching and personal coaching this year. Investing in myself has been a change of mindset for me, but it’s resulted in a lot of personal growth and knowing myself better. Honestly, most likely I would need a payment plan to feel comfortable paying for it. I currently make $50 weekly payments for coaching.
As far as coursework goes, this is where I enjoy listening to the millionaire interviews. Or reading them, I guess, to learn what works for more regular wage earners. I do have a retirement account thanks to my divorce, but saving and becoming debt-free on a low income is challenging to say the least. I would like to possibly hear from other singles living on moderately low incomes and what thy do to stay ahead but still allowing themselves to enjoy life occasionally. Recommendations are always helpful. Case studies are extremely helpful.
That’s my two cents, which turned to be a lot more. Typical for a journalism major and previous journalist. Don’t even get me started on how thankful I am to be out of that industry!
Thanks again for all you do, whether I win or not. You provide some of the most solid content out there. I love Amazon and Starbucks!:)
Mark says
the idiots guide to becoming a millionaire. it isn’t really that difficult to cut back and save on spending….(that’s just a start).
I’d like the amazon gift certificate.
Spence says
Here’s something different. There are so many blogs about how young people can retire by age 30. Great idea, but some of us readers are in their 50s and did not plan for our retirement or financial freedom. How about a course, eBook or blog to help US catch up and still have a chance at financial freedom?
BSue says
Since you have such a wealth of good info in your millionaire interviews, (yes, pun intended), consider tagging them by different characteristics such as age, wealth level, obstacles overcome, etc. so that you can build a custom search tool for readers to use to find the most relevant examples to their specific interests.
For a topic, consider how to bequeath assets to heirs who have specials needs without undermining any government benefits they may have or need. Closely related is helping elderly parents protect assets when they move to skilled nursing care facilities and want to apply for government benefits such as SSI, VA Aid & Attendance, and Medicaid. I would recommend Melanie B. Holliman, an estate lawyer and Executive Director of Alabama Family Trust, a non-profit pooled-trust corporation. She has completed a series of webcasts for the Alzheimer’s Association on these topics this summer.
Another topic which could draw anecdotes from your current readership would be how to transition money management from one generation to the next. It could be Boomers dealing with Depression-era parents who have trust issues as well as well-off parents grooming kids to manage inherited money well.
As for form, your current readership is online, so if you are hoping to deepen the relationship into an income, stick with electronic media such as an ebook or a Masterclass series. If your goal is to expand to a wider audience, aim for podcasts for folks who commute or printed workbook format with forms.
Amazon works best for me so I can support my husband’s Kindle vice.?
Sarah Thompson says
I loved your ESI Scale Financial Independence Calculator, so much so that I have that post still in my inbox so I remember it. I think some sort of ebook or email course incorporating that calculator and others where users would have projects and homework for optimizing their own finances would be helpful. I love the Apartment Therapy challenges where you get a daily email for decluttering, spring cleaning, etc. for 30 days. Maybe something similar for personal finance?
I personally wouldn’t pay much more than $4.99, but I have been reading your site and other FIRE sites for years. Maybe someone who is new to this information would be willing to pay more?
Thanks for the giveaway! Would love either the Starbucks or Amazon giftcards.
Randy Lasater says
I love the idea of How to Create a Money Making Blog! I’d be very interested in implementing something like that! Thanks for all your posts.
Meagan says
If your main interest is in making a purchasable item then I would go for an eBook or printed book. (I wouldn’t pay money for a video about finance.) If your main interest is in getting more outreach then I would suggest a podcast – and a purchasable item to go along with the podcast could be budgeting forms that people can fill out to understand where they are financially (Like when you look at your finances and see if you’re in a good or bad place, what do you look for? How can someone else look for the same thing in their finances to see if they’re overspending somewhere or not investing enough?)
I like the topics of A Young Person’s Guide to Becoming Wealthy or How to Retire in 10 Years or Less, as most of the other topics are already included within the discussion of these.
As far as what to actually talk about, you can break it down into different sections such as:
The types of investment accounts you choose, why, and how the growth has changed over the years. (How much money/time is needed for compounded growth to become more significant than just your own inputs? How does that factor in to retiring earlier?)
Real estate including REITs and where you put your money at each point in time. (I’ve read that you paid cash for your real estate but where did you put the money while you were preparing for your purchase – just in a regular savings account? How much money do you keep in cash form for any surprises with your real estate? How is the income from your real estate actually managed – do you get a check in the mail from your renters, or its it online or through a management company? Would it be similar for REITs?)
A sample budget for various things – wedding, having a baby, how much to spend on vacation, regular times of life. (I feel like this provides perspective because some people consider themselves as not well off when they are actually doing quite well and they are taking a lot of things for granted. Additionally people don’t seem to want to talk about the real info/nitty gritty on money management and that’s probably a big difference in what separates someone who is very well off and someone who is just getting by 10 years from now.) You could provide some extras here to help people with budgeting and understanding the real cost of things to know if they could spend more or should spend less.
Other money tips such as using credit unions for perks, high interest savings account, benefits from credit cards, choosing the best loans for people who want to keep a good credit score but spend money wisely, and any other significant things that helped you save/invest money to get you to that wealthy or early retirement stage.
Size of the product should be maybe 300 pages or less if an eBook, or a compilation of budgeting assistance handouts 50 pages or less. I’m not sure what cost would go into making these items but personally, I might purchase them if they’re anywhere between $5-$15, and might not purchase if they’re $20+ (mostly due to the fact that I’m not wealthy yet, haha.)
Hope that helps at all. I found your blog recently, subscribed, and have been enjoying the morning emails.
Meagan says
Whoops, forgot to mention I’m interested the Amazon card in my comment.
Dorothy says
Living debt- free and gain Financial Freedom and Stability.
Jen Zeller says
Wow – there are a lot of great ideas! I really love your Millionaire Interview posts and the one thing I always gravitate to is the mistakes they have made. So… a book / guide about “Financial Mistakes Even Millionaires Make” would be so helpful. It shows a lot of us that even if you’ve made financial mistakes in the past, you can learn and grow so much from them and still become a millionaire. We all make mistakes, financially and in life, so it’s interesting to hear from successful people.
It would be an easy book to sort into various chapters or sections – Stock Market, Real Estate, Spending (homes, cars, clothes, entertainment, travel), Education, Medical, Insurance. You have so much information from your interviews to pull from and I’m sure you could get more from your general (i.e. non millionaire) readers too where they have learned and are trying to move forward financially.
The Amazon gift card would be my choice. Thanks and good luck with all the ideas you’re getting!
Carol says
I loved to read a post sequence about how to live on one income after living with two good incomes >$90k each. I have been juggling with that fact after deciding to become a stay at home mom after my second child is born.
Also, I’d like to see some subscription preferences, the interviews are not my favorite but I like reading your articles. So I do not want to fully unsubscribe.
Enjoy your months off!!!
GINGER D SCALONE says
I would love to see /buy a course for teenagers on finance and budgeting. I’ve looked and done research and there is no really good program for kids. The program needs to include a budgeting page with samples on what rent, groceries, utilities cost. Examples of how to balance a check book, managing car expenses and maybe even how to manage cooking and choosing whole foods that you can eat more than one night.
In addition, how to check your paystub to make sure it’s correct. evaluating salary and what you are worth, taxes and other deductions from your gross pay would be helpful.
I have a senior that knows very little and needs to learn so an online format that is geared towards teenagers is essential. Perhaps a program that gently encourages them to keep learning or is presented in a game like format??
Anyway, I think a program like this would go gang busters for parents, grandparents and concerned family members of newly adults as a graduation present.
Amazon card for me!
Ginger
LK says
Thanks for the giveaway!
Many others have said this, but I agree that the “lessons from millionaires” would be a great topic, and also make excellent use of the material you’ve gathered.
LK says
I’d gladly pay $9.99 for an ebook I felt would be valuable. Much more than that and I’d waffle, unless there was a overview (list of chapter titles, for example) or a sample and I could see for sure that this was a book I wanted to add to my collection.
Also, you could make serious bank on the wedding ebook. Esp if you include lots of glossy photos, like a magazine. Include photo “feelings” along with the solid money advice and you could have a bestseller, lol. Lots of girls and women read wedding magazines just for the Feels even when they aren’t planning weddings. So, if you can combine the excitement of the Feels with the practicality of not going broke, you’ll have a total home run!
As a sidenote, I would far prefer an ebook to a video. I haaaate videos–I can’t read at my own pace or skip boring introductory material, it’s harder to retain ideas compared to reading, and there’s always annoying “boing” sounds mixed in for no good reason. However, based on the prevalence of videos, I’m the weirdo here.
LK says
My personal vote is for 50 Ways to Save Thousands as an ebook, sold for the range of $5.99 ($9.99 if it contains original ideas that can’t be found for free elsewhere on the web).
Second vote is for the millionaires idea, which could sell for more since it is original data you collected yourself; that raises its value in my eyes.
Or both? Ebook 1 and 2?
Sara says
I would like to read about seven simple steps to career and income growth. I feel like so much of personal finance is on the savings side of things and less about career growth. I think growing your career and income is a different topic that people would be interested in. You could talk about how to ask for raises, how to increase your job performance, job searching, networking and life-long learning. I think a format like a course or an audio book would be perfect for this type of material! I also would read an ebook about this topic. I don’t like clutter, so I would be less likely to buy a printed book. The amazon gift card would be my choice. Thanks!
A Millionaire Next Door says
I highly suggest Podcasting the milliionaire interviews. I find it more informative to actually hear what they say and how they say it versus just reading it. I know this space is starting to heat up with Millionaires Unveiled and Chris Hogan but I feel this is a big space with even bigger demand. When I was in my 20s and 30s, I craved hearing actual ordinary millionaires tell how and why they achieved their success but it was limited at best. I read as many books as I could by the well known speakers/authors (Rohn, Robbins, Tracy, etc) but really wanted to hear from the actual everyday millionaires, hence my affection for The Millionaire Next Door at the time. The content should be free and advertiser supported, if possible. To differentiate from others in this space, consider taking live phone calls during the podcast. (I am a millionaire but still want to hear and learn from others as there are so many ways in today’s dynamic economy to make and increase one’s wealth – very fun an exciting times. Never ever stop learning)
Maisie says
As far as content from your brainstorm list, I like:
The Best Money Advice from Millionaires
And I also like the Julia suggestion above on:
“what to do when inheriting wealth/property ”
I really would love an Amazon card.
Kelsey says
I like the “Best Money Advice from Millionaires” idea. I am always up to read another millionaire interview, and although I’ve only recently found your site, I’ve read back through many of your previous interviews. My husband and I are 30-ish and interested in the best plan to invest over time so we can retire early, and I find the millionaire interviews have a lot of wisdom to share with people like us. I am a huge fan of Podcasts. Yours wouldn’t necessarily have to be on going forever; you could do a short series of, say, 10 1-hour episodes that talk about different ways people have achieved millionaire status (and beyond), how long it took and what advice they have for those of us still working towards that goal, maybe work in some interviews.
My first choice would be an Amazon card.
Linda says
I think all of your suggestions are great but I’d like to see something along the line of “How to recover after bankruptcy and what initial steps to take”. I feel that your site is excellent. I would like to win an Amazon card. Thank you very much.
Robin says
Having been divorced and think I’m looking at it again, how about something on making the most out of a divorce? Lots of ideas! And I would be interested in the Amazon card.
Amber says
I would love to see an audiobook (or even workbook version) of how to retire in 10 years. Maybe 3 different lenses? One for a young person fresh out of college or fresh to the workforce. A second for someone established in a career or ready for a mid career change. Third, I am thinking for some one let to the retirement planning scene, or maybe 50ish who needs to rebalance and create a new retirement plan. Just thoughts ?. Price would be related to how much time you needed to develop it, so I’m not sure what is reasonable? Not specifically interested in any of the giveaways, but would like to win one as a donation.
Bruin says
I like the idea of focusing on young people so hat they start out well since I have kids who will enter the workforce in coming years. Rather than focusing on ‘wealth’ as a topic, however, What about something along the lines of “what to do with your money when you get your first job.” A book or even an app (more likely used by that generation) could be a great graduation gift and help parents give their kids the same advice from a different source.
Bruin says
Amazon or iTunes
PaulM says
I’d really like to see a guide to health insurance options, especially (but not limited) to early retirees — What are the alternatives and the pros and cons to each. Also,it would be helpful to get some idea as to cost and eligibility and what we’re giving up if we choose a less costly option. I understand that the landscape is ever changing but a snapshot of what’s currently available would fill a void in my opinion.
Anything but the i tunes would be welcome. Thanks for the outstanding research.
Mark Chevalier says
I think that something along the lines of You Can Be a Regular Joe and Still Become a Millionaire (or maybe call it Financially Independent instead of Millionaire) could be encouraging to folks who assume it can’t be done without an inheritance or becoming a CEO, or if you have kids, etc. I just made it about a year ago (up to 1.2 million now) and am almost 50, and my wife did not work while our kids were young. And we have consistently given 12-13% of our pre-tax income to charities since we started working after college. So we don’t get to retire in our 40s, but we are close to being able to retire in our 50s. When I was in my 20s, I remember thinking that getting to a million dollars or retiring before 65 seemed so out of reach that it was really for ‘other people’. I was wrong, of course, but we got here by doing the right things (mostly) because we knew they were in the right direction. But we did not have early retirement as a goal since it was thought to be impossible. Perhaps we could have gotten to this point 10 years ago if we had had it as a goal. I think that if ordinary people can believe it’s possible, see some actual examples, and have some concrete actions to take, many of them might be encouraged to do the hard work to make it happen. Topics could include: doing it on one income (like us), both spouses working but controlling expenses, the importance of a budget, recovering from bad financial choices when you were young, etc. Amazon or Starbucks works best for me. Thanks!
Ms. Fiology says
ESI, here is what I’d love – a course (or a mastermind!) on one of these two topics 1. Seven Simple Steps to Career and Income Growth and/or 2. How to Create a Money Making Blog. On the latter, since I’ve already followed your series on starting a blog (and took action), I’d love to take a course on the effective ways to grow and monetize a blog.
In regards to the format, I would first and foremost love to be in a mastermind with you and others where I could receive and give interactive advice.
My second choice in formatting options would find an email course in which I receive a daily lesson for a specified amount of time. I would love it if it was a mixture of audio, video, and reading.
I’d be willing to pay somewhere in the range of $100 – $150 for email course and more for the mastermind. IDK, maybe up to $300?
Amazon is my choice of gift cards.
ESI says
We just opened this, FYI:
https://rockstarfinance.com/rockstar-finance-vib-program-version-3/
Phillip says
There is only a modest amount of real-life experiences published on how the early retired selected and consumed healthcare insurance before Medicare kicks in. What made a particular individual choose a given plan and what options did they consider? Has anyone gone without and how did that work out? Has anyone chose to live overseas in retirement and decided to only pay out-of-pocket? Has anyone retired overseas but chose health insurance and how well did it work for them in different countries? I’m sure there are rich anecdotal experiences that could be shared in a series of blog pieces that would be interesting to a number of us readers.
OFG says
I think you could write an amazing book about money throughout an individual’s lifetime. A comprehensive book that covers what children should know about money, why teens should look for jobs, how to save small pockets of money from side gigs in your 20s, how to earn higher raises in your 30s, etc. a lot of this is covered in your blog posts and millionaire interviews, but you could conglomerate it into one timeline type book that covers it all. Include the mistakes that can be made throughout the years as well as the success stories. You could write this as an ebook and charge around $4.99 for a brief version or turn it into a ‘real’ book for more. The key is to provide unique content that you can’t find elsewhere (there is a lot of info for free out there) or to put it together in a way people are willing to pay for. I like your no-nonsense posts. The ones you say are ‘ranting’. Maybe call it the no-nonsense approach to becoming a millionaire and include tidbits like ‘stop making excuses’. I reached millionaire status in my 30s. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication but a lot of it also has to do with knowing how to handle money every stage of the way. I’ve thought about writing about this myself many times. Maybe I just convinced myself to do so. Ha! I’d like the Amazon gift card.
Amy B. says
I would love to see a step by step process for the Ins and outs of applying for Medicare and Social Security. The process is confusing and I would love to hear from someone other than the Government on how to navigate through.
Brent says
Being a Millennial (late Twenties) and strong believer (and follower!) in the ESI method (especially focusing on the E with career and long term impacts of getting “ahead” with income early in my career to supercharge my S&I), I’d be extremely interested in some additional content (articles or Ebook) on topics around the social and psychological impacts of ESI once the magic starts working and what kind of experiences/strategies worked for you and others along the way (as I’m already starting to experience some of these impacts only a few years in).
For example, what changes in mindset/philosophy (eg. How to mentally get to your ideal conscious spending amount to meet your saving/investing goals early in life (say 20s-60s), however, per your time horizon with compounding effects the likeness to have an extreme abundance later in life (say 70s-80s) compared to your lifestyle that led you there and the “need/option” to expand that additional abundance into your everyday life (ie. Retirement income might be 2-??x pre-retirement and you may not know what to do with the extra abundance or feel comfortable spending in “new” ways…additional thought: was/is it worth it then? Disclaimer of course is in the planning process to account for these situations ahead of time and drive towards your true lifestyle design), any social circle impacts (do/did folks have any thoughts on how those changed over time? Eg. How have your strongest relationships changed over time and if different from early years, if possible to identify, how might ESI have impacted them?), and other habit changes/impacts (eg. It somewhat appears to be trending that health and wellness tend to be a ripple effect of many folks after their financial momentum is in place, unless, of course they already have in place prior to their Finances and then ESI might be a downstream ripple effect/ compound effect per Darren Hardy of those efforts…in this example are there any experiences for folks of whether to focus on one or the other that has been more succesful? Maybe these have even changed over time? Now that’s a tough one!)
Anyway, hopefully these help with some additional ideas down the road!
Shyla says
I think advice around achieving financial independence at various decades in life. For example the strategy if you were to start at 20 vs 30, vs 40, vs 50. Budgeting, investing and saving money advice is pretty standard everywhere. Customizing that advice for the decades would incorporate all of the ideas you suggested into one item. You could then build upon each one separately for those who want more detail.
Another area is couples and money. The standard family unit is no longer the norm. Advice for those who are common-law, divorced, separated, re-married, never couple up and still want to have a child etc. It would be great to see more unique takes and more diversity in content.
The standard, married, high income couple that is working towards FI together, is pretty rare. Advice for areas outside that is very appealing.
Donna S says
I would like to see a book on real estate investing that focuses on the following:
1. The reasons (Financial and tax wise) to invest in real estate; how it will be a boon to your other streams of income (if indeed it is)
2. A chapter that address the various fears involved: i.e. bad tenants and how to work with this problem; how much money do I need;
3. What is the right property to select
4. How to secure financing
5. When to sell the rental property
6. How much to improve a rental property
7. What is the right ratio of rents to purchase price
8. What are the hints, tips, advice you have learned as a rental property investor
It seems like investments in real estate is a great way to boost my income but I am apprehensive about it and if you believe it is a great way to boost income, I would be interested in that from you. I like what you write in your blog and would trust what you say about real estate investing.
I believe this is best as a ebook for which you would sell it for $9.99 as there would be printing costs to you.
If I were to be selected, I would want an amazon card
Staja says
Great content ideas Donna! I’m interested in real estate investing as well.
Steve Weber says
I think you should develop a series of newsletters or an e-book called” saving money for the millenial”
They are terrible with money, and maybe if you had your input they would listen!
Amazon GC would be my choice.
Keisha Blair says
In all honesty, I think one great ultimate guide could cover the millionnaire interviews and real estate investing that could then be distilled as the ultimate guide to retiring in 10 years! With so many people behind on their retirement savings, I think that would be really awesome! As someone who has been featured on your website before, I know first hand how powerful your platform is, and if you’re taking contributors, I’d love to be considered!! Either way I’m looking forward to it!
Rajee Pandi says
I am so new here. I will read all your ebook I heard they have more useful information
DaveS says
Just from my perspective… mostly as a result of reading your Millionaire interviews- I’d like to see more on:
50 Ways to Save Thousands
I think this is one area I’ve probably executed poorly and it sounds like you and many others have done well. I understand the ‘E’, and ‘I’ part of ESI but I’ll admit I’m weak in ‘S’ area- specifically because I probably spend too much on stuff when I shouldn’t. Some of it is intentional- I like to enjoy things like new cars (as opposed to used), dining out, etc. I’m not likely to be someone that will end up cutting coupons. BUT… if you can show me/others the impact of various ways to save money- some ideas may resonate!
Example. I don’t go to Starbucks often, and I get ‘cheap’ in some ways.. but I probably spend way too much on Cable TV/Internet, maybe too much on insurances, too much on wasted groceries, etc. Like I said- some might stick and some might- let the readers decide. I think ebook or book format would be fine.
Good luck.
Maria Victoria Yap says
In this day and age, easy access is key. I love all your suggested topics, and would love it even more if you can develop an app that would be availble where I can easily navigate from one topic to another, anytime and anywhere I can. It may be an ebook through an app.
Julio rosario says
Hola. The best advice from millionaires.
Reason: like proverbs says love in love with wisdom and god knows they have it.
Subjects/contents: simple life inner struggle to continue or quit.
CDs for car purposes
Ebook for those that love to read
Price: moderate price for courage journey.
Thx amigo and god bless. Hope that helps.
Starbucks if good. Peace
Want to help says
Would love to help more, but suggestions will depend on what your ultimate objective is? Are you trying to garner user growth? What type of user growth — numbers vs. engagement? Do you have distinction b/w a high value user and a low value? Happy to chat in more detail — I’m a product head at a tech firm and happy to share my thoughts on how I’d go about this.
Best of luck with whatever path you choose!
Roy Coons says
My idea is to have a “What to teach your kids about money” podcast or blog series. This would cover all sorts of topics that parents should (but often don’t) teach their children about money and investing. Another title could be “What my parents should have taught me about money and investing but didn’t”. The price of these could be $25 to $50 each, especially if you target the parents. Youngsters or should I say young people wouldn’t necessarily see the the wisdom in investing is such a product so may not spend the $$$.
Amazon GC
DaveS says
Would be a good topic for sure. I think my kids are a little disconnected from this. I think they are so caught up in experiencing what the world has to offer and maybe they think there is so much time ahead of them. It’s such a delicate balance between experiencing life and saving early it would be good to be able to reach out to them with some guidance. I’m not sure the “target” audience would read it though (kids?)…but maybe it could help parents approach this topic more effectively with them?
As an example my kids (recently out of college) have certainly travelled more than I did in my early years. How can you put a value on that?
Roy Coons says
Teaching our kids about money is extremely important. My oldest daughter graduated from Wesleyan University this past May and is now a Data Scientist in New York City. We seeded (put in $2000 to open the account) a Roth IRA for her when she was a sophomore. She had been putting $50 a month into it and has now maxed it out along with her 401K. I think she will be set for her retirement. My other daughter is a Senior at Vassar College and we also seeded her Roth IRA account but she has not been so diligent at putting money into it. She has chosen a career (Economics, Psychology majors) that is not as lucrative as her sister but we hope that we have taught her the value of saving. We will continue to stress the importance of money management.
Roy Coons says
Another idea is to have podcast or page dedicated to helping grandparents with ideas on how they can help their grandchildren get a head start in life. For instance is it better to help a grandchild out with college tuition, purchase of a first car or house. Or perhaps look long tern, Work a deal with the grandchild where the grandparent funds a Roth IRA for the first few years out of college while the student pays off student debt (grandparent gives the child the money and the child invests it). This could be $50 to $75 or more.
Amazon GC
Debbie says
Will start this with what I think you should not do. I know weird start but it just seems like 90% of all financial blogs has that 3 am informational offering of teaching how you too can become rich writing a financial blog. It is just an immediate turn off for me since the author seems to be trying to turn a quick buck. Have tried a few suggested businesses and learned the hard way that people pimp out a business that is terrible just so they have passive income off of their subscribers. I’ve stopped following several blogs for this reason. There already seems to be a lot of people out there on the investment/get rich in real estate train. I think that market is overfilled with people hawking that. Plus, real estate investing just is not my thing.
Another well known blogger has a course that I signed up for that was affordable, around $100 and I get a course email once a week for a year and received his ebook. I’ve really enjoyed all the different simple angles he hits with his weekly emails. Plus, at around $100 it is affordable. He hits the common sense but daily real world part of it. Just the real process of getting rich slowly with good common sense. Which is also why I enjoy your blog so much.
My leaning is towards:
The Three Steps to Financial Independence/Retiring Early
The Best Money Advice from Millionaires
Becoming Financially Independent and having a quality retirement is not something that is a magic thing. Takes time, dedication and following common sense guidelines. It seems from your foundation of Earn, Save and Invest there would be a great book, course and/or emailing weekly for people to learn, apply and grow with. OH! Though I have enjoyed your Millionaire series the ones I really like are the everyday people. I’m basic middle class, divorced, middle-aged woman and though I know I can learn from most millionaires, I do find myself turning off a bit when people are dropping incredibly large annual salaries. Makes it easy to become a Millionaire when you make that much a year. Would love whatever you do be directed at the rest of us that make normal middle class salaries. Maybe basic advice is boring but by following it, I joined the Millionaire club this year.
If I do happen to hit the jackpot with your drawing then I would like Amazon card, please. I’m all about using found aka surprise money for investing or paying for items that I need like a 30 lbs of dog food off of Amazon. And of course the money I would have spent on purchasing my dog’s food would be invested in VTSAX! All about surprise/found money going into investing.
Tasheka says
I would recommend creating a guide that has ideas for successfully integrating real estate into your FIRE portfolio. This guide should include some of the tips provided by some of the millionaires that have been featured along with tips from your own experiences. Maybe the title could be “25 Time Tested Tips for Successfully Integrating Real Estate Into Your FIRE portfolio”. It has been very interesting to see how most of the millionaires have used real estate income to reach FIRE. The tips have been very interesting to read in each Millionaire interview, but I believe it would be even more interesting to read a compilation of these tips. I also believe this would be a fresh, new idea as an short e-book or audio that includes access to an online calculator that helps determine income that would be derived from a real estate investment, and one or two printable printable worksheets to assess readiness to add real estate to your portfolio or steps needed to get prepare for adding real estate to your portfolio. I would price the product at $9.95 and advertise it heavily to drive traffic to your site. If my entry is selected, I would love to receive an Amazon gift card.
I enjoy reading this blog and have found it very helpful in educating me to prepare for FIRE. Thanks for the work you are doing!
Annie says
I think you should break the mold of podcast/ebook/youtube course and make an app course with daily push notifications. Each day there is a prompt to complete a task. Day 1: start tracking your spending for this month by signing up for personal capital. Day 2: go through all your subscriptions and cancel half. Day 3 make a list of everywhere you have money and link all your accounts to Personal Capital. Day 4: read this advice and write down what your specific goal is related to this topic. Etc.
It would be interactive and relevant to the type of media people are interacting with right now. Granted this might appeal to the younger crowd but I think you could make it very user friendly. You could also have the option to make it an e-course if people didn’t want to download it on their phone and you would get an email instead of a push notification with a link to follow to the content for that day. This platform would allow you to combine video and written content to keep it dynamic.
If you like this idea I could really use some Downey Wrinkle Release from Amazon 🙂
Cam says
Why not all of them?! Haha.
I would like to see A Young Person’s Guide to Becoming Wealthy” so you can teach what you’ve learned to those earlier in their careers. Being almost 30, I’m glad I found this site now and have also had the time to read it. Given that it seems we’re always on the go, a cheaper audio book (or series) would be useful for organizing the main concepts and how to implement them. Of course, it does need to be cheap or people simply wouldn’t buy it because 1) they could just spend time reading the rest of your blog and 2) they’ll think it’s just a scam to get money without any real content.
Then, this could lead into “The Best Money Advice from Millionaires” where you highlight what you’ve felt was very important from the interviews you have conducted. How some have made their millions in a rather simple way or how they struck big. Again, it should be concise enough so you don’t overwhelm the audience (especially new readers) but also have good concepts for people at any level to apply.
Don’t forget to tie it back into your ESI philosophy when you do so! And, who doesn’t love Amazon?! ?
MariJo says
Going right down the line my suggestions are as follows:
•Content/subject ideas – love them all. I really think it’s important to start investing young and the sooner we can teach our children the better. I really like your idea for A Young Person’s Guide to Becoming Wealthy.
•Format of the content (ebooks, audio, video, etc.) – personally I like ebooks and blogs. I enjoy reading others takes on the content – their failures and successes.
•Price of the product – this is a tough one because the product is so valuable in the long run. I would think it would depend on the content and the time involved in all your research.
•Size of product (pages for book, hours of video, etc.) – not anything too lengthy. Basic ideas, suggestion to start with and then grow from there.
•Any extras (printables, electronic docs, etc.) – love the calculators and spreadsheets that you can just plug your info into.
•Anything else you think I should consider – teaching at the middle schools or at least engaging teachers and school administers in your awesome adventure to help everybody to help themselves.
Overall ESI is fantastic – love the “real life” stories. It’s good to hear how people can actually get ahead in life and overcome struggles. Very inspiring!
As for gift card choice…..Amazon and Starbucks are top pick, however I’m happy with anything free.
Merry Christmas!
Staja Dean says
All are great topics that I’m interested in and would love to learn more about.
In reading these articles, I’m learning that the accumulated wealth that the millionaires possess are from different sources such as real estate investing, stocks, 401K etc.
I’m still young but am getting older. My goal is to have reached the million dollar status by the time I am 40. With that said, as I stated previously, these are great topics to start with.
• Seven Simple Steps to Career and Income Growth – (eBook with no more than about 10-15 pages, if that). Price: $7.99
• 50 Ways to Save Thousands (audiobook or book) the pages won’t matter to me as long as there is good content and I’m learning. Price: audiobook $14.99 book $9.99
• The Three Steps to Financial Independence/Retiring Early (eBook) price: $4.99 this should include info about different retirement options and accounts; how to set them up etc.
• The Best Money Advice from Millionaires (audiobook) price 14.99
• How to Create a Money Making Blog (eCourse) price: $29.99 -$49.99 The price is contingent on how much information is given to get the blog started. I have read how to’s that give very little and you’re left with no answers
• A Young Person’s Guide to Becoming Wealthy (eBook) price: $7.99
• The Basics of Real Estate Investing (eCourse)(book) content: should include how to get started, the pros and cons, examples of good and bad investments, what to do if an investment goes wrong etc.
• Mastering the Three Keys to Job Search (eBook) price: $4.99
• How to Retire in 10 Years or Less (eBook) you can actually combine this with “3 Steps to Financial Independence/Retiring Early”
Amazon Please!
Alejandro Garza says
Content/subject ideas:
Mitigation of risks, ways to increase the net worth, ways to teach personal finance to kids and generational wealth transfer.
Format of the content (ebooks, audio, video, etc.):
Video and written article.
Price of the product:
Free
Size of product (pages for book, hours of video, etc.):
10 min videos.
Any extras (printables, electronic docs, etc.):
Graphs and calculators.
Anything else you think I should consider:
Wealth corner with finamce content.
Amazon card.
Maria says
All your information is always useful. A audio or actual book is what’s I prefer. Anything in steps to building wealth and your career. I would love an amazon or starbaicks card if I win. Thank you for the chance and all the knowledge you share with us.
KJ says
I would pay $10 or so for a book on career growth. An ebook would be nice so I can read it on my phone around 200 pages in length should be enough.
ESI says
This giveaway is over. The winners are:
Jon B Kennamer
Julia
Matt
Meagan
Debbie
Staja Dean
michael williams
BSue
Heidi
MariJo
Ann Marie
DaveS
Xrayvsn
Jen Zeller
LK
Mark Chevalier
Brent
Donna S
I will be emailing the winners. If your name is here and you do not hear from me, it’s likely because a person with the same name won. 🙂
Thanks to all for the great ideas!
Ashish says
I have often thought of ways to take our FI community mainstream, keeping that in mind I think you should do:
–An Online webinar
–Theme- Framework for Financial Freedom broken down for life stages like someone starting their career (early-mid 20s), someone in the middle of their careers (30-40 yrs) and then people nearing their retirement.
–Have recordings as a training or customize it to be a training one of the multiple training portals like Linkedin Learning, Udemy etc