JSteele

A fine example of some of my earlier work in the general personal finance sphere, although I no longer contribute to that site.

I have never been called a word ninja, but I will take it as a compliment. And when you guys do have a blog, and you think you can afford me (not $50 anymore, please!), feel free to contact me.

Look guys, I presume all of you work for non-profits and live a life of poverty and contemplation, but this is what I do for a living. I also have a degree in history, a commercial pilot's license, and a bazillion computer certifications as well. But you know what, I enjoy writing for blogs more than I liked being a computer systems administrator or even flying airplanes for money. I love being a freelance writer and not having to answer to a boss or put in face time at an office.

Like many, I have been laid off before, and it was not fun. Freelancing is a diversified income stream that offers me and my family more security than I had with a single full time job. I am very thankful for the opportunity to do what I enjoy and earn a living at it. Also, I love taking off early and going for a bike ride.

If my clients make money off of affiliate links or other advertising, good for them. It is no different than if I worked at newspapers, television, radio, magazines, or any other media that has advertising. And please don't give me crap about my writing being compromised by affiliate revenue, as I personally don't earn any of it as a freelance contributor.

I am not ready to go back to my desk job, or be a commuter airline pilot or something else out of any objection to affiliate links. And put this in perspective; there are no serious moral or ethical issues here. I am not selling deadly weapons, cancer causing products, or anything that hurts people or the environment. It is just financial product, and I try as hard as I can to offer sound financial advice when I write about these products. A million times I have written that people should not to get a reward card if they ever carry a balance or if they will spend more money to earn rewards.

And finally, if nothing I write is new to you, and you all already know everything there is to know about everything, I guess you are not my target readership, but thanks for reading anyways!

Now it is time for me to take a bike ride, its over 70 degrees here in Denver!