Interview with It’s Just Money Blog

This is the 6th in a series of interviews HelpYourMoney.com is doing of other personal finance bloggers.

An Interview with lamoneyguy of the It’s Just Money Blog:

1. First, can you please introduce yourself and tell us why your started your personal finance blog?

I am LAMoneyGuy, or I suppose LA Money Guy. I also go by LA MoneyDude or LMG.

The concept of blogs is still relatively new to me. I first discovered them about a year ago, and followed a few sports and political blogs. The thought dawned on me one day that there are probably personal finance bloggers. Upon finding MyMoneyBlog, Blueprint, Budgeting Babe and a few others, I got excited about the idea of joining the PF blogging community.

I have always found that I learned more when trying to teach or explain a subject matter than merely trying to study it. Writing nearly everyday about personal finance to an ambiguous audience is very much like teaching.

2. Do you feel you are on the right track to reaching your financial goals and what are they?

My goals are divided among short, mid and long term.

My longer term goals are financial independence, which I define as the ability to not work for a living. Of course, it does not mean that I will not work, but the ability to cover living expenses and ample luxuries from investment income.

On a medium term basis (3-5 years) I will already be married, and we will buy a house have our first kid, and have the financial stability to do these things comfortably with the only debt being a conservative 30 year fixed mortgage (80%LTV).

3. Do you work in the financial industry? If so, do you want to share where?

I do. I do not wish to disclose anything regarding my employment.

4. If you had to recommend just one financial related book, what would it be?

It’s common, but for good reason. The Millionaire Next Door. This was the one that opened my eyes and changed my attitudes about money and consumption.

5. If you had to recommend just one financial related magazine, what would it be?

I guess it depends on whom I am recommending it to. Striclty for personal finance would probably be Kiplinger’s Personal Finance.

6. If you had to recommend just one or two financial related websites (besides your own and that is not a blog), what would it be?

My home page is Yahoo Finance. I think CBS Marketwatch has the most thorough market analysis of the major financial sites.

7. What is one of the WORST financial related decisions you ever made?

I bought a used BMW convertible about six years ago. I financed it on a 4 year loan. It was a, “I’m not being practical, but I have the rest of my life to be practical” decision. It was fun to drive around, but cost me plenty.

8. What is one of the BEST financial related decisions you ever made?

Meeting and dating my Fiancee. Nothing changes your attitude and perspective about the future like meeting the woman you are going there with.

9. Do You Trade Individual Stocks and If so recommend your favorite 3 to 5 picks?

Yes. I cannot make individual stock recommendations.

10. If you could give our readers just one financial related tip, what would it be?

Live intentionally. Don’t let life come at you. Your job, your debt, your expenses, your kids… Take control. Know what you want and go after it. You don’t have to have the highest paying career around, but if you know that going in, you can plan accordingly. Get educated and plan, plan, plan!

11. Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?

Thank you for the opportunity to share with you. It excites me to see people learning about personal finance and taking control over their futures. It’s a lifelong journey, but a worthy one.

>> Visit lamoneyguy’s It’s Just Money Blog.