Ask Me Anything

I have always been a big fan of Reddit’s Ask Me Anything threads, and then recently, I saw that Steve published an Ask Me Anything on his blog. I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to decide to do one of these. But, here it is, and I hope you think it’s going…

Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Last Updated: May 24, 2023

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you decide to make a purchase via my links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. See my disclosure for more info.

I have always been a big fan of Reddit’s Ask Me Anything threads, and then recently, I saw that Steve published an Ask Me Anything on his blog. I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to decide to do one of these. But, here it is, and I hope you think it’s going to be as fun as I do!

Ask Me Anything is literally that – you can ask me anything. If you’re struggling to figure out what to ask, here are a few of the topics you may want to know more about:

  • Personal finance
  • Blogging
  • My life
  • Travel
  • RVing
  • Being location independent
  • Business
  • Making extra money
  • How much candy I eat on a daily basis
  • My favorite TV show
  • Questions about my dogs

And so on, and so on.

Seriously, ask me anything in the comments below, and I will take the time to answer every single one. Of course, please nothing inappropriate or creepy. I’ll let you be the judge of what is creepy, I guess, haha!

All right, go for it, ask away!

 

P.S. If you’re looking to see all of the comments and questions, make sure to hit “Older Comments” or “Newer Comments” below. The comments break apart in pages once there are over 50 comments.


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Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Author: Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Hey! I’m Michelle Schroeder-Gardner and I am the founder of Making Sense of Cents. I’m passionate about all things personal finance, side hustles, making extra money, and online businesses. I have been featured in major publications such as Forbes, CNBC, Time, and Business Insider. Learn more here.

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  1. Lyn Mettler

    If you could pick ONE thing that you feel was the most important thing that helped your blog become successful and profitable if giving advice to a fellow blogger, what would it be? Thanks Michelle!

    1. Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

      Networking with other bloggers, for sure.

  2. candice jackson

    Hi! What are the first things I need to do to start blogging? I am having trouble setting the website up but after that do I wait to post until I have more written or affiliate links?

    1. Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

      Creating blog posts, be active on social media accounts, engage with readers and other bloggers, find ways to monetize, etc.

  3. Lisa

    How do you get guest posts when you’re a new blog?

    1. Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

      Reach out to bloggers and ask 🙂

  4. Jeddi

    Hi Michelle,

    I am looking for a new host for my blog (hostgator isn’t doing it for me). I know that you promote Bluehost but I hear that Siteground is better since Bluehost has been bought by another company, there are a few issues in terms of the quality of service and the hosting in general.

    Any thoughts on this? Siteground vs Bluehost

    Thanks

    1. Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

      Bluehost is the biggest web host, so it only makes sense that there would be negative reviews about them. I’d just go with whatever is cheapest for a new blog.

  5. Connie

    Hi Michelle! A few questions

    1. Where did you grow up and how do you feel about your hometown?

    2. Can you say what company you used to work for as a financial analyst?

    3. How do you following Reddit or MMM forums? Subscribe to a lot of financial independence or blogger threads and get notifications?

    4. Can you describe your three luckiest “breaks” in life?

    1. Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

      1) I grew up in St. Charles, MO, as well as in Chicago. Personally, I like St. Charles more than Chicago, haha.

      2) I’d prefer not to. It wouldn’t be hard to find on the internet, though.

      3) I just browse every now and then.

      4) I don’t know if I’d attribute anything to “luck” really – I’ve worked really hard in life, haha!

  6. Joel

    Hi Michelle,
    I’m a happy student in your Affiliate course. I would recommend it to everyone. Even brand new bloggers like myself. Why would anyone want to waste months (or years) learning it on their own when its possible to learn it from someone who has succeeded more any blogger. Your course is a bargain. I expect to recoup its cost in my first month or two. I have two words for anyone considering purchasing your course… GET IT! Don’t wait for a better time. The best time is now.

    I have a question for you… As a new blogger, would you advise me to write one in-depth post a week or should I write 2-3 shorter posts? I have heard that longer posts get shared more often, but I’m questioning if I could reach more people if I have a greater number of posts (on Pinterest).

    Thank you for this opportunity.

    1. Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

      It’s all just personal preference. For me, I like to have 2-3 long posts each week.

  7. Christine

    So many fantastic questions! As a fellow outdoor lover, I have to ask…what is your favorite National Park that you’ve been to??

    1. Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

      That is a tough question! We’ve been to so many. I really like Yosemite but I didn’t like the crowds. I really like all of the national parks in Utah, as well as Colorado.

      I would say my favorites right now are probably Rocky Mountain, Canyonlands, Glacier, Grand Tetons, and Joshua Tree.

  8. Jennifer Scott

    Hello,

    I love blogging just like you. However, I’m struggling with making money and keeping my blog updated with my life. Do you have any suggestion? I have a Food blog and would love to gain more followers for my blog.

    Thank you.

    1. Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

      I recommend reading the Featured Question here for tips on how to improve traffic: https://fund-rise.live/2016/02/january-online-income-report.html%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E

      Is that what you are wondering?

  9. Sarah De Diego

    I didn’t read all the previous comments (although I did do a word search).

    My question is Bonds versus GICs, talk to me (please)?

    Besos Sarah

    1. Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

      Sorry, I don’t even know what GICs are. Is that in Canada?

      1. Sarah De Diego

        Dear Michelle,

        Learn something new every day (that being me, smile). GIC stands for Guaranteed Investment Certificate and it is a Canadian term (I didn’t know).

        A more generic question would be, how would you invest a large sum of cash assuming that you want to keep it liquid and with less volatility risk than the stock market?

        Besos Sarah.

        1. Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

          It really depends on what the goal is, the length of time, and how much money you’re talking. If you need it soon, then I would find a high interest rate bank account or maybe a CD.

          1. Sarah De Diego

            Dear Michelle,

            The goal: I don’t really know (thanks for making me think about this). This would be the non-equities portion of my portfolio. I would like to keep up with inflation (currently just under 2% in Canada).
            The length: Hopefully I’ll never need this money.
            The amount: From $100-250K. I’m really on the fence about keeping that much “cash” around.

            This was a test year living off our passive income (dividends, child tax benefits and hustles). The year isn’t over but we did it! Starting in January, my husband is eligible to claim social security of almost 70% of our expenses so we’ve reached FI.

            Since my husband is so much older than me (by 17 years), I don’t know if I should adjust my ratios based on my age or his.

            Thanks for getting my gears thinking 🙂

            Besos Sarah.

  10. David

    Hi Michelle,

    Thank you very much for this opportunity to ask you anything.

    My question is how can I move my website https://www.thepraywarrior.com to the next level. I started this website last year in November.

    I am now averaging 5 visitors a day to the site. Thank you very much for recommendations

    1. Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

      I recommend reading the Featured Question here for tips on how to improve traffic: https://fund-rise.live/2016/02/january-online-income-report.html%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E

  11. Heather

    I don’t know where to get started with my blog. How do I set it up? Is it social media or a separate link? I’ve taken your course on affiliates but I’m struggling with blogging. Help!!

    1. Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

      This free course of mine will help you start a blog – http://fund-rise.live/freecourse%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E

  12. Dyamon

    Hello Michelle! I want to start a blog but I have no clue what I should concentrate on. I want to talk to a little bit of everything. I recently moved so I thought about discussing transitioning careers and moving, but I also have an interest in other things such as lifestyle changes (fitness journey), healthy hair journey and self-care tips. Would you recommend concentrating on one topic or can someone have success with a blog that focuses on a few topics? Thank you!

    1. Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

      I focus on many topics so I see no problem with that 🙂

  13. Rita Braganca

    My question is
    – how do I start a blog from scratch – step by step – sort of help me by holding my hand. I have tried various times and failed.

    1. Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

      I have a free course that does this – http://fund-rise.live/freecourse%3C/a%3E

      🙂

  14. Erisa

    Hi Michelle! I just wanted to know if I can start a a business selling on Amazon FBA even if I am located in Albania, Europe?

    1. Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

      I have never had an Amazon FBA business so I wouldn’t know the answer to this.

  15. Deb

    Hi Michelle,

    Simple questions: What niches do you think are “hot in demand?” right now and
    Do you think a blog name should be more about what you are blogging about or more general (ie. including your name)?

    Thank you!
    Deb

    1. Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

      I don’t really know what niches are hot right now – if you have high quality content then anything can be hot! 🙂

      A blog name can be either – it’s just personal preference.