“Anonymous Dad”

October 18th 2016.

A hotel room in Edinburgh.

Watching a YouTube video on Personal Finance. That’s precisely when Anonymous Dad’s financial world came into sharp focus.

I was 58 years old.

Truth be told, I wasn’t completely clueless when it came to Personal Finance. I was “good-ish”, but far from great. But that YouTube video lit a fire underneath me that’s been burning steadily ever since.

That night was a game-changer in the financial fortunes of our family. Slowly at first…but with bursts of activity each year, the lessons that we applied from that time forward transformed our financial health & well-being.

Unfortunately, that “Edinburgh epiphany” was 35 years too late.

And that’s the reason for constructing this blog…so that you, dear Reader, “Don’t Suck at Money” as I did – for most of my working life.

The Target Readership

“Who is this blog written for?”

  • Single professional people
  • Working in the UK
  • In their early 20’s to mid-30’s
  • University graduates

I know a fair amount about such young professionals because our two sons are precisely that.

As their “not-so-Anonymous” Dad, I’ve seen them (and their friends) doing their best to navigate money in the 21st Century. And it’s not easy. Student loans, high rents, costly train season tickets and entry-level pay rates.

There’s no magic wand to solve all those issues. But there is a plan. And there are some well-documented processes. And the purpose of this website is to set out that plan and explain a handful of key processes.

To carve a clear path for you (and them) to the “financial uplands”. To get money sorted “early doors”, and concentrate on more important things… like relationships and the environment.

Message to the non-Target Readership

What if you’re over 35 and reading this, what then? What if you’re under 35, married and with kids? What if you’re earning the Minimum Wage or on a zero hours contract?

Does any of this apply? Yes, plenty.

Because the “core” personal finance principles remain the same:

  • Build a “starter” Emergency Fund
  • Get out and then stay out of debt
  • Build a “fully-loaded” Emergency Fund of three months’ total spending

Everyone can start building a “starter” Emergency Fund with just £1. Everyone can total up all their debts and start planning how to crush them.

You don’t have to be a young, extremely well-paid, American software developer / engineer to start making these decisions.

Anonymous Dad was none of those things. But that didn’t stop me from fully adopting (and adapting) these principles.

At 58 years of age.

Why Bother?

Here’s why. Because:

“No one is coming to save you…”

Nathaniel Branden

Either now or in your imagined future. You need to save yourself, financially.

You need to learn more. You need to understand more. And, of course, you’ll need to do more.

 

Disclaimer: None of what follows constitutes professional financial advice. I’m just a writer turned blogger. Who wants younger professional people living in the UK not to miss out on the opportunities in front of them.