Short work weeks when we don’t have a vacation planned always feel a bit strange; the rest of the workplace also has the days off, so in theory, there shouldn’t be extra work compressed into the days like when you’re taking individual time off, but it never seems to work that way. Granted, it doesn’t help that I have a big meeting first thing Tuesday morning, but it seems to be the case regardless of what the following week looks like.

On the blog front, my goal is still two write my three posts over just two days during the week, but that has yet to happen and once again I’m finishing up this post the evening before I’m set to publish it. Perhaps someday I will get months ahead on content like Michelle, but I would take just one post ahead at this point. Then again, I don’t even consider this blog to be a part time business, let alone a full time thing. So for now, these posts will continue to happen in more or less real time (though it does help me stay in the flow of writing regularly).

The hardest part of this post every week always is narrowing it down to my favorites, because there is just so much good content out there. If you’re ever interested in what else I’m reading, I share quite a few other posts on Twitter (and that’s also where I read most of the content to begin with these days).

Our Women’s Personal Finance Facebook group also has a sharing thread on Fridays, and that’s the place to read all the blog posts written by members over the previous week. If you’re looking for more articles written by women, that’s a great place to continue reading (plus we have plenty of great discussions on finances the rest of the week as well!).

If you don’t have the time or inclination to go searching down myriad posts, though, I will be continuing this series every week to showcase some of the best of the new content I read. If you ever read a post you thing I absolutely need to consider for this roundup, please let me know! I am always open to reading new blogs (and posts of blogs I do know, because I miss some).

Women’s Personal Finance Wednesdays – Week 9

1. The Problem With “Choose A Job You Love And You Will Never Work A Day In Your Life” Military Dollar

As someone who is also pursuing financial independence without the immediate drive to leave a passion career, this post was one I was so excited to read as soon as I read the title. There is so much out there about “finding your passion” so that work doesn’t feel like work. It’s a great theory, but unfortunately it doesn’t always work exactly that way.

I love my job, it is my chosen career and passion, and I could talk your ear off all day about the importance of what I do and why I do it, but that doesn’t take away from the drudgery and frustration that sometimes comes from being at work. And I love my vacations as much as the next person, though there is a distinct lack of Sunday dread that occurs even after a long trip; that alone tells me I must generally enjoy my job even at the worst of times.

2. Black FIRE Series (Part 1) – Are There Black People In The FIRE Movement? The Reluctant Frugalist

Quite obviously, this isn’t a topic that I can write about with any kind of experience, so here is someone who can. Michelle really brought it to the forefront of my attention at Cents Positive and I have since been determined to pay attention and seek out the stories I’m not hearing right off the bat. There are a whole lot of stories out there, and Timika does an amazing job going into why this matters on a really deal level.

This is a multi part series, per the name of this post, and I’m looking forward to everything she has to say about this in particular. And if you want to hear a bit more about Timika’s backstory, she was on an episode of ChooseFI this week and it was great to hear a bit more about her and how she first came to the FIRE movement after paying off close to six figures of debt.

3. When Your FIRE Journey Takes Longer Than You Think It Should…

Countdown To Tranquility

I love the way she talks candidly about being in the “dreaded middle” of her financial journey. While they didn’t come to the goal of financial independence and early retirement right off the bat, they made good, frugal choices that meant they were just 5 years – 2000 days – away from the potential for early retirement once they finally made a concrete plan.

To someone who has a good decade or more before reaching financial independence, this post was a great reminder that even a much shorter goal still has the doldrums of the middle months and years, and that there is a lot to focus on in the day to day without always looking out to the future. I sure could use that tattoo as well.

I hope you enjoy the posts this week as much as I did. I read a ton of content and it was hard to narrow down my favorites. I’m looking forward to sharing some new ones with you again next week!

As always, if you’re looking for a categorized list of self identified women writing and speaking about personal finance, here is my comprehensive guide to the Women of the Finance Independence Community.