Welcome to another week of the Women’s Personal Finance Wednesdays roundup. I started this series after months of debate because I wasn’t certain I wanted to up the ante and commit to publishing three posts a week. However, now that I’ve started sharing these posts, I’m so glad I started.

There are so many fabulous women writing about personal finance online, and yet there is still a perception that women aren’t good with money, don’t care about money, or don’t understand it on a granular level beyond perhaps knowing how to coupon and score a good shopping deal. These roundups are my way of doing a small part to change that perception. There are no shortage of women online doing their part to make it clear that they DO understand money, and these posts are meant to amplify that fact.

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 think 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 72

1. I love me more than I love my job, so I quit rich & REGULAR

Mrs. Rich & Regular is the latest of some of my blogger friends to quit the 9-5 grind and focus full time on her online pursuits. I am always going to be here to support and cheer on that change that creates a better lifestyle now, but that’s not why I shared this post.

I shared this post because of the WHY – she quit because she can. Really, isn’t that the whole point of this financial independence thing? To decide what you want most from life, and live it? I’m so thrilled for you, friend, and I can’t wait to see the big things for r&R now that you’re on it full time. 

2. I wasted money. Also: a blog name change? I Pick Up Pennies

There were two different, interrelated stories in this post, but I loved both of them. Our lives change and evolve and our focus changes. And when that life shifts for the better, it can be pretty amazing. I’ve always appreciated Abigail’s honesty about her marriage and her mental health struggles, and it was so good to read this post and realize how different her life is from a couple years ago – in a very good way.

Part two of this post – and the story of the shirt – was one I could definitely relate to. Now I just want to see a photo of that original shirt if she has one!

3. Chronic Illness: A Driving Force to Financial Independence One Frugal Girl

“Having reached financial independence I don’t need to find paid employment, but I wouldn’t mind solving problems and making an impact on the world around me. In my spare time I enthusiastically search job boards and volunteer opportunities.

Then I have a month like this past one filled with aches, pains and a large bottle of Tylenol. Suddenly my dreams dissolve before my very eyes. I’m abruptly reminded that I don’t have the luxury to do whatever I want, because sometimes my body won’t let me.”

I almost didn’t share this post in a Wednesday roundup because I try to “share the love” and try and feature different voices all the time, but as this one sat in my brain I decided it needed to be shared here, even though I feel I share OFG’s posts pretty often. Within the financial independence community, we don’t share enough about health problems and concerns, but they’re a very real, very important reason to pursue financial independence.

As with the guest post I shared on Monday, life can change in an instant, and financial stability might be the only thing you have at the time. Preparing for the worst is probably the most important reason to save – even if chasing the sunset and retiring early for a life of adventure sounds a whole lot more glamorous. We may not all retire before forty, but odds are good we’ll all have a less-fun reason for needing a healthy savings account at some point in our lives. 

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 Financial Independence Community.

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