For the second year in a row I’m speaking at the Financial Blogger Conference. This year there’s something new going on: the “PF Olympics,” a competition for the best personal finance writing.
The competition is kind of like being on “Dancing With The Stars”: It doesn’t really matter whether your footwork is as good as the other couple’s. As with just about any Internet-based contest, the determining factor is how many votes you get.
An element of skill is involved, if you get to the finals. But I’m not there yet, so once again I’m asking for your help.
The top three finishers in each category will be given one week to write an article on a topic of the judges’ choosing. That’s where the rubber will meet the road, where it will actually matter if you work hard at the craft of writing vs. the art of social networking. I’m pretty good at one and piss-poor at the other. (Guess which is which?)
Currently I’m No. 7 in one category and tied for No. 11 in another. That’s why I’m asking for your help in getting my work considered. If you think the way I write is worth a vote, I’d sure appreciate it.
Here are the links:
- http://www.gobankingrates.com/personal-finance-olympics/dont-throw-out-until-smelled-donna-freedman/
- http://www.gobankingrates.com/personal-finance-olympics/stealth-savings-sneaky-ways-fatten-wallet-donna-freedman/
Should you have time to read/vote only once, I’d ask that you select the Get Rich Slowly piece, “Stealth savings: Sneaky ways to fatten your wallet.” I think it has more of a chance of winning — in part because of the subject matter and, yeah, because GRS has more readers and J.D. Roth has asked them to go over and take a look.
Feel free to share those links with friends. (Yes, I acknowledge that the DWTS factor is kind of cheesy. But you play by the posted rules, right?)
Re the “high-stakes” reference: The top prize is a $1,000 American Express gift card. Who wouldn’t want to win that?
More to the point, I am staring down a major (and expensive) life change in the near future. A grand’s worth of plastic scrip would certainly be useful. (I’d also spend part of it on items for my Friday giveaways.)
Voting ends July 29. Thanks for your help, if you feel like extending it.
P.S. Not ready to write about the life-changing event just yet, but watch this space.
Good luck! We voted for both your article, they are great. 🙂
Voted for both, happy to help. Hope you win the $1,000, and that the expensive life change is buying a house, or as good as that!
I actually saw your articles last night and voted for both of them.
Voted for both! Good luck!!
I voted for you and really hope you win!!! Best Wishes!
Voting for the GRS article. I am betting your life change involves an interstate move. With all the traveling you do I cannot imagine you wanting to be tied down to something like a house; maybe a condo.
Are you allowed to vote only once or can you go in and vote 1 time each day?
@Robin: Voting more than once? I don’t know, actually. My guess is “no,” but I’ll try signing on and seeing if it says “you already voted.”
Thanks for your support.
Apparently, you can only vote once per article. I voted the other day, and when I went back just now, the voting widget on the side of the article said, “Thanks for voting!” So the site does remember who stopped by.
I voted on both articles….Good Luck I hope you win! Best Wishes to you.
Read and voted for both.
I remember the “Don’t Throw it Out until You’ve Smelled It” article – thought it was brilliant at the time, and still do.
The “Stealth Savings” article was good, too, but I thought it was a little pushy about direct deposit – great if you work for a company that offers it, but not very helpful if you’re self-employed and your clients pay you with checks, sometimes at irregular intervals. (Also, I’m a bit paranoid about the automatic deposit going wrong and the money being tied up for days or weeks until the company can straighten it out.) The irregular pay intervals are also the reason I avoid automatic withdrawals like the plague. 🙂
Voted for both — good luck!!
Voted for both, of course. Good luck.
enjoyed both articles — 2 more votes for you!
Thanks, Petra, and thanks to all who read and voted.
You may notice that I’ve put a voting widget on the right-hand side of the site. That’s the shortcut way to vote for one piece, “Stealth savings.” I’m old-school enough to hope that people will follow the links in this piece, though, and actually read the articles. (I also still write thank-you notes. That’s just how I roll.)
Voted and Voted (for you and you!)
Voted for you twice, Donna…I hope you win! I love your writing.
Voted for you! Great articles as always-hope you win, it would be well deserved.
I voted for you! I especially liked the stealth savings article. I actually started an emergency fund because of what you wrote; I always thought that I had to pay off all my credit card debt before I set up a savings account. But now I’m paying off my debt and saving money.
Donna,
Today I stumbled onto your site. From an auto open MSN page when I sign on the internet. I usually just close it but your article caught my attention. So here I am! I am now a follower of yours on Facebook and Twitter. I really like your writtings. You are funny, witty, and you make sence. Great articles! I voted for both. and will read more of your articles when I have more time.
Also I see as of today, you are in FIRST PLACE!!! Yippee
Of course, you have my vote! Consider it done.