Last week, I went to Fincon19, my very first blogging conference.
Well, actually, I think it was the first conference of any type I’ve gone to in my 41 years on this planet.
You guys said you wanted to hear more about it, so I’m here to answer some questions!
Why have I never gone to a conference before?
1. Earlier in my blogging career, my kids were small and harder to leave.
(Also, very early in my blogging career, blogging conferences were not even a thing.)
2. I wasn’t sure it would provide enough value.
3. Conferences are expensive and FRUGAL PEOPLE DO NOT LIKE TO SPEND MONEY.
(ha.)
Why did I decide to go to Fincon?
Well.
- Everyone in my mastermind group said I should go and that it would be really valuable.
- Fincon was in DC this year, which meant I didn’t need to fly.
- Thanks to a heads up from my mastermind friends, I was able to buy my ticket a year in advance, which meant it was seriously discounted.
What did I get out of the conference?
For one thing, I got to meet a bunch of my online friends in person, which is always just so much fun.
I also went to quite a few of the sessions offered at the conference, and I learned some things that I think will help me be better at blogging and using social media.
There are a lot of companies at Fincon who want to work with bloggers, and I found several that I think will serve my readers well. If I was an actual personal finance blogger, there would have been more, but even for a frugal blogger like me, there were some good fits.
I knew a pretty good handful of people before going to Fincon, but there were 2500 people there!
So of course I met a lot of new people, which means I now have more friends who blog/podcast/YouTube.
I feel like I have not been very good at meeting other people who produce content about money, and I think this helped me get out of my little one-person bubble.
Was Fincon worth it?
In some ways, I think it’s too early to tell.
- How many friendships will flourish?
- How many companies will I actually work with?
- How much of my new-found knowledge will really make a difference?
I’m not going to know the answers to those questions for a while.
BUT.
I do know that I had a great time being with people at Fincon.
And being able to meet so many online friends in one place? That alone makes me feel like my ticket was worth it.
Right now, I’m glad I went, and I imagine that as time goes on, I will see more and more benefits from my time at Fincon and I will feel even more glad that I went.
Will I go to more conferences?
Possibly.
But I do not foresee myself becoming a person who attends a bunch of conferences each year.
From what I hear, Fincon is really the very best finance-related conference out there, so I don’t feel the need to go to other ones each year.
And I think it’s possible to go to too many conferences.
At some point, the money you invest might not be worth it…and it would be smarter to stay home and actually put the conference knowledge into practice!
If I missed anything else you wanted to know, leave me a comment and I’ll respond.
P.S. Thanks to Lisey for dropping me off at the train station, and props to Mr. FG and the girls for taking over all the stuff I usually do so that I could go!
P.P.S. People were asking who is in my mastermind group, so here’s a photo, and I’ll link to their sites from left to right.
- Jamila from Journey to Launch
- Nicole from Frugal Chic Life
- Yours truly (I had shoes but I kicked them off during our meeting because I hate shoes.)
- Cassie from The Thrifty Couple (plus her daughter)
- Sean from 2 Frugal Dudes
- Whitney from WhitneyHansen.com and the Money Nerds podcast
- Michael from Uncommon Dream
- Travis from Student Loan Planner
- Sylvia from SMI Financial Coaching
- Chad from Coach Carson
- Leif from Physician on Fire
In my group but not in the photo:
- Jillian from Montana Money Adventures
- Jim Dahle from White Coat Investor
- Anthony from Break the Twitch
Battra92 says
I used to go to an anime convention almost for the sole purpose of seeing some online friends once a year, so that was always nice. I can’t do it any more (I’d be the weird older guy there) but they were fun whilst they lasted.
Glad you had fun and got to get away.
Kristen says
It’s super lovely to have a place where you can meet a lot of your online friends all together. So handy!
Kristina says
Thanks for going and reporting for us frugal minds
Can’t wait to hear more about what you learnt!
Bobi says
Well gee, I wanted to hear about the freebies and food.
Kristen says
I didn’t do anything super fancy about food! I mean, I ate some of the free food at the opening and closing parties, but I mostly went to inexpensive restaurants and also ate snacks that I’d packed in my bags.
I tried to be really careful about which freebies I took because I know conference swag can easily be trash as soon as you come home! I have four tshirts, two drink containers, and a notebook. And also a pin and stickers, which I gave to Sonia and Zoe because I knew they’d be thrilled.
Jim Wang says
Great recap! I think from a “personality” perspective, there isn’t a conference like FinCon out there. The friendliness and inclusiveness of all the attendees (all 2500!) is unmatched.
Kristen says
Yes! People were so friendly and kind to me; it was a very welcoming atmosphere.
Juli says
How did you find/join your mastermind group, and how often do y’all meet? I’d love to know more about that! It’s so great you were able to meet them all in person!
Kristen says
I deserve no credit for that! Sean Merron from the 2 Frugal Dudes podcast had had me on as a guest a few times. He got inspired to start a mastermind group after FinCon two years ago, and he invited me to join. I’ve been there ever since.
We meet every other week for an hour via Skype, and each time we meet, two people are on the hotseat, which means that they each get a half hour to report on their accountability goals and ask for help with problems they are facing with their online business.
Darlene says
I was wondering about the Mastermind group as well. Thanks for sharing. It sounds like a concept that would work for non-bloggers too.
kristin @ going country says
Fun. I have also never been to a conference of any sort, and probably never will. I can’t think of one that I would care enough to attend, honestly, especially given how far I would have to travel to get to one. Even if it was in my state, which they never are.
My husband used to go to a meet-up of a bunch of guys that belonged to an online forum he was active in, and he loved that. I always thought it would be so fun to meet in person all these people I’ve known online for so many years, but I don’t see how that would happen.
Kristen says
If only we could have a FrugalGirlCon, where all of us could meet!
Dawn says
YES!!! This would be awesome!!
kristin @ going country says
If you actually organized such a thing, I promise I would show up. And that’s saying something.
Kristen says
If only I knew something about organizing conferences. Ha.
Michael says
Great write-up, Kristen! I’m sure you’ll be applying take-always for months to come.
I would just add that Jillian Johnsrud (Montana Money Adventures) & Anthony Ongaro (Break The Twitch) are Mastermind group members too, but weren’t available for the photo.
Kristen says
And Jim Dahle from White Coat Investor too!
WilliamB says
Would you add their websites to your photo caption? I plan to check them all out but am likely to miss the ones referenced only in the comments.
Kristen says
Done! I had linked to Jillian earlier in the post, but I added her to the list with site links as well as The White Coat Investor and Break the Twitch.
Robin says
Is a mastermind group just like a small group of people with a common interest or goal? Just curious!
Melissa says
I got an email about purchasing the recording (Virtual Pass) of FinCon 19. Just curious if you think it’s worth the $199 they’re charging. Thanks.
Kristen says
Oh man, it’s $199? I thought it was $99. At least, that’s the price they were charging at Fincon as an add-on. I think I get the virtual pass for free with my ticket since I bought in advance, so I didn’t buy it.
Can you see a list of the sessions before you buy? If not, let me know and I can send you screenshots of what’s in my Fincon handout. That might help you decide!
Melissa says
Thanks. The descriptions are pretty general–two keynote speeches, for example. Does your info include more detail? If so, I’d love to see it. $199 is a lot to spend.
Kristen says
Yep, yep! Send me an email and I’ll send you screenshots of all the talks with the speaker and title.
Financial Freedom Countdown says
I believe it is $99 for FinCon attendees and $199 if you did not purchase the FinCon ticket
Kristen says
Ahhh, that explains the $99 sign I saw at FinCon!
Gayle Weiswasser says
Hope you had a good time in my lovely hometown, DC. I like your pics! (And I love your blog.)
Molly F. C. says
I would SO go to a FrugalGirlCon!
JD says
That had to be fun, not to mention instructive. I’m so glad you decided to go — it sounds like you are so glad you did, too.
I have a personal (spiritual) accountability group, which meet in person, but I think it would probably work well online, too. My group keeps me sane and on track so much of the time! I think groups like these are great ideas, and this is coming from the person who used to think such groups were waaaay too touchy-feely and not neeeear enough useful. Until I tried one, that is.
Thanks for the details. I have wondered what went on at these.
Kristen says
Oh yeah, there are mastermind groups for all sorts of things outside of blogging/online businesses. There’s nothing quite like meeting with a group of people to help keep you on track!
Millicent Borges Accardi says
If a conference is related to a source of income, then the cost would be tax deductible! Of course you ARE the frugal girl, so I would imagine that you would want to be as frugal as possible (sharing a room, etc.) but, a business expense is not in the same category as, say, a grocery budget. And, if you need to attend a conference, take a class, do an interview or perform research for your blog, you might look upon the cost as 1) deductible, 2) necessary business expense, 3) an investment IN you and your future business and potential revenue sources and inspirations.
Kristen says
Oh, for sure. I’m most definitely deducting the cost of my ticket, my hotel room, etc.
I run my blog pretty lean, but whenever I DO spend money on it, I always make sure to deduct it. Every little bit helps!
Kate says
It was great meeting you at Jillian’s “Networking for Introverts” session! I agree, it was fun, but too soon to tell the full worth of going to FinCon!
Kristen says
Yep. I think that’ll become apparent after some months!
Carrie Willard says
There’s something that’s SO fun about “talking shop”- we can’t really have these blogging/internet marketing conversations outside of very small circles. It’s energizing. I’ve been to a handful of conferences and they’re SO exhausting, especially for me an introvert. However, I learn so much and have many ideas to put into use.
Kristen says
Yep, it’s delightful to chat with people who understand this odd world we inhabit online!
Jackie says
Hi ! Can you say more about what a mastermind group is, and how you found yours? I appreciate how you value your time and mom, and would be glad to read more about your approach to this in a blog post.
David says
From what I can see of you and your site you could have been one of the lecturers there!
KW says
It’s sooooo cool that you, Physician on Fire, and White Coat Investor are in the same group! Three of my favorite bloggers! Thanks for what you do for people like me
Kristen says
I think it’s so funny that you group me in with them! Their blogs are somewhat similar, but mine is kind of different. They’re all smart about the investing and I’m over here like, “Did you know you can revive wilted lettuce by soaking it in cold water?” lol
KW says
Even though they can dish out the complex investment advice, I think the core values of their blogs go back to not living beyond your means, like so many physicians are tempted to do after coming out of the years of hard labor in medical school and residency! As a physician myself, I’m certainly appreciative of your tips on HOW to live a frugal life by saving, being a modest consumer, reusing and repairing items, and preventing waste. Even though I make a good salary I still want to be a good steward of what I’ve been given and of this earth!
Madeline Theresa Kasian says
I wonder– is the blog a way for you to earn some extra income or is it hard to do that? (If that’s too personal please ignore me lol!!) I guess youtube is taking over.. and on line “courses.”I just wonder if anyone makes actual income from a blog these days or if it is just a personal endeavor and creative outlet..
That said, I am sure the financial conference gave you SOOO much food for thought and probably all kinds of tips for your own life as well as for the blog.
Thanks for sharing so much with us!!
Kristen says
Oh, people definitely earn income from their blogs, myself included. Some of the people at FinCon who own big sites make enough to hire multiple employees, actually! I’m not nearly that big time, but my blog does earn money.
Now, if you added up all the hours I spent writing in the early years, my total hourly rate is not very impressive. Ha. But here we are now, and I’m glad I stuck with it. I have fun writing my blog and talking with all of you, so even those early years when I made pennies still added value to my life.
One Frugal Girl says
I’m so glad we finally met in real life!
Shirley says
Sounds like a great experience! (Reminded me of the picture of when you and Katy of thenonconsumeradvocate met.) Just wanted to say that you are so personable and likeable and Real, your blog is perfect as it is. Maybe you learned some usable tactics for those things such as Facebook (which I never look at), but you don’t need to change a thing about your blog.
CarolineRSA says
Please give plenty of advanced warning for FrugalGirlCon; I would like to save up for accommodation and plane fare from SA!
Maria Vidakis says
Hey there, really enjoy your blog! Super curious as to how much a conference like that costs? Thanks Maria
Kristen says
My conference ticket was $200, since I bought it right after last year’s FinCon. It’s more expensive to buy tickets at a later date.
The lodging and food expenses are largely in your control. I have a post coming next week about ways I saved money on FinCon.
Tawcan says
Great write up! FinCon certainly was a good time. Definitely had a lot of great conversations with fellow money nerds.
Nancy Perez says
Hi Kristen,
I was at Fincon also. It was my first time too. I saved money by renting a tiny airbnb for $79 per night one block from the Hilton. My first stop in DC after getting off the Metro was the Safeway where I bought vegies and fruit I was able to cook the rice and lentils I had brought with me at my tiny condo and pack a lunch or dinner each day. There was always icewater to drink at the hotel. There were a few parties with food that helped to lower the cost. Just thought I’d share some of my frugal hacks. Just started my blog. Appreciate your site very much