A Farewell Friday Chat

Goodbye, Meghan! We’ll miss you!

ESTER: So many goodbyes!

NICOLE: I know! It is a sad day.

MEGHAN: Guys, I’m not DYING. But I appreciate the sentiment! Ester, who knew you’d be back so soon? Didn’t you just have a baby or two, like, yesterday?

ESTER: That is how I feel, although I also feel like I’ve had a baby for twenty-seven years already. Another twenty-seven and I’ll start actually feeling good at it! What’s next for you, Meghan?

MEGHAN: Excellent question! Who knows. Perhaps I’ll take my new found financial prowess to the markets of stock. I think we have one in Canada, although I’m not positive. Maybe I’ll start one.

No, really, I’ll still be here from time to time, and working on other writing projects as they come along. I’m also writing for a fitness app, continuing my trend of writing about things I know absolutely zero about.

NICOLE: Come on, you don’t know absolutely ZERO about money! The best thing about writing about personal finance is that we’ve been collecting knowledge since we got those first allowance dollars. I have DECADES of experience in personal finance, and so do you.

ESTER: I never had an allowance. Since Meghan’s Canadian, hers probably came from the government, amirite?

MEGHAN: Loonies hand-delivered by polar bears, or Margaret Atwood when the polar bears were on strike.

But you’re right, Nicole — one of the greatest things about being here, in this place, is being reminded that a) we are more capable than we think we are, and b) we aren’t alone. So I have great gratitude and respect for the Billfold for that, and especially for Mike and Logan (RIP) for identifying that need.

Which makes it sound like the site is dying, which IT ISN’T, and certainly won’t until we have Hillary Clinton knocking on our virtual door, begging to write our eulogy.

A note on The Toast – The Toast

NICOLE: What a farewell for The Toast. I was not expecting that at all. Meghan, I know you’re going to be around and that I can just email you or whatever or we can talk on Twitter, but I am seriously emotional that The Toast is leaving, because you cannot email an idea. Or a feeling. Or a community. Or Two Monks that don’t know how to draw horses.

ESTER: At least our community is also good! Thank you commenters ❤

NICOLE: I always tell people that The Billfold is great because its readership is amazing.

MEGHAN: I agree completely. You, commenters, are my favourite people. Even those of you who are kinda jerky, sometimes. You, too! Everyone here is very honest and engaged, which I have always appreciated and which has always amazed me, considering the underbelly that usually chills out in comments sections. No matter how many of us editors this site cycles through, it’s the readership that makes The Billfold what it is.

NICOLE: Meghan, when you typed “even those of you who are kinda jerky” I laughed so hard I might have peed myself a little.

ESTER: It’s true. I’m so grateful.

NICOLE: Thirded.

ESTER: So, I dunno, did you learn anything? Do you have any last words?

MEGHAN: I learned that everyone loves Mint, except for those people who really, really don’t love Mint. Also, writing down how much money you spend doesn’t necessarily change how and when you spend it, but it does make you feel a lot more guilty about it, which is interesting and terrible (I promise to start tracking, I promise). Oh, I learned I might be rich if I just let my baby retirement account hang out and never touch it!

And actually, my boyfriend and I had a long, difficult talk last night about our attitudes towards money and where they come from — a very helpful discussion I never would have had if it weren’t for the urging of the experts and readers here.

NICOLE: I feel like one of the things The Billfold does really well is prompt people to have those discussions or start tracking their finances or start putting little bits of money into savings accounts. I’ve gotten so many emails from people (including people who pitch us) who say “I did this specific thing to improve my finances because I read The Billfold, or because I had a conversation in The Billfold’s comments.” So I’m glad that was your experience too, Meghan.

ESTER: Did your BF start reading because you were writing’n’editing?

MEGHAN: He did! And it provided us with a jumping off place from which we could work through a lot of stuff we might not have otherwise approached. Hat tip, Billfold.

ESTER: Our work here is done! Ben also reads regularly now, in part I guess to see what I may be saying about him?

NICOLE: I’ve also converted a few friends and family members into Billfolders.

MEGHAN: This chat has turned into us just tooting our own horn. But really we’re tooting YOUR horn, readers, in the least sexy way possible. There, those are my final words. Thank you and goodnight.

Support The Billfold

The Billfold continues to exist thanks to support from our readers. Help us continue to do our work by making a monthly pledge on Patreon or a one-time-only contribution through PayPal.