Well, friends, after writing three free posts in a week after 16 years, I have finally decided to erect a pavall. Originally, when starting in 2009, my goal was to provide free financial insights for 10 years to help people get financial freedom soon. Success! I have always believed that if you are lucky enough to learn something valuable, you should share it and help more and more people.
But as a father of two young children in expensive San Francisco, I need to better adapt my time. I cannot spend 20 hours a week for financial summit without compensation. I am six years ago by my original 10-year-old commitment, and the college tuition is large on the horizon.
Meanwhile, the expectations of future inflation are at their highest level since 2022, thanks to thanks Latest trade warEverything – eating, clothes, cars, medical services – getting more expensive. At the same time, the 10 -year return of the expected 10 years for shares is in low single digits due to high evaluation.
I have crunched the numbers, and the free model is no longer durable because advertisements on this site barely cover my growing operating costs. I either need to charge for my content or dramatically cut my writing back and get a job.
I apologize for those of you who have enjoyed my work in all these years. But as a father, my priority is now providing for my family.
While arguing this pewal step, I realized some irony. Mom-end-pap publishers like me keep our content free, while major media outlets kept Paval left and right. I could not count the number of the time, until I wanted to read an article, it can only be blocked until I do more than $ 9.99 per month.
Eventually, I imprisoned. I now pay Apple News+, just the one who used to be free to read the publication! And yet here I am giving my content – based on experience and intensive financial knowledge – for nothing.
Not only my articles Help people make moneyBut he has also given the readers confident to change his life for better. I also take time out to answer readers’ comments. And yet, somehow, I am working for free while the Arab-dollar corporations charge for access. It seems unbalanced.
A paywall = AI security from theft
Another reason for this change? Artificial intelligence has been scrapping independently available materials for years without proper atribution. AI chatbots revive my insight without connecting back to financial samurai, and even the Google is giving priority to the AI-borne summary on original sources.
By putting my content behind a pewall, AI Craler will not be able to steal my work. I need to do what I can do Protect my future and my children’s future from AI,
Remember, Openai started as one Non-profit With a mission to help humanity. But after increasing the billions and generating more in revenue, it moved to a profit-profit model. Employees remain silent about fodder-and-switch, are afraid of losing their shares-and with them, generational wealth.
As a result, independent publishers are in a fully developed fight for survival. Fortunately, I have invested in private AI companies like Openai through one Open venture fund To benefit from their development. Otherwise, I will get even more angry in AI companies who are making a free profitable for writers and creators.
Invest in AI as a hedge
We can either complain about AI or learn how to take advantage of our equipment to become more productive. Since I know I cannot beat AI, I will continue to invest as hedge in AI.
If you are also worried about leaving your jobs in future, then consider hedging by investing in AI. Fandy Venture Capital Product Openai, provides exposure for companies such as Ethropic, Anduril, Databricks, Canva, and more.
If AI observes most humans in 10 years, as Bill Gates predicts, your investment may benefit. And if the AI ​​becomes an overheep, at least your children will still have opportunities to protect well -paying jobs. In any way, you will be ready.
I have personally invested more than $ 155,000 in the Fundry Venture so far, with my exposure to reach $ 250,000. Fundis is a long sponsor of financial synonyms as our investment philosophy align.
College tuition will not pay itself
No parents should believe that their children will earn scholarship or grants. Instead, all of us should prepare to pay full tuition or take loans in the most expensive private universities.
By 2040, the top 50 private university can cost four years at $ 750,000- $ 1,000,000. Can he tolerate the average middle class family? Probably not – as long as they do not take large -scale debt or work for more than planned for decades.
Yes, elite schools such as Harvard and MIT provide liberal financial assistance. But with acceptance rates under 5%, your child Maybe not going insideBe realistic about your child’s college prospects and finance. Consider the worst, plan accordingly, and hope for the best.
Personally, I hope my children will have practicality Participate in community college For two years before transferring to a public university. But given that their frontal cortex will not develop perfectly by 25 years of age, I cannot rely on those who can take the most economically responsible decisions.
Paywall Plan: What will be its cost?
Even though I spend 2-3 hours to write and edit each post, but I think people like free materials. The irony is that the same people will not work to free themselves. Can anyone explain why their trust does not match with their behavior?
I know that most of the readers will leave once a pawall wakes up – this is reality. The challenge is determining a much lower price to maintain more and more readers by providing more value. My best guess? A subscription between $ 1.99 to $ 4.99 per month. This will include access My weekly newspaperWhich includes real -time information on investment.
Suppose the financial Samurai gets 500,000 readers in a month, and refuses to pay 98%. It releases 10,000 loyal readers. If they pay an average of $ 3.99 per month, it is $ 39,900 in monthly revenue.
At that level, combined with me passive incomeI will finally be able to breathe easily as a father. Not much worrying about college tuition, property tax payment, or cost of food. Even only $ 2 per customer in a month, it is still $ 20,000 per month – to keep this site running and pay for some basic living expenses.
Thank you for helping me all these years!
I now feel a feeling of sadness on the idea of ​​not providing free materials. After coming to America at the age of 14, I am deeply grateful to the opportunities that I have. One of my greatest happiness is helping people get their finance on the track by sharing real stories and practical solutions.
But all good things must come to an end. As an independent publisher, I need to stand against the exploitation of AI and what is necessary to protect and provide my family.
Since our second child was born in December 2019, it is not financially easy for both my wife and me, both of them remained at home. To keep FS free for readers, I too Took a part -time job in a startupBut it lasted only for four months because I could not tolerate all meetings and instructions.
At this point, I have no choice but to try to live with my writing. Millions of people are paid for their work – so why shouldn’t I not?
The economy is no longer looking very good, the stock market is staggering, and Stagflation may come soonAdaptation is important. So please enjoy it Last free month of financial Samurai-The membership menu will be rolled out soon!
Reader question
What are some of your favorite articles on readers, financial synonyms? Who has helped you the most in improving your finance?
Are there any other individual finance sites that publish intensive articles from regularly experienced writers that we should see?
People who demand free materials refuse themselves to work for free? Why not consistent in their beliefs and actions? Do I not deserve to live with my writing?
Liberation Day is here!
Work! Thank you for getting my thoughts on this difficult dilemma. Times are clearly challenging.
He said – April Fool’s Day! I originally planned to publish it on 1 April, Tuesday, but since I posted on Monday, I wanted to exclude things. In addition, I wanted to make things less clear.
I made a promise to keep the financial summer free a decade ago, and I intend to maintain that promise. The challenges I am facing – AI disintegration, searching algorithms bypassing independent sites, raising a family in an expensive city – all are real. But they are to bear my burden, not anyone else.
Writing has never been an easy way to make money, and it is still difficult today. One reason like “hungry writer” or “hungry artist” exists. But I love crafts, and reward reactions from readers like you keep walking me.
If my work has brought you value since 2009 – then you laugh, reduce your worries, give you the courage to change your life, or help you make as much money as possible – to take a copy of a copy. Millionaire Mile Stones: Simple Steps for Seven StatesFor less than the cost of a specific annual membership, you will find one of the best guides to manufacture and get financial freedom.
Thank you for your support! And if not, thank you for being anyway!
For your financial freedom,
Sam
Financial Samurai is an independent -owned individual finance site established in 2009. It attracts approximately 1 million biological pageviews per month, with every article based on the first-first experience-money is very important for fake. Learn more about me About this Page.
