What’s Going on With Add Vodka?

If you have been reading over the past month or so, you may have noticed that I’ve been making some changes with Add Vodka. I’ve received a couple of emails from readers asking what is going on with the site, and so as to not leave readers in the dark, here’s an update.

Long-time readers will know that I started Add Vodka back in 2010. The site was born with Blogger, but I moved to a self-hosted WordPress blog as the site grew, and have been at add-vodka.com ever since. If you have been around for a while, you may remember how quickly this little site grew at the beginning.

After a period of rapid growth, I pulled away from the personal finance blogging community, unsure of the direction of the site and my online career in general. My posting frequency dropped substantially, and I engaged with readers less and less. My social media use slowed substantially as I disengaged myself.

I’ve been spending a lot of time over the past few months re-arranging my life so that I am living true to my values. Everything that I do, everyone I spend time with, every habit, and even my spending has been going through a test to determine whether they are impacting my life in a positive, negative, or neutral way.

Though I am far from finished, the outcome so far is simply that I’m making an effort to make life happen, instead of letting life happen to me.

All of this to say that my life has changed so much since I started blogging, and mostly for the better. Add Vodka passed the litmus test of life improvement, so it’s here to stay.

You may have noticed recently that I’ve been writing more frequently. The quality of the information has improved substantially. My posts are more thorough and thoughtful.

I’ve also been tweaking the way the site looks by putting myself in your shoes, and thinking about what I would want to see (or not see) when reading a blog. I’ve been trying to make it a better place to read great content.

This website is like my online home. I wouldn’t want my physical house to be cluttered, disjointed, or unfocused; I wouldn’t want my friends and family members to avoid visiting my home because it’s messy or an unpleasant place to be. I feel the same way about Add Vodka.

I’ve changed things up, simplified, and rid the blog of the bright colours and tacky icons. I’ve eliminated Adsense, and anything that might distract you or otherwise get under my reader’s skin. I’ve gone back and have begun to edit some of my previous posts for grammar and spelling issues. I’ve been reformatting older posts to fit in with the new design and to replace broken links and ugly images. I am sure you will find it much easier to navigate and read.

I’ve been spending more time on Twitter, Instagram, and Google Plus, because I genuinely enjoy interacting with all of you, instead of just pushing out and promoting my own content. I’ve been seeking great articles around the web and have been trying to share this information with you, both on social media but mostly through my posts.

Everything I do on Add Vodka is going under the magnifying glass to become the best representation of myself and my work as possible. If there is anything that you want to see, don’t like, or just want to chat about, please send me an email.

Otherwise, I hope you subscribe to get posts and updates straight to your email inbox, and enjoy a far simpler, more streamlined and engaging site.