Over the past year, I’ve spent a pretty decent chunk of change attending various conferences and meetups. As I write this, I’ll be spending the next couple of days at FinCon, the major financial blogger conference that’s held each year.
Compared to some conferences, FinCon can actually be pretty affordable. But it’s still not cheap once you add up all of the costs that come with attending a big conference – flights, hotels, food, etc. Last year, my FinCon trip cost a little over $1,700 for myself and my business partner to attend (or about $800 per person). I’ll likely spend about the same amount this year. If you add up all of the other events that I’ve attended over the year, I’ll probably end up spending about $4,000 to attend these conferences and meetups.
In a lot of ways, these conferences and meetups can seem like an oxymoron – personal finance bloggers and enthusiasts paying a bunch of money to meet up with other people and talk about all of the ways we don’t spend money. It sounds like a waste of money.Â
But as I’ve continued to grow this blog and continue along this content creation path, my view on these conferences has evolved. Yes, conferences cost money. But what matters isn’t the cost. It’s the value that they bring. As long as you get more in value than what you pay, these conferences are worth it.Â
These days, I understand conferences for what they are – they’re investments in yourself and your business. Even though I’ve spent some money on conferences this year, I’ve already seen returns from attending them. And if I haven’t gotten a return on my investment yet, I’m confident that I will in the future.
Reasons To Spend Money On Conferences
1. Build Your Brand. Building brand awareness is a key part of any business. You can have the best stuff in the world, but you can only help people if people know that you exist.
I think advertising is one of the things a lot of content creators just seem to forget about. There’s this idea that you’re just supposed to be found naturally – if you write it, people will just show up. I’ve learned that’s not how it works, however.
Conferences, in many ways, are basically you putting money into advertising spend. When you go to conferences, you’re representing your brand and putting your brand out into the world. If it gets your brand out there, those conference fees might be worth it for that alone.
2. Learn. It goes without saying, but you should hopefully be learning something when you go to these conferences. There’s always more learning to be done, even if you’re an expert.
I spent $87,000 to go to law school (a bargain compared to what many of my fellow attorneys spent). My wife spent much more to go to dental school and then her residency. Conferences might very well be a bargain when you think about how much education otherwise costs.
3. Meet People. The most important part of conferences might not be the learning or the brand awareness – it’s probably meeting people. You can learn a lot on your own, so if learning was the sole motivation, you could go read books and learn it all yourself as you go along.
The magic of the conference comes with meeting people. It’s a big world out there, and NO ONE can do it all alone. You need to meet people, and where else can you do it better than at a conference with tons of people looking to do the same thing.
4. People Like You More When They Meet You In Person. This builds a little bit on my previous point, but there’s something to be said about meeting people in person. The nice thing about the online world is that you can make tons of friends. But you can only put so much of yourself out there virtually.Â
When people meet you in person, they’ll be able to see your enthusiasm or whatever else it is that makes you, you. And they’ll remember you far better than just talking to you in an email or through Twitter. My closest blogging friends are all people that I’ve met with in person. When opportunities come up for either of us, who do you think they’ll remember?
5. Boost Your Motivation. Building an online business is a grind. One little side benefit of attending conferences is just how much of a motivation boost you’ll get. I came back from my first FinCon absolutely pumped, and my blog grew quite a bit after that conference. I don’t think that was a coincidence.Â
If you ever need a motivation boost, going to conferences is where it’s at (you can also listen to Gary Vee and let him scream at you about how lazy you are). You’re basically surrounding yourself with hundreds of people who do the same thing as you and who have the drive to spend their time and money meeting up with other people in their same space. You’re a product of who you surround yourself with, and when you surround yourself with fellow hustlers, you can’t help but want to get out there and hustle too.
Spend Money On YourselfÂ
There are a lot of ways to spend money. Most of us spend money in ways that can never actually pay us back. It’s spent once and then is gone forever.
A conference, though, can be an investment if done right. And the nice thing about an investment is that you can get that money back. You might spend a couple hundred bucks. But you can make that back many times over. Plus, if you’re going to invest, why not invest in something that you should believe in more than anything – yourself.
Additional Thoughts. What if your business isn’t making any income yet? If that’s the case, the solution is simple – find a way to make money somewhere else and use that money to invest back into yourself. Let’s say you need $1,000 per year to go to conferences. You just need to earn $83 per month to fully bootstrap your costs. If you can make just $20 an hour doing something, you only need to work an extra 4 to 5 hours per month to pay for your costs. It’s the easiest bootstrapping you’ll ever do.Â
More Recommended Ebike/Scooters
Check out these other ebikes and scooters I've reviewed:
- Urban Arrow Ebike – Last year, I made one of the largest purchases I’ve ever made – I bought a $9,000 electric cargo bike from Urban Arrow. In my Urban Arrow review, I will discuss what it is and why I decided to buy this bike, as well as discuss how impactful a bike like this can be on your journey to financial independence.
- Troxus Explorer Step-Thru Ebike – The Troxus Explorer Step-Thru is a fat-tire ebike that I’ve had the pleasure of riding for a while now. It has amazing power, great looks, and awesome range. If you’re looking for a great fat-tire ebike that offers a lot for the price, the Troxus Explorer Step-Thru is definitely one for you to consider. Check out my Troxus Explorer Step-Thru Review.
- Hovsco HovBeta Ebike – The HovBeta is a folding ebike with great specs and a lot of interesting features, and importantly, it’s sold at a good price point. I’ve had a blast commuting with it and using it to do deliveries with DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. Check out my Hovsco HovBeta Ebike Review.
- Vanpowers Manidae Ebike – The Vanpowers Manidae is a fat tire ebike that I’ve been riding as my primary winter commuting bike and have also been using it to do food delivery with apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. After clocking in a decent number of miles with this ebike, I wanted to write a post sharing what my experience with the Vanpowers Manidae ebike has been like. Check out my Vanpowers Manidae Review.
- KBO Flip Ebike – The KBO Flip is an excellent bike. I’ve had a great time riding it and think it’s a versatile bike that can be used for a lot of purposes and can fit a variety of lifestyles. It’s worked out great for me as a general commuter bike and as a food delivery bike. Check out my KBO Flip Review.
- Hiboy P7 Commuter Ebike – The Hiboy P7 is an excellent electric commuter bike that’s offered at an affordable price point. The range and speed of this bike are both very good, so you won’t have any trouble getting anywhere you need to go with it. As a food delivery vehicle, this is also good – with how much range it offers, you’ll be able to work all day on a single charge. Check out my Hiboy P7 Commuter Electric Bike Review.
- Himiway Escape Ebike – The Himiway Escape is an interesting bike for anyone looking for a moped-style ebike. If you’re a gig economy worker, the Himiway Escape is particularly interesting and it’s possible to think of it as an investment, especially if you can opt to do deliveries with the Himiway versus using a car. It’s not cheap, but you can definitely make your money back when you compare the mileage you’ll put on your car versus using an ebike. Check out my Himiway Escape Bike Review.
- Espin Sport Ebike – The Espin Sport is a good ebike for someone who is looking for an ebike that feels and rides more like a regular bike. There are many ebikes that are really only bikes in name. In reality, they’re basically electric mopeds. The Espin Sport, by contrast, is a bike you could probably ride without the battery and you’d feel like you’re just riding a regular bike. Check out my Espin Sport Review.
- Varla Eagle One Scooter – The Varla Eagle One is an excellent scooter that can make sense for a lot of people. It can work as a primary mode of transportation. You can use it to work on gig economy apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. And it can also be a recreational vehicle if you’d prefer to use it for that. Check out my Varla Eagle One Review.
- Varla Falcon Scooter – The Varla Falcon is an excellent scooter that offers a good amount of power at a lower price point compared to more powerful scooters. It’s not exactly an entry-level scooter, nor is it a high-powered scooter. I think it fits somewhere in-between those two categories – an intermediate scooter if I had to give it a category. Check out my Varla Falcon Review.
- Hiboy S2 Scooter – The Hiboy S2 is an excellent entry-level commuter scooter that's perfect for someone looking to save some money in transportation costs and improve their commute. Check out my Hiboy S2 Review.
- Hiboy S2R Scooter – The Hiboy S2R is one of the more interesting electric scooters I’ve been able to test out. It’s not a high-powered scooter, but for an everyday transport option, it’s very useful, especially given some of the unique features that it has. Indeed, for the price, the Hiboy S2R might be the best value scooter I’ve used. Check out my Hiboy S2R Review.
- Fucare H3 Scooter – The Fucare H3 is a fun scooter and I’ve enjoyed testing it out. For a daily commuter or quick trips or errands, the Fucare H3 is probably the scooter I’ll use. It’s portable and easy to maneuver, so it’s just easier to take on the road when I need it. Check out my Fucare H3 Scooter Review.
More Recommended Investing App Bonuses
For additional investing app bonuses, be sure to check out the ones below:
- M1 Finance ($100) – This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $100 for opening an account. Check out my M1 Finance Referral Bonus – Step-By-Step Guide.
- Moomoo (15 free stocks and 1 stock of Tesla or Google) – Moomoo is a free investing app currently offering 3 different referral bonuses if you open an account using a referral link. Read my Moomoo referral bonus guide for more information.
- Webull (12 free stock shares) – Webull's current promotion gives you 12 free shares valued between $3-$3,000 each if you open an account using my referral link. Here’s a guide I wrote about how to earn your free shares using Webull.
- Robinhood (1 free stock) – Robinhood gives you a free stock valued between $2.50-$225 if you open an account using my referral link.
- Public (1 free stock) - Public gives you a free stock valued between $3-$70 if you open an account using my referral link.
- SoFi Invest ($25) – SoFi Invest is an easy brokerage account bonus that you can earn with just a few minutes of work. Use my SoFi Invest referral link, fund your SoFi Invest brokerage account with $100 and you’ll get $25 of free stock. I also have a step-by-step guide for the SoFi Invest referral bonus.
More Recommended Bank Account Bonuses
If you’re looking for more easy bank bonuses, check out the below options. These bonuses are all easy to earn and have no fees or minimum balance requirements to worry about.
- Chime ($150) - Chime is a free bank account that offers a referral bonus if you use a referral link and complete a direct deposit of $200 or more. In practice, any ACH transfer into this account triggers the bonus. This bonus is easy to earn and posts instantly, so you’ll know if you met the requirements as soon as you move money into the account. I wrote a step-by-step guide on how to earn your Chime referral bonus that I recommend you check out.
- SoFi Money ($275) – SoFi Money is a free checking account from SoFi. They’re currently offering a $25 referral bonus if you open a SoFi account with a referral link and deposit $10. You can also make an additional $250 as well if you complete a direct deposit. This is a good bank that is also 100% free, so you won’t have to worry about managing this account. Here’s a post I wrote with instructions on how to earn your SoFi Money bonus: SoFi Money Referral Bonus: Step By Step Guide.
- Upgrade ($150) – Upgrade is a free checking account that’s currently offering a $150 referral bonus if you open an account and complete a direct deposit. These bonus terms are easy to meet, so it’s well worth doing this bonus as soon as you can. Here’s a post I wrote with more details: Upgrade $150 Referral Bonus – Step By Step Directions.
- US Bank Business ($800) – This is a fairly easy bank bonus to earn, since there are no direct deposit requirements. In addition, you can open the Silver Business Checking account, which comes with no monthly fees. Check out how to earn this big bonus here.
- GO2Bank ($100) - GO2Bank is an easy bank bonus that I recommend people take advantage of if they have an easy way of meeting the direct deposit requirement. I like that it’s easy to open the account and that the bonus pays out quickly. Check out my step-by-step guide on how to earn your GO2Bank $100 referral bonus.
- Current ($50) – Current is a free fintech bank that’s offering new users a $50 referral bonus after signing up for an account using a referral link. Current is an easy bonus to earn and also gives you access to three savings accounts that pay you 4% interest on up to $2,000. That means you can put away up to $6,000 earning 4% interest. That’s very good and makes Current an account I recommend to everyone. Check out my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Current Bank bonus.
- Netspend ($40 + 5% Interest Savings Account) – Netspend is a company that provides 5% interest savings accounts. If you sign up using my referral link, you’ll get a $40 signup bonus once you make your first deposit into your Netspend account of $40 or more. That means you get a 5% interest savings account and a free $40 to start! Make sure to check out my in-depth guide on how to set up these accounts.
- Digital Federal Credit Union ($20) – Digital Federal Credit Union (DCU) is a free, nationwide credit union that I recommend to readers for two reasons. First, DCU has a $20 referral bonus if you open a free DCU checking account with a referral link. Second, DCU has a saving account that gives you 6.17% interest on your first $1,000. Check out my in-depth post on how to set this account up.
- Novo Bank ($40) - Novo bank is a free business checking account that’s currently offering a $40 bonus if you open a Novo business checking account using a referral link. In addition to being a good bank bonus, Novo is also a good business checking account. It has no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements and operates a good app and website. Indeed, it’s the business checking account I currently use for this blog. Check out my post on how to easily open a Novo account.
- Varo ($30) – Varo is a free fintech banking app similar to Chime or Current. It’s currently offering a $30 bonus to new users that open a new Varo account with a referral link. The bonus for this bank is very easy to meet, all you need to do is spend $20 within 30 days of opening your Varo account. Check out my step-by-step guide to learn how to earn this bonus.
Kevin is an attorney and the blogger behind Financial Panther, a blog about personal finance, travel hacking, and side hustling using the gig economy. He paid off $87,000 worth of student loans in just 2.5 years by choosing not to live like a big shot lawyer.
Kevin is passionate about earning money using the gig economy and you can see all the ways he makes extra income every month in his side hustle reports.
Kevin is also big on using the latest fintech apps to improve his finances. Some of Kevin's favorite fintech apps include:
- SoFi Money. A really good checking account with absolutely no fees. You'll get a $25 referral bonus if you open a SoFi Money account with a referral link, and an additional $250 if you complete a direct deposit.
- 5% Savings Accounts. I'm currently getting 5.25% interest on my savings through a company called Raisin. Opening a Raisin account takes minutes to complete, it's free, and all of your funds are FDIC-insured. I explain how it works, why I'm now using it to store my emergency fund and any other cash savings I have, and why I recommend everyone check it out in this review.
- US Bank Business. US Bank is currently offering new business customers a $800 signup bonus after opening a new account and meeting certain requirements.
- M1 Finance. This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $100 for opening an account.
- Personal Capital. One of best free apps you can use to monitor your portfolio and track your net worth. This is one of the apps I use to track my financial accounts.
Feel free to send Kevin a message here.
I just finished attending a tech conference and a 100% agree. To be able to see things at high level, meet ppl at C-suite level, experience the world at the macro level and watching the most cutting edge demos and of course all the amazing deals happening at the the same precise moment left and right or even casually at a lobby stairs is something you 100% won’t see in your daily grind. It’s like a breath of fresh air to renew perspectives.
I just witnessed a $60MM all cash funding secured by a guy wearing a ratty white T-shirt on the phone up the escalators – LOL
Before I thought it was a bunch of hocus pocus HBO Silicon Valley stuff, but now my perception has completely changed.
There’s just something totally different about seeing it all in person. It seems stupid, but it actually makes a difference when you meet people. This is especially true if you’re a content creator like we are.
Let’s see…I just wrote my opus and FinCon would have been a wonderful opportunity to promote it and my brand. But nooooooooooooooo! Mrs. Groovy and I are right in the thick of building Groovy Ranch and we sold our FinCon tickets months ago because we convinced ourselves we couldn’t spare the time. As Bugs Bunny would say, “what a bunch of maroons.” Great post, my friend. Conferences done right are a great investment. Cheers.
P.S. Hope you had a blast at FinCon! Looking forward to your review of the festivities.
Man, Mr. Groovy. I hope you’re at FinCon 19! Otherwise, I might have to make you fly to Minnesota some time to catch all of us Minnesota peeps. You’re retired, so you got time on your hands!
It was awesome meeting you yesterday!! Have a nice flight back!
Great to meet you too!
I thought you were going to start with “Because we don’t have kids!” LOL….
Good points, Kevin. Honestly. This is why I’m hopeful to be at next year’s event. I’ve got a lot to learn, and it seems like FinCon is a gold mine for wisdom, motivation, and worthwhile tips.
Bring back some good stories for our next round table!
Will do!
To boost your motivation is a big one for me whenever I attend professional conferences.
Hope you are enjoying FinCon:)
It definitely pumps you up! Hope to see you at the next one!
i didn’t know you have a business partner. do you have any more info on that ?
My best friend does all of the web and back-end stuff for this blog. He always comes with me to FinCon. Sort of the secret guy behind the scenes.