• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Financial Panther

A Lawyer Side Hustling Towards Financial Independence

  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Side Hustle Reports
  • Best Credit Card Offers
  • Current Money Bonuses
  • 70+ Side Hustle Apps/Gigs
  • Bank Account Bonuses
  • Student Loan Strategy
  • Archives
  • Press
email-iconfacebook-icontwitter-iconinstagram-iconyoutube-icon
IMG_3252
Hi, I'm Kevin and I'm an attorney, writer, gig economy expert, side hustler, and the blogger behind Financial Panther. I paid off $87,000 worth of student loans in just 2.5 years by choosing not to live like a big shot lawyer. I started this blog to share all I know about personal finance, travel hacking, and making more money by side hustling. Click here to learn more about me.
As Seen On
Popular

The Dream of Barista FIRE

The Ultimate Guide to Bank Account Bonuses

7 Best Cashback Apps That Everyone Should Use

See All
Side Hustle

The Ultimate List Of Gig Economy Apps

Latest Side Hustle Report

Monetize Your Life And Get Paid To Live

See All
Saving/Investing

How To Get a 5% Interest Savings Account

Where To Get 5% Interest Savings Accounts

The Financial Panther Money System

See All
Current Money Bonuses
Chime Bank Bonus ($100)DCU Bonus ($100)Upgrade Bank Bonus ($100)SoFi Money ($275)View All Bonuses

Doordash Dasher

Uber Eats Driver

Grubhub Delivery Driver

See All
Current Bonus Offers
Chime Bank Bonus ($100) Spiral Bank Bonus ($50)Brex Business Bank Bonus ($250) SoFi Money ($15+$25) Lili Bank Bonus ($100) SoFi Invest ($25) Yieldstreet ($100) View All Bonuses
Popular Posts
The Ultimate Guide to Bank Account Bonuses 70+ Side Hustle Gigs/Apps How To Get 5% Interest Savings Account Where To Get 5% Interest Savings Accounts View All Posts
Get Exclusive Content Delivered
Right to your Inbox.
Latest Posts

Why I Spend Money Attending Conferences

Last Updated on August 24, 2021September 27, 2018 12 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links.Financial Panther has partnered with AwardWallet and CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Financial Panther, AwardWallet, and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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 Yourself 

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. 

More Recommended Ebike/Scooters

Check out these other ebikes/scooters I've had the chance to do a review for:

  • GEN3 Outcross Bike – The GEN3 Outcross is a solid, affordable fat tire ebike that does a good job of doing what I need it to do. It works great for city riding, giving me a smooth ride in all conditions. It’s works really well as a winter ebike since the fat tires give it good traction over snow and ice. Check out my GEN3 Outcross Review.
  • Himiway Escape Bike – 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 Bike – 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.
  • 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 ($10) – 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 $10 for opening an account. Check out my M1 Finance Referral Bonus – Step-By-Step Guide.
  • 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.
  • Moomoo (5 free stocks) – Moomoo is a free investing app currently offering 5 free stocks (usually worth around $75-$100) if you open an account using a referral link and deposit $2,000. Read my Moomoo referral bonus guide for more information.
  • Webull (5 free stocks) – Webull also gives you 5 free stock 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 stocks 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.

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 ($100) - 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.
  • Digital Federal Credit Union ($100) – Digital Federal Credit Union (DCU) is a free, nationwide credit union that I recommend to readers for two reasons. First, DCU has a $100 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.
  • Upgrade ($100) – Upgrade is a free checking account that’s currently offering a $100 referral bonus if you open an account and complete three debit card transactions. These bonus terms are easy to meet, so it’s well worth doing this bonus as soon as you can. Importantly, this bonus says that it’s now scheduled to end on January 31, 2023. As long as you get your account opened before January 31st, you should be eligible. Here’s a post I wrote with more details: Upgrade $100 Referral Bonus – Step By Step Directions.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Fairwinds Credit Union ($100) – Fairwinds Credit Union is offering a referral bonus for users that sign up using a referral link. Fairwinds has no fees or minimum balance, so this is a particularly easy bonus to earn. Since this is a smaller credit union, my gut instinct tells me this offer won’t be around long, so if you’re in a position to meet the bonus requirements, grab this bonus before it’s gone. Here is my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Fairwinds Credit Union bonus.
  • OnJuno ($60) – OnJuno is a fintech/neobank that is currently offering a $10 referral bonus if you open an account using a referral link and make a deposit of $50 or more. You will also get 1000 JCOIN. The 1000 of JCOIN is cryptocurrency. At the time I'm writing this, it'll be worth about $50. Check out my OnJuno referral bonus guide here.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Albert ($150) – If you can manage to do a real direct deposit, Albert is an easy account you can use to earn a referral bonus. Here’s a review about Albert I wrote. And here’s a step-by-step guide on how to earn your Albert referral bonus.
  • Netspend ($20 + 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 $20 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 $20 to start! Make sure to check out my in-depth guide on how to set up these accounts.
financial panther

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.
  • DCU. Digital Federal Credit Union (DCU) is a free, nationwide credit union that I recommend to readers for two reasons. First, DCU has a $100 referral bonus if you open a free DCU checking account with a referral link. Second, DCU has a savings account that gives you 6.17% interest on your first $1,000.
  • Novo Bank. 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. It’s the business checking account I currently use for this blog.
  • 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 $10 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.

Related

Read More

Filed Under: Blogging, Investing

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. BRIAN ANDERSON says

    September 27, 2018 at 9:41 am

    i didn’t know you have a business partner. do you have any more info on that ?

    Reply
    • Financial Panther says

      September 27, 2018 at 4:57 pm

      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.

      Reply
  2. Caroline says

    September 27, 2018 at 11:54 am

    To boost your motivation is a big one for me whenever I attend professional conferences.
    Hope you are enjoying FinCon:)

    Reply
    • Financial Panther says

      September 27, 2018 at 4:58 pm

      It definitely pumps you up! Hope to see you at the next one!

      Reply
  3. Cubert says

    September 29, 2018 at 5:58 am

    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!

    Reply
    • Financial Panther says

      September 29, 2018 at 8:23 am

      Will do!

      Reply
  4. Janet says

    September 30, 2018 at 7:49 am

    It was awesome meeting you yesterday!! Have a nice flight back!

    Reply
    • Financial Panther says

      September 30, 2018 at 5:22 pm

      Great to meet you too!

      Reply
  5. Mr. Groovy says

    September 30, 2018 at 8:11 am

    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.

    Reply
    • Financial Panther says

      September 30, 2018 at 5:23 pm

      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!

      Reply
  6. Financial Orchid says

    October 5, 2018 at 4:55 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Financial Panther says

      October 5, 2018 at 5:00 pm

      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.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Close
Side Hustle Income(View Reports)
chart-icon
$147,309
Get exclusive content delivered right to your inbox.
My Reviews
Bank Signup Bonuses (Step-by-Step)
Chime Bank Bonus ($100) DCU Bonus ($100) Upgrade Bank Bonus ($100) SoFi Money ($275) Current Bank Bonus ($50) Fairwinds Credit Union Bonus ($100) Varo Bank Bonus ($30) OnJuno Bank Bonus ($60) Novo Business Bank Bonus ($40) Albert Cash Account ($150) Netspend Account Bonus ($20 + 5% Interest Savings Account)
Other Signup Bonuses
SoFi Invest ($25) Webull (6 stocks) Moomoo (10 stocks) M1 Finance ($10) Arcadia Power ($40)
Finance App Reviews
Albert Savings App Prism Bill Management App Bank Novo
Side Hustle Reviews
Doordash Uber Eats Grubhub Rover Pet Sitting Wag Dog Walker Shipt Grocery Shopper Airbnb Lime Scooter Charger Observa IVueIt
Most Commented
Popular
  • Insight Card: A Step-By-Step Guide to 5% Interest(690)
  • Netspend Account: 5% Interest Savings and $20 Signup Bonus(680)
  • The Ultimate Guide to Bank Account Bonuses(142)
  • Bird Charger and Lime Juicer – Side Hustling As An Electric Scooter Charger(125)
  • My Postmates Review: Getting Paid To Bike Around Town(78)
  • I Quit My Job – Rejecting The Clear Career Path And Going Out On My Own(76)
  • Barista FIRE: Not Quite Financial Independence, But Pretty Close
  • The Reverse Latte Factor – How You Can Side Hustle Your Way To Financial Independence
  • Where To Get 5% Interest Savings Accounts Now That Insight Is Gone
  • Monetize Your Life And Get Paid To Live
  • The Ultimate Guide to Bank Account Bonuses
  • Over 600,000 Miles Earned In One Year – A Recap Of My First Year of Travel Hacking

Footer

My Reviews

Bank Signup Bonuses (Step-by-Step)

Chime Bank Bonus ($100)
DCU Bonus ($100)
Upgrade Bank Bonus ($100)
SoFi Money ($275)


Current Bank Bonus ($50)

OnJuno Bank Bonus ($60)
Fairwinds Credit Union Bonus ($100)
Varo Bank Bonus ($30)
Novo Business Bank Bonus ($40)
Albert Cash Account ($150)




Netspend Account Bonus ($20 + 5% Interest Savings Account)

Other Signup Bonuses

SoFi Invest ($25)
M1 Finance ($10)

Webull ($27-$9,600)
Moomoo ($75-100)
Robinhood ($2.50-$200)
Arcadia Power ($40)

Finance App Reviews

Albert Savings App
Peak Money Savings App
Prism Bill Management App
Bank Novo

Side Hustle Reviews

Doordash
Uber Eats
Grubhub
Rover Pet Sitting
Wag Dog Walker
Shipt Grocery Shopper
Airbnb
Lime Scooter Charger
Observa
IVueIt

Popular Posts

The Ultimate List Of Gig Economy Apps
The Ultimate Guide to Bank Account Bonuses
Best Credit Card Offers For August 2021
The Dream of Barista FIRE
Coast FIRE
How To Get a 5% Interest Savings Account
Where To Get 5% Interest Savings Accounts
7 Best Cashback Apps That Everyone Should Use
Other Reviews

GEN3 Outcross Electric Bike
Varla Eagle One Electric Scooter
Himiway Escape Electric Bike
Espin Sport
Fucare H3 Scooter
Ororo Heated Jacket

Recent Posts

  • I Will Never Recommend Crypto
  • Redshift Arclight Pedals Review – Increase Your Visibility With These Awesome Light Up Pedals
  • November and December 2022 Side Hustle Report – $2,395.86
  • Hiboy S2R Review – A Great Commuter Scooter With A Removable Battery
  • October 2022 Side Hustle Report – $1,131.79
  • About
  • Blog
  • Side Hustle Reports
  • Best Credit Card Offers
  • Current Money Bonuses
  • 70+ Side Hustle Apps/Gigs
  • Bank Account Bonuses
  • Student Loan Strategy
  • Archives
  • Press

Copyright © 2023 · Genesis Sample on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Copyright © 2023 FinancialPanther.com. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy * Disclaimer * Affiliate Policy * Contact Us