UPDATE 19.06.2022
I have migrated my patron system to a new tool (other than Patreon). All links now go to my new tool here.
I have always dreamed of achieving financial independence through the passive income generated by a blog that inspires people. I find it rewarding to imagine that I would live on content that I produce myself (vs. the actions of a third company).
Until recently, I had stayed at the dream stage.
Time, that rare thing
Over the years, blog posts have grown from a few to several dozen, to over a hundred nowadays. By multiplying this by tens of thousands of visitors per year, it gives rise to many private comments and exchanges by email or via the forum.
I love to receive and exchange with you, dear readers of the blog, because you are the concrete proof that I get up at 5am every day for a good reason. In addition to the satisfaction of feeling useful, I must also admit that I learn a lot from these discussions, especially those that challenge this or that thing I said in one of my last articles.
But since the beginning of the year, the level of interaction has intensified, so I find it increasingly difficult to find the time I would like to dig deeper into certain topics - without having to take a three-weeks break between each publication.
I hate ads…
My ideal would be to be able to reduce my working time to 80% to be able to dedicate at least a whole day to the blog and to the Swiss Mustachian community which is so close to my heart.
This would allow me to continue producing quality content.
The blog currently brings me a few hundred Swiss francs a year (I can feel the excitement among the voyeurs among you!) thanks to the few affiliation links set up. This is already huge, but by far not enough to replace a 20% hole in a salary.
Other bloggers (not necessarily Mustachians) are less scrupulous and have no problem filling their websites with flashing ads of all kinds.
My problem with this kind of practice? I hate these advertisements. On the one hand because it’s ugly. And on the other hand because it would be a bit contradictory to preach a simple and frugal life with alongside Google AdWords ads that try to sell you the last iPhone you promised yourself not to renew for 6 years…
…but I love coffee! (and beers)
So I looked for other options to make this dream come true. To make a living from my passion for writing.
That’s how I got to Patreon.
Thanks to this online sponsorship service, any creative person (writer, musician, blogger, etc.) can be supported by sponsors who appreciate their work and want more. In exchange, patrons receive access to certain privileges or exclusive content (you can see mine here), and to more content from their favorite artist or writer since this latter has more time to dedicate to it.
I figured it didn’t cost me anything to try the experiment. And I really like the concept of deliberately consuming certain media that bring us value, rather than wanting everything for free but ultimately being the product in one way or another.
To be honest, it feels weird to launch my Patreon page because I feel the impostor syndrome who is not really sure of the value of his work.
Thinking about it for several evenings, I asked myself: if I met one of the readers on the street with whom I was privately exchanging, would he offer me a coffee to thank me for having been able to save tens of thousands of francs thanks to some changes in his lifestyle or with his financial choices?
Given the ratio between the price of coffee in Lausanne (~ CHF 3) and several tens of thousands of francs in savings, I thought the scenario was plausible.
At least not impossible.
Become a patron of MP
If you continuously benefit from Mustachian Post and the Swiss FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) community, then you can benefit even more. And in a more personal way. That is what I am offering you with this programme of support through patronage.
I have detailed all the elements on my Patreon page - including your exclusive access, my objectives, and what I intend to do with the money I got.
I would be forever grateful if you decide to become a patron. I would live it as if you were buying me a coffee when we would have met on the train between Neuchâtel and Lausanne (it could be an interesting idea as a reward by the way, I’ll think about it!)
I can’t wait to see how this experiment will go. As usual, I’ll give you feedback in a few months.
Note: if you’re a creator of any kind, I just discovered while finishing this article that Patreon offers a referral program. Feel free to use my Patreon invitation link and we’ll both get some cash rewards. Here is your path to financial freedom ;)
As usual, I added this referral link because I use and trust this service. I’m not trying to sell you anything here — nor anywhere else on the blog.
