Celebrating Two Years Of Boomer & Echo

Today marks our second anniversary here on Boomer & Echo, and it’s been an unbelievable journey.  In two years, we’ve written over 500 posts, gained more than 3,500 subscribers, seen over 635,000 visits and had nearly 1 million pageviews.

When I first stumbled on a popular personal finance blog called Million Dollar Journey, I spent months combing through the archives.  I was hooked, and soon I was soaking up other personal finance sites like Money Smarts Blog, Canadian Finance Blog, Canadian Dream Free at 45, Canajun Finances and Financial Highway.

My mom and I liked to discuss personal finance and investing, and we had talked about starting our own business.  After a bit more research on how to start a website, we decided to launch our own personal finance blog.  My mom came up with the Boomer & Echo name, which fit perfectly since we’d be writing from the perspective of two different generations.

Who knew that our blog would grow from two visits a day (me, and my mom) to more than 60,000 visits a month in such a short time?  I still remember our first little spike in traffic, which was from the Canadian Capitalist blog linking to my article on 10 ways to save on car insurance.   I think we hit 100 visits that day!

I also remember the first two comments we received, from Young & Thrifty and from My Own Advisor.  Many blogs that started around the time we did have long since faded away, but both of these blogs have been tremendous supporters of ours from day one (ok, maybe day five).

The Globe & Mail has been kind to us, picking up quite a few of our articles over the years:

Last Fall, I wrote a few sample articles for Adam Mayers at the Toronto Star.  This led to a full time freelancing gig, writing twice a week on their personal finance site, Moneyville.  The opportunity to write for a major media outlet has given us a ton of additional exposure from across the country.

We want to keep you coming back each week by publishing interesting content on personal finance and investing topics for Boomers and Echos alike.

How about a giveaway?

So, we want to do a little giveaway to show our appreciation to all the readers and bloggers who’ve supported us over the past two years.  Here’s what we’re giving away:

  • 1st prize is a Samsung 10.1″ 16GB Galaxy Tab 2 Tablet – retail $349.99
  • 2nd prize is a $50 Amazon gift card
  • 3rd prize is a $25 Future Shop gift card courtesy of our friends at Great Canadian Rebates.

There are 5 ways to enter the contest:

This contest will close on Friday August 24th and we’ll announce the winners on Friday August 31st.

Good luck!

136 Comments

  1. Jim Yih on August 10, 2012 at 12:16 am

    Congratulations Robb! You are doing a fantastic job and deserve all the success!
    Jim

  2. Meghan on August 10, 2012 at 1:53 am

    Congratulations on your two year anniversary! I stumbled on your page and read your articles through my Google Reader. As a student who is going to graduate from university soon, I have learned many great things from your blog.

  3. Ash on August 10, 2012 at 4:43 am

    Congrats from a new reader! i’ve been spending the past days combing through your archives as my social life is taking a hit from attaining 3 fractures…At least something something good came from the bad! I’m getting my budget under control!

    Congrats again!

  4. Former_Torontonian on August 10, 2012 at 5:10 am

    I can’t remember how I stumbled across boomerandecho.com, but I’ve been hooked ever since. Love the different perspectives, and have enjoyed seeing you in the Toronto Star. Hope you both stay around for many more years to come. Congrats on your second anniversary and cheers!

  5. Ross Taylor on August 10, 2012 at 5:29 am

    A very impressive ramp up Robb. Perhaps the most important thing you have done is be consistent – in terms of the frequency of your posts (sometimes we just don’t file like writing, yet one of you does) and the quality.

    And it is a very rare day that anyone will find even a typo in your work. Congrats to both of you.

  6. MikeO3 on August 10, 2012 at 5:32 am

    Congrats from me also! I enjoy the thought provoking and useful articles.

  7. NormaK on August 10, 2012 at 6:12 am

    Love this blog and also follow on Moneyville. It’s one of the few sites that I check daily and it’s one of the few where the dynamics between and with commenters are respectful. I thank you for that.

  8. Ray @ Financial Highway on August 10, 2012 at 6:12 am

    Congrats!! Great achievement, keep up the good work!

  9. NormaK on August 10, 2012 at 6:13 am

    Oh, and continued success with your blog!! 🙂

  10. Jason St-H on August 10, 2012 at 6:17 am

    Gratz on your 2 years! I stumbled upon this blog a few weeks ago and it’s in my RSS reader ever since!

  11. Colin Williams on August 10, 2012 at 6:56 am

    well done. Love the blog and I can’t believe how you have written so many blog posts. Massive effort and keep it going.

  12. Kaye on August 10, 2012 at 7:44 am

    Congrats on 2 years!!

  13. John on August 10, 2012 at 8:03 am

    Congratulations! I’ve been an avid reader for the last year or so… keep the articles coming!

  14. Justin @ MUM on August 10, 2012 at 8:15 am

    Great…Just great, I’m almost at the 2 year mark and I don’t even have a 1/4 of the stats you do! AND I have to think of a better give away now! Haha

    Congratulations Robb, hell of a milestone!

  15. Mike Collins on August 10, 2012 at 8:17 am

    Congrats Robb! Can’t believe it is only 2 years. You’ve come a long way in a short time.

  16. Lyne on August 10, 2012 at 8:21 am

    Congratulations! I’ve been a reader for about a year.

  17. glenn on August 10, 2012 at 8:37 am

    Good work boomer echo. I’ve been reading this for over a year now. I am more educated, informed and in control of my finances! It’s great read about your journey.

  18. Mepo on August 10, 2012 at 8:39 am

    Happy Birthday – keep digging 🙂

  19. Earth and Money on August 10, 2012 at 8:44 am

    Congratulations! You’re a model of success for us other bloggers to look up to!

  20. Ken on August 10, 2012 at 8:45 am

    Congrats to you both! Time sure flies!

  21. nicole on August 10, 2012 at 8:52 am

    Congrats! I really enjoy reading your posts, it really helped me to find the right info I needed for starting my son’s RESP this year. Thanks!

  22. Cindi on August 10, 2012 at 8:54 am

    I am a Boomer & enjoy learning new stragedies involving money/saving/investing. I have passed this site on to my children & some of their friends. It’s always good to receive information in order to make wiser choices. People don’t know what they don’t know…yet. Information is power. Keep it up. Thanks.

  23. Jesse on August 10, 2012 at 8:55 am

    My wife got me reading your posts, I’ve learned a lot. Congratulations on this milestone!

  24. Steve @ Grocery Alerts on August 10, 2012 at 8:57 am

    Robb, congratulations – I like the fact that that your blog has been around for a while (I have followed since I start blogging). What I enjoy reading about are the experiences of a younger and older person have in personal finance.

    I can’t believe it has only been 2 years!

  25. PK on August 10, 2012 at 8:59 am

    Wanted to drop in and send you congratulations!

  26. IG on August 10, 2012 at 9:16 am

    Great blog! I enjoy reading it very much! Keep up the good work!

  27. Gary on August 10, 2012 at 9:39 am

    congratulations you two! you have always answered my questions and i really appreciate your honesty. all the best in the future.

  28. Maria on August 10, 2012 at 10:21 am

    Congratulations on achieving two years. I have been receiving your blog via email for a few months now, and find them to be very informative. I am either right at the end of the Boomer generation or the beginng of the Echo generation, depending on when you think the baby boom ended. So, either way, your articles speak to me. I recently saved money on gas thanks to your link to get a $75.00 gift card when you applied for a credit card. It came in handy:)

  29. Money Beagle on August 10, 2012 at 10:21 am

    Congrats. Curious about how many of the original blogs that inspired you that you still read? I got into blogging after reading a few blogs, and looking back, I only read a fraction of those, but have found others (like yours) along the way.

    • Echo on August 10, 2012 at 10:49 am

      @Money Beagle – I hear you. Many of the original blogs I followed changed their style or stopped posting altogether. A lot of blogs started as a way to record their journey out of debt, or towards a specific financial goal.

      The thing is, once you’ve got a good financial plan in place, your finances sort of go on auto-pilot and there’s not much left to write about.

  30. Barry Evans on August 10, 2012 at 10:37 am

    I get many financial news letters via email,I always look forward to reading Boomer & Echo.

  31. @canmort on August 10, 2012 at 10:47 am

    That is great. Wish you all the best in future. Keep up the good work.

  32. Echo on August 10, 2012 at 10:49 am

    Thanks for the kind words, everyone. It means a lot to us.

    Cheers!

  33. jock on August 10, 2012 at 10:53 am

    I have found your topics interesting and very easy to read. Like many of your followers I don’t recall when I began following but am glad I did. Congrats and I wish you well going forward.

  34. mike on August 10, 2012 at 11:04 am

    Congratulations. Always a good read.

  35. Linda on August 10, 2012 at 11:08 am

    I am enjoying your saving and investing tips. Keep it up!

  36. Jaclyn on August 10, 2012 at 11:08 am

    Thanks for sharing your advice and insight with everyone!

  37. Bernie on August 10, 2012 at 1:59 pm

    Congrats & Happy 2nd Anniversary…here’s to many many more 🙂

  38. Lynda on August 10, 2012 at 3:12 pm

    Always the first email I open. Started subscribing through a link with the Globe and Mail. I really appreciate the advice you give as it is always easily doable. Keep up the great work.

  39. krantcents on August 10, 2012 at 3:53 pm

    Congratulations, I wouldn’t mind having some of your numbers!

  40. petra on August 10, 2012 at 4:32 pm

    I remember your 1st year anniversary — that’s when I discovered your blog. I’ve been enjoying your posts ever since. Congratulations on another year!

  41. phyllis on August 10, 2012 at 4:36 pm

    We just signed up for the Boomer&Echo emails recently and are enjoying the articles very much.

  42. Lina on August 10, 2012 at 6:27 pm

    Congratulations on your blog’s 2nd anniversary. I always find something interesting to read every time I visit it.

  43. SophieW on August 10, 2012 at 6:46 pm

    Wow… Has it really been 2 years already?!? Now I feel old… 🙂
    Congratulations and I wish you many more years to come!

  44. Edward Antrobus on August 10, 2012 at 8:21 pm

    Congrats on 2 years!

  45. Potato on August 10, 2012 at 9:09 pm

    Happy blogday!

  46. Be'en on August 11, 2012 at 1:31 am

    Congratulations on reaching this milestone! Wishing you several more years of successful blogging..

  47. Deacon on August 11, 2012 at 8:25 am

    Congrats!

  48. Joe on August 11, 2012 at 12:23 pm

    Congrats Robb. And thanks for your support of newer bloggers!

  49. Daisy@EverythingFinance on August 11, 2012 at 1:56 pm

    Congrats on your second year of blogging at Boomer and Echo! You’ve had so much success in the past couple of years, I’m sure you are very proud. I’m sure you’ll continue to have success for many more.

  50. Chantal on August 11, 2012 at 6:00 pm

    As a longtime reader I’m so pleased to see you hit this milestone. Congratulaions!

  51. Peter on August 12, 2012 at 8:59 am

    Congrats, always like to drop by to get a bit more informed. Keep up the great work!!

  52. Mike on August 12, 2012 at 9:41 am

    Thanks for all the information over the past two years. I look forward to your comments and useable information.
    Please keep it coming
    Thanks
    Mike

  53. Phil on August 12, 2012 at 11:30 am

    Congrats on 2 years, may you have many fruitful years to come.

  54. My Own Advisor on August 12, 2012 at 2:48 pm

    Congratulations on your two year anniversary!

    Yeah, I remember your site in those “early” days 🙂

    Amazing how much growth your site has seen in just two short years…kudos to you….great concept and great content.

    Here’s to many more years!

    Best wishes,
    Mark

  55. Tom Drake on August 12, 2012 at 11:36 pm

    Congrats guys, you’ve done a great job in 2 years!

  56. SE Book on August 13, 2012 at 10:44 am

    Congrats on a good two years. And to many more!

  57. Sandra Voth on August 13, 2012 at 11:59 am

    Great to hear about your success.

  58. gene2u on August 13, 2012 at 7:08 pm

    Congratulations Boomer and Echo… echo… echo.

    Great idea to team up with your mom. Must be a fun way to stay connected.

  59. The Loonie Bin on August 13, 2012 at 8:46 pm

    Congrats on the 2 year milestone! Keep up the good work!

  60. Liz Rice on August 14, 2012 at 7:18 am

    Congrats on your two awesome years!
    lilelizabee AT gmail.com

  61. Liz Rice on August 14, 2012 at 7:18 am

    I like you on Facebook!

  62. Heather on August 14, 2012 at 7:21 am

    Excited to read more of your posts! Thanks for hosting.

  63. jan on August 14, 2012 at 7:37 am

    Congrats on a great job.Thanks for the giveaway,i’m hoping this giveaway is worldwide,i can not see anything saying different.

  64. Mary Beth Elderton on August 14, 2012 at 7:58 am

    Wow–and I’m new here. Congrats! I just subscribed and joined you on FB.

  65. Shannon R on August 14, 2012 at 8:16 am

    Congrats, I am now receiving your emails

  66. Shannon R on August 14, 2012 at 8:18 am

    I have Liked you on facebook to get your news feed

  67. Shannon R on August 14, 2012 at 8:19 am

    Keep up the good work, your tips are invaluable to the budget

  68. Lynda on August 14, 2012 at 8:25 am

    congratulations on your anniversary!

  69. Jen on August 14, 2012 at 8:25 am

    Congratulations on the anniversary! 🙂

  70. Justin on August 14, 2012 at 8:31 am

    Congrats from a new reader! Great articles here.

  71. Stefanie Gladden on August 14, 2012 at 10:35 am

    Congrats on 2 yeras!! that’s awesome!!
    thanks for the great giveaway!!

    Confirmed email subscriber
    Confirmed newsletter series subscriber
    liked on fb – ann lyfe

  72. Rebecca on August 14, 2012 at 11:11 am

    Liked and subscribed 🙂

    Congrats!

  73. Jessie C. on August 14, 2012 at 1:03 pm

    Congratulations on your anniversary

  74. Jessie C. on August 14, 2012 at 1:04 pm

    signed up for Boomer & Echo email updates

  75. Jessie C. on August 14, 2012 at 1:05 pm

    signed up for exclusive series on how to improve your finances

  76. Joni Mason on August 14, 2012 at 2:27 pm

    You and your mom have put a lot of hard work into to this and you deserve any accolades you can receive! Congratulations on your second anniversary AND on your many other achievements!
    Thank you SO much for the giveaway!!!

  77. Jessica, The Debt Princess on August 14, 2012 at 3:20 pm

    Congrats on your two years of blogging!! Do me a favor, I won’t tell anyone….pick me!! 😉

  78. Carson on August 14, 2012 at 4:19 pm

    Sign me up!

  79. mara zamora on August 14, 2012 at 4:22 pm

    Wow what a milestone ,congrats on the 2 yeas & the many more to come .What a geat way to celebrate a milesone than with a giveaway right ?

    Confirmed Subscriber & liked on Facebook as Mara Zamora

    xoxo
    <3
    🙂

  80. Shivin Bakshi on August 14, 2012 at 10:19 pm

    well done on 2 years of bloggin!
    – Shivin Bakshi (shivin_bakshi@hotmail.com)

  81. Hoa Le on August 14, 2012 at 10:36 pm

    Congrats on your achievements and thank you for the generous giveaway!

  82. Christine on August 15, 2012 at 11:02 am

    Congratulations on 2 years!!!

  83. KimD on August 15, 2012 at 11:15 am

    Congrats on 2 years of great content! 😀

  84. Carla Bonesteel on August 15, 2012 at 11:26 am

    YAY! 2 Years! Show me the money! LOL

  85. Caitlin on August 15, 2012 at 12:11 pm

    Congratulations on two years! I’m always looking for new personal finance blogs (especially since so many fall off in less than a year or so), and can’t wait to dig into your archives!

  86. Peter on August 15, 2012 at 12:53 pm

    Thanks a lot.

  87. Mina on August 15, 2012 at 2:18 pm

    Congrats on your two years! I’ve been following your blog (& browsing the archives) for a couple of months now. Judging from all the excellent content, it seems like you’ve been here for much more than two years. Keep up the great work!!

  88. Nikki Lynn Hanna on August 15, 2012 at 10:41 pm

    Congrats on your anniversary!! That’s an awesome milestone to have passed

  89. Nikki Lynn Hanna on August 15, 2012 at 10:43 pm

    I also like you on fb as Nikki Lynn Hanna and subscribe by emails

    greenday14fan@yahoo.com

  90. adryan maldonado on August 15, 2012 at 10:56 pm

    comment

  91. Wendy T on August 16, 2012 at 2:12 pm

    I’m a confirmed email subscriber.

    Thank you.

  92. Shannon McBeth on August 16, 2012 at 6:04 pm

    Congrats on 2 years! I hope you have many more to come.

  93. Gabe Honnold on August 16, 2012 at 10:06 pm

    It would really feel great to win this! Congrats on everything!

  94. ANGEL JACKLYN on August 17, 2012 at 2:36 am

    CONGRATS ON YOUR 2 YEAR MARK! JUST STOPPING BY TO ENTER THIS FANTASTIC GIVEAWAY (CROSSING MY FINGERS)!

  95. Lorraine on August 17, 2012 at 4:58 am

    Congratulations on your 2 year anniversary!

    I found you while surfing as I was in search of information for a 50 yr old, re-entering the workforce after 16 years of being at home, on my own, new house, new job – oy!

    Love to see more financial info for those of us who have changed lifestyle thru divorce or remarriage.

    Love the blog!

    Lorraine

  96. Sandra Mathers on August 17, 2012 at 6:23 am

    Good work – as a paretn and the mother of a university student I find sharing your articles invaluable!

  97. Steve Bay on August 17, 2012 at 7:14 am

    Congrats on 2 great years. I’m looking forward to many, many more. Keep up the good work!

  98. Rajib on August 17, 2012 at 7:48 am

    Congrats on the big milestone! I appreciate the effort you two put into this – it’s now part of my regular morning routine to read your articles.

  99. Hope on August 17, 2012 at 9:26 am

    As a long time reader, I congratulate you. Keep up the good work and it is great that a parent anmd child are having such obvious fun together.

  100. Rob on August 17, 2012 at 9:36 am

    It is refreshing to find so much quality information in a one stop shop format!

  101. Cory on August 17, 2012 at 10:49 am

    Awesome Giveaway! and Congrats!

  102. Colin on August 17, 2012 at 11:59 am

    COngrats on two years and here’s to many more!

  103. KAM on August 17, 2012 at 12:42 pm

    Congrats on a job well done!! As retired baby boomers, we look forward to your future newsletters. Always enlightening!

  104. Carol on August 17, 2012 at 1:04 pm

    Congrats on 2-yr. anniversary.

  105. Julia on August 17, 2012 at 1:50 pm

    Congrats!

  106. David Singer on August 17, 2012 at 4:08 pm

    Look forward to every new blog entry you make!

  107. John Buchanan on August 17, 2012 at 4:50 pm

    always an interesting read. Keep up the good work

  108. amine on August 18, 2012 at 3:12 am

    Congrats, kip up good work

  109. Valencia on August 18, 2012 at 1:50 pm

    Congrats on two years of helping Canadians manage their money better. I also appreciate the different generational perspectives. Keep up the good work!

  110. Sonya on August 18, 2012 at 2:25 pm

    just found you guys from the MMM forums ‘say hi’ thread – REALLY awesome that you and your mom have such a fun shared interest 🙂

  111. Audrey on August 19, 2012 at 6:21 am

    Congratations on your 2nd anniversary!!

  112. Dee on August 19, 2012 at 2:30 pm

    Congratulations on your 2-year anniversary and thanks for the informative content.

  113. Matt on August 19, 2012 at 2:45 pm

    Good luck

  114. Biki on August 19, 2012 at 9:37 pm

    Congrats on your two years! This is fantastic 🙂

  115. Derek on August 20, 2012 at 8:05 am

    Hey, Good work Robb! That you did this on your own, and for two years. I congratulate you.

  116. Stacey B on August 20, 2012 at 10:08 pm

    Email subscriber – Stacey2561(at)aol(dot)com

  117. Stacey B on August 20, 2012 at 10:09 pm

    Thank you for the 2 years of blogging and information you’ve brought!

  118. Deanna on August 21, 2012 at 12:45 am

    Happy Anniversary and thanks for the giveaway! I would be THRILLED with any of the prizes. 😉

  119. Gillian on August 21, 2012 at 5:44 am

    Congratulations on 2 years ! I am in my first month blogging, so I hope to be as successful as you one day!

  120. Katy M on August 22, 2012 at 8:37 am

    Congrats on TWO YEARS! That’s awesome!

    I subscribe to both email lists and like you on FB as Katy M.

    Thanks for the fun giveaway!

  121. Kelly King on August 22, 2012 at 10:32 pm

    Congrats on 2 years!
    Subscribed to both emails and liked you on Facebook as jayden0508

  122. Sang Kang on August 23, 2012 at 9:31 am

    Congrats and Happy 2 years

  123. Brett McDavid on August 23, 2012 at 11:16 am

    Congrats on your #2! Here’s looking to many more years.

  124. Chanel B. on August 23, 2012 at 11:22 am

    Congratulations on 2 years!

  125. Judi Roode on August 23, 2012 at 12:12 pm

    liked you on FB. enjoyed reading about you!

  126. Gina on August 23, 2012 at 12:44 pm

    Congratulations. We’re hoping for several more anniversaries for you 🙂

  127. Teresa Thompson on August 23, 2012 at 1:56 pm

    Email subscriber.

  128. mona z on August 23, 2012 at 4:29 pm

    email subscriber 🙂

  129. Veronica @ Pelican on Money on August 23, 2012 at 7:43 pm

    Congrats on 2 years! Looking forward to your email updates.

  130. shanon hyatt on August 23, 2012 at 7:52 pm

    Congratulations on your 2 year anniversary. All your hard work has been very much appreciated-I am very thankful for all your savings advice.:)

  131. Emily N. on August 23, 2012 at 8:27 pm

    Congrats! Thanks for the chance to win!

  132. Amy Myers on August 23, 2012 at 10:15 pm

    Thank you for the giveaway 🙂

  133. TRACY SIMMS on August 23, 2012 at 11:21 pm

    congrats!
    I am an email subscriber thanks, simmsmba@gmail.com

  134. zee on August 24, 2012 at 6:33 am

    Great Site. Congrats. Keep it up.

  135. Alison A on August 24, 2012 at 10:02 am

    Have subscribed to your blog for quite a few months now and really enjoy it. Great down-to-earth, real-life advice and perspective. Also loving that it’s Canadian! If you keep writing, I’ll keep reading!

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