About
The blog at VitalDollar.com is written for anyone who wants to improve their financial situation. If you’re looking for ways to manage your money better, save more money, invest with a purpose, or increase your income, you’ll feel right at home here.
My name is Marc and I’m the founder of Vital Dollar. When I was in my 20’s (I’m 40 now), I was desperately looking for a way to improve my financial situation. I made less money than I wanted to make, I wasn’t saving or investing as much as I should have, and I needed to find a solution.
In 2007, when I was 28 years old, I started a side hustle designing websites and blogging about design. At the time, I was really just looking for some extra money, but that side hustle quickly CHANGED EVERYTHING. In 2008, after a year and a half of hard work, I left my job as an auditor to pursue self-employment full-time.
I’ve now been self-employed as an internet marketer and blogger for more than 13 years, and I’ve been blessed to work from home and have more time with my wife and our two kids. During that time I’ve learned not only how to make more money, but also how to manage what I have and invest with the goal of early retirement.
When I left my job in 2008, my wife and I had a net worth of less than $100,000. Seven years later, we crossed the $1 million mark, and my wife also left her job in the middle of that stretch. My story has been featured on websites like Forbes and Business Insider.
My opinion is that improving your own financial situation usually involves managing your existing income better, and making more money. Both are important. I started Vital Dollar because I want to cover both of these topics and how they can relate to each other.
I’m not a financial expert, but through this blog, I hope to be able to help others who are in the same situation I was in several years ago. If you’re looking to improve your own financial situation, I hope you’ll find the information on this site to be just what you need.
On a personal level, I live in south-central Pennsylvania with my wife and our two kids (a daughter and a son). Working from home has become increasingly challenging with kids, but it’s also a lot of fun to be able to see them and my wife throughout the day.
When I have spare time, I enjoy hiking, photography, and travel. The picture above is me on one of my favorite work days. I used to run some photography blogs (I’ve sold them) and that day I was photographing waterfalls and exploring some locations that I wrote about on my blog.
If you’d like to get in touch with me please feel free to use my contact page.
You can also find some of the best content on the site through the links below:
- 33 of the Best Passive Income Ideas
- 150+ Side Hustle Ideas to Make Money in Your Spare Time
- Living Off Dividends: How to Live On Your Investments in Retirement
- How to Get Free Stocks
Author Bios
We’ve published articles from a number of different authors since the site launched in 2018, but currently there are two primary contributors.
Marc Andre
Marc is the founder and editor of Vital Dollar. He’s written many of the articles that have been published here, especially within the side hustles and online business categories.
After graduating from college with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Marc struggled to find a job he enjoyed. After a few years of frustration, he started a side hustle that turned into a full-time business. Since 2008, Marc has been self-employed managing a variety of different websites and blogs.
Marc’s writing has been featured on many other websites, including MarketWatch, Business Insider, MSN, and many others
Lorraine Smithills
Lorraine is an experienced freelance writer with a background in finance, sales, and marketing. She’s been a regular contributor at Vital Dollar since 2020 and you’ll find many of her articles in our investing and side hustle categories.
With a passion for reading and writing, Lorraine is excellent at covering complex topics in a way that’s clear and easy to understand. In addition to Vital Dollar, she’s also contributed to a number of other personal finance websites like Bible Money Matters, The Smart Investor, and DollarBreak.