Category: F.I. Mindset
Passive Income Road Trip #7: Automated Business
You probably don’t know that I was born and raised in San Diego because I usually tell people I am from Arizona or Florida. Nothing against San Diego or California, but I feel more comfortable in smaller places. I arrived in San Diego today, and I remembered why I left. I am not a fan…
Passive Income Road Trip #6: Royalties
Wow, I don’t remember Yuma, Arizona, being so hot. As I pulled into this magical city, my thermostat read 106 degrees. Yikes. Yuma is one of my favorite places on Earth and the first place I truly felt at home in my life. My wife and I bought our first home here in 2008 and…
Passive Income Road Trip #5: Real Estate
After five days on the road, I finally arrived somewhere I could call home. My hotel room overlooks a beautiful desert landscape here in Tucson, Az. The room is a great little studio apartment-style living arrangement. One of the essential ideas of real estate investing is location, location, location. However, real estate is a mindset…
Passive Income Road Trip #4: Cryptocurrencies
I arrived today in the dusty city of Las Cruces, New Mexico. I have fond memories of this place from when my wife and I made this road trip in 2012. I remember a lush, green desert landscape; that memory is not what I saw today. The city looks like it did not survive the…
Passive Income Road Trip #3: Dividends
I woke up today in Fort Stockton, Texas, somewhere in the middle of this enormous state. It is hot as all heck here, and I wasn’t used to the heat. No matter how hot (or cold), passive income continues to flow into my accounts. Probably the most sought-after form of passive income is dividends. Welcome…
Passive Income Road Trip #2: Retirement Planning
I woke up today in San Antonio, Texas. I decided to split Texas into three days and two nights of driving. If you didn’t know, Texas is a massive piece of Earth. My friend called me and said I should have driven the 900 miles of Texas in one day. To that, I replied that…
Passive Income Road Trip #1: Financial Mindset
Well, I find myself on another cross-country road trip across America. This time from Pensacola, Florida, to San Diego, California. I am taking a seven-day slow drive to ensure I do my best to arrive safely. This is the fifth time I am making this trip, and I believe I am older and wiser each…
The Emotional Roller Coaster of Debt
I thought I had it all figured out ten years ago. I had 13 years in the Marine Corps under my belt, and I was looking towards the rank of Master Sergeant (E-8). I looked at the pay chart for E-9s over 20 years of service, and the money looked great. If I could reach…
5 Takeaways from “Find Your People”
“Find Your People” by Jennie Allen is a celebration of life, love, and friendship. The book explores why we feel so alone in this modern time. With cell phones and social media, we should feel closer to one another, right? The problem is that we all chase individualism. This love of being alone, living alone,…
America is Expensive: So What Are You Going to do About It?
I spent the last two years away from my family, working in Okinawa, Japan. Finally, I am back home where I belong, but things have changed. I left in August 2020, and today the landscape in America is much different. For one, America is much more expensive. Due to inflation and perhaps a pending recession,…
Is $75,000 a Year The Magic Happiness Number?
The news media often says earning $75,000/year is the magic happiness number for most people. After this number, your happiness level begins to diminish. Here is an article on VeryWellMind.com that refutes the argument. There is a lot of truth to this $75,000 number—my two cents. However, it doesn’t tell the complete story. Today, I…
Education Destroys Creativity
I was a fairly decent student in high school (1995-1999). I graduated with a 4.4-grade point average and immediately joined the United States Marine Corps. Twenty-three years later, I am still in the Corps and finally expressing myself through creativity. But why is it so hard for us to show our creative sides? What changed…
Overcoming Limiting Beliefs 103: Investing in Real Estate
The greatest path to wealth is through real estate. Time will do most of the work if you can get into the market. Over time, home prices appreciate, and rents inflate along with the economy. Many people own homes but are deathly afraid to become real estate investors. However, the truth is that you are…
Happy Financial Independence Day 2
The Fourth of July is a time to celebrate our independence as a country. Americans became free from tyranny in 1776, and we have never looked back. But, as an American, are you free? Do you wake up every morning with zero debt and new money flowing into your account? Chances are you are in…
Being Broke Isn’t Cute part IV: Saving and Investing
I think our bunnies would be proud of us. We recognized that we were broke, figured out why, and slowly paid off our debts. So, since we are debt-free, what’s next? Welcome back to the Being Broke Isn’t Cute series (part I, part II, part III); we go from broke to investors. The answer to…
Being Broke Isn’t Cute part III: Becoming Debt-Free
Whenever I see my bunny rabbits, I get excited about my financial future. This is because these cute bunnies have no worries in the world—something I am trying to achieve. To be carefree and worry-free, we must first make a great effort to overcome financial adversity. Most of us start with financial limitations, whether limiting…
Being Broke Isn’t Cute part II: Getting on the Right Path
Unlike my little bunny rabbits, being broke isn’t cute. Being broke is a struggle that many people face daily, but now is the time to get on track. Welcome back to the Being Broke Isn’t Cute series (Part I), where I discuss how to go from being broke to comfortable. What is the right path?…
5 Takeaways from “3 Secrets to Effective Time Management”
“3 Secrets to Effective Time Management” by Elizabeth Grace Saunders is a must-read for those who struggle with time management. Elizabeth Saunders’ approach to time management is about accomplishing the important things first. It may seem simple, but you must identify what is essential to you BEFORE you start your day. Before she gets into…
Become CEO of Yourself 3
In our quest for financial freedom, the part we most often forget is forging the correct mindset. Truthfully, your mindset is the most critical factor in obtaining great wealth. As much as I love to talk about dividends and rental properties, I continually make it a point to return to a financial mindset. Once I…
Being Broke Isn’t Cute part I: Why Are You Broke?
Aren’t the rabbits on the cover just the cutest things you have ever seen? As I wrote in “The Publishing Chronicles 2: Design Your Own Book Covers,” the inspiration for my writing sometimes comes from images. In this case, I saw four pictures of these cute rabbits and had to write four articles. Do you…
