Category: MISC
Meet your special person: Family Values
Many of our single friends wonder how Kris and I got lucky enough to find each other. Yes, that night we were lucky to be in the same place at the same time. However, after 16 years, it is anything but luck that has kept us together. It is love, hard work, and commitment. Commitment…
Meet your special person: Core Values
Kris and I have been married for over 14 years. On our journey, we have met many divorced people, as well as, couples who have decided to get divorced after we met them. We end up sending a lot of our time with friends who are single and looking. But how do you find that…
When should you teach your kids about investing?
Now. Now. Now. No matter the age. This is a lifestyle. Most of us older generation folks were taught to get paid, pay your bills, save a little of what is left, and pray you somehow get retired. Investing is a departure from this. The mantra “Pay yourself first” is somewhat correct. It should be…
Portfolio Update: Bonds #1
Bonds are an important portion of my investment strategy of high yield savings, bonds, stocks, and real estate. I will review my bond portfolio that is invested via TreasuryDirect.gov. I also invest in bonds via electronic traded funds (ETFs) on the stock market. However, I consider them stocks because they behave like stocks. My treasurydirect.gov…
Start Investing: Bonds
Bonds are debt obligations from a government, a municipal, or a company. You usually pay a certain amount for the bond. The entity will then pay you interest at different payments for the duration of the bond. Once the bond has matured, you get the face value of the bond back. For instance, I prefer…
Why do we kick our kids out at 18 years old?
My Dad always told me, “At 18 you’re a man, and you will be out of the house.” It seems that my job at 18 was to prove that I can make it in the real world. And so I did. I joined the United States Marine Corps and became a Master Gunnery Sergeant, which…
How a military retirement can help build family wealth
Our blog is all about building family wealth. A lot of us come from humble beginnings and we want to be able to create a world full of more options for our children. Here is how military retirement can help. Truly passive income. Military retirement is one of the most passive types of income. Once…
How to invest in Real Estate without buying a home: Fundrise
Kris and I own 3 real estate properties. We are able to leverage our real estate assets to generate income. However, I still like to have real estate in my investment portfolio. I use a company called Fundrise. I started investing in September 2019. You have to invest $1000 to get into the program. Fundrise…
We own 3 homes and someone pays all of our mortgages
I am a firm believer that renting out rooms is the ultimate life hack. It takes some getting used to and it is not for everyone. But if you can pull it off, it has almost unlimited potential. It is a great way to generate income and build wealth. Here is how we leverage rentals…
Our streams of Income
Now it is time to dig into our streams of income. I will go over them in the form of earned income, business income, and investment income. This is how much we make from working our day jobs. I also teach military seminars on the side. It pays $35 an hour. I work roughly 5…
The 3 types of Income
In order to truly understand how to live a comfortable life, you have to understand the 3 types of income. I will go over the 3 types of income and then go over why it is important to leverage all 3. Earned Income: This is your daily, 9 – 5 style job. You do a…
Minimalism with a family?
Can you be a minimalist as family? I would say, the best advice is to try. Kris and I both grow up without a lot of money, so for a while accumulating stuff was part of our programming. When you don’t grow up with much you tend to want to gather stuff. But over the…
Is Turkey a good tourist destination?
In my opinion yes. I think you have to be careful wherever you go. Kris and I traveled to Turkey in the summer of 2019. It was a totally amazing time. We traveled through Istanbul into Didim. We went via bus which took 14 hours. I actually enjoyed seeing the countryside along the bus route.…
What’s on my Cash App July 12, 2020
Cash App blog #1. I just found out that Cash App allows you to purchase stocks. I already have 3 brokerage accounts (Wells Fargo, Stash, and Charles Schwab) however Cash App has a great selection of Electronic Traded Funds and allows you to buy them in super small increments. So I can put $1 into…
Should you join the military for travel?
Yes. Yes. And more Yes. I joined the military in 1999. At the time, I had never been on an airplane before. I joined from San Diego, and my boot camp was in San Diego, so they but me on a bus to Marine Corps Recruit Depot. After advanced infantry training in Camp Pendleton, Ca,…
Should you go Officer or Enlisted?
It all comes down to personal preference. You will make a lot more money as an officer, but you will be in a completely different society than enlisted. If you envision yourself as a person of the people, that enjoys hanging out with the team as you work, and more of a relaxed individual, enlisted…
Building Family Wealth: Real Estate
Real Estate is the easiest investment vehicle to understand. However, it is also the hardest to get into. Right now, Kris and I have 3 homes. One in Arizona and two in Florida. My lovely mother also said she will leave us her home in Arizona as well. The best feeling in the world is…
Building Family Wealth: Stocks
Stocks are how people get rich and stay rich. When building an investment portfolio, you have to define how you want to grow your money. The two methods of thinking are not very similar, so you need to understand the difference. You have growth investing and dividend investing. Growth investing basically has a person investing…
Building Family Wealth: Bonds
Bonds are the cornerstone of any investment portfolio. I personally like US Treasuries that you can buy at TreasuryDirect.gov. I have a growing bond portfolio consisting of 30-year bonds, I bonds, and EE bonds. On top of leaving my bonds to our kids, we also are building a bond portfolio under or kids’ names. Why…
The Kris and Josh Story
Kris is the love of my life! We met back in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan in 2004. I was working at the US Embassy as a Marine Security Guard. We meet out in town and within a week or so, I was totally in love with her. She spoke absolutely no English when we met. After dating…
