Tag: Financial Independence
Keep Your Writing Top of Mind: How to Maintain Eyeballs on Your Articles Over Time
Writing is the grind of a lifetime. To be a successful writer, you must write. There is no better advertisement for a book than your next book. I adore writing and find it a challenging aspect of my daily routine. I’ve been writing every day for almost three years, which has helped me amass 1,200…
5 Signs That Your City is Too Expensive For You?
We all want to live a life of luxury, right? We don’t turn on the television (or YouTube) to watch people struggling in poverty. No, we want to envision ourselves walking down Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills with bags full of expensive clothes. We cruise the strip in our luxury two-door convertible coupe. How exciting.…
Generation Quit: Being a Leader in the New Workplace
I’ve been in the military for 24 years and have seen a lot of change. If you consider yourself a leader, you will need to understand the new generation to navigate your team to success effectively. Yes, I used the word leader, not manager or supervisor. Very few consider themselves leaders because it is challenging…
Hustle Culture: How to Replace the Pension and 401K Mindset
The new shift to an entrepreneurial mindset is leaving most people behind. America was once a land of pioneers, innovators, and business people. However, the industrial revolution brought us out of the farms and small towns and into the city. Then, corporations and governments introduced the pension system. The pensions were lavish. Defined benefits, or…
I Heart Income Investing: The Joys of Portable Income
I will retire this year after 24 years of faithful service in the US Marine Corps. I will walk away with a good-sized retirement check, but I will have something else. I will still have $1,600 per month in dividends flowing into my accounts. I can do whatever I want with this money because it’s…
There is No Work-Life Balance Until You Are Wealthy
If you hear a successful person tell you to reduce your grind, take it with a grain of salt. Your chances of becoming successful without grinding are slim-to-none. Why are these successful business people, entrepreneurs, leaders, and content creators telling you to slow down? They say things like “work-life balance” and “mental health” because these…
Envision Your Life Without a Paycheck: Start Building Your Income Today
Boy, does it feel good to get a paycheck, especially when you can spend most of your money on yourself. This fantastic feeling is a trap that takes years or even lifetimes to overcome. Two years ago, I wrote, “How Would Your Life Look Without a Paycheck.” I have spent the last two years asking…
Writer’s Workflow Comparison: M1 Macbook Air vs GalaxyBook3 Pro 360
As creatives, we spend a lot of our time perfecting our workflow. In fact, if we have a poorly optimized section in our workflow, it causes resistance. I spent $1,800 on a Samsung GalaxyBook3 Pro 360 (affiliate) yesterday for a very unique use case. My Apple M1 Macbook Air (affiliate) is still the battery champ…
Time is Money #2: Save By Adding Value in the Present
Have you ever wondered why people save money? We all believe we have the answer, but it is still worth a deeper dive. We recently explored debt and how it keeps you focused on the past. Now it’s time to focus on today, which reduces much of our stress. What is saving? Most people think…
Fundrise vs. US Treasuries: Chase Yield Outside of The Stock Market
The average person avoids the stock market like the plague. Too many horror stories exist about people losing it all gambling on the stock market. Investing in the stock market has become a limiting belief, but wonderful alternatives exist. When the stock market tanks, you will want some assets that can still perform well. Today,…
You Can Now Skip Car Loan Payments: Don’t Skip Your Car Loan Payments!
I logged in to pay my monthly car payment and received a strange notification. I could now skip my car payment for a $25 fee. The implications of this type of program are far-reaching. In essence, it’s a payday loan. Keep in mind that this came from a Federal Credit Union—the supposed good guys. The…
5 Takeaways from “The 1-Page Marketing Plan”
“The 1-Page Marketing Plan” by Allan Dib walks us through the sales funnel of a successful business. A business thrives on acquiring new leads, warming them up, selling to them, and finally re-selling to them. Successful businesses don’t do any of this passively, however. Marketing needs to be at the forefront of your business operations.…
No Freakin’ Way I Am Working Another 25 Years part 3
Another year, another birthday. I turned 42 less than a week ago, and I feel great! My life couldn’t be any better, even if I tried. I started writing this series in 2021 (part 1, part 2). I had just turned 40 and realized that the American society wanted me to work until age 65.…
Open a Bookstore with Your Own Books
Are you a prolific independent writer? Do you want to become a prolific independent writer? Writing is a fantastic skill set that will never lose its value. Independent authorship has come a long way, and you can write, release, and market your own books without a publishing house. I love writing (that’s why I do…
Investing for Interest 111: CD Ladders vs. Treasury Ladders
Do you prefer saving over investing? Do you want to maximize the rates on your high-yield emergency fund? The Federal Reserve has said that interest rates will be “higher for longer,” meaning that savers can earn a respectable amount of interest income. But which route will you take for your savings allocations? There are many…
Beware of Fake Passive Income Claims: True Passive Income is Challenging to Achieve
It takes 10,000 hours to create a reliable income stream. Depending on your daily habits, that timeline can range from five to ten years. With this knowledge in hand, be very wary of anyone claiming to have found the secret to quick passive income. The only passive income that matters is in your money system.…
Treasury Bonds vs Municipal Bonds: Federal vs State Tax Advantages
A true marker of a wealthy mindset is the passion for reducing taxes. Often rich people receive grief because they want to lower or eliminate their tax bills. They usually receive this hate from the lower or middle class, who pay a large percentage of their income to the government. However, rich people pay the…
Run a Mentoring Program Toward Passive Income
Mentorship is dead. I wrote as such over two years ago, and things have only declined since then. Fewer and fewer people will make it in today’s world. What does “make it” mean? That means having a successful career, personal relationships, passive income, and happiness. If you have your life “somewhat” together, there are people…
Becoming an Entrepreneur #3: Solving Other People’s Problems
Every business exists to solve a problem. Running a business is not a hobby or a way to pass the time; it is an exchange of time, energy, money, and attention. As a budding entrepreneur, you must understand the problem you intend to solve. Of course, you’ll start with a vague idea, but your goal…
Time is Money #1: Debt is a Function of the Past
Most of us don’t understand the devious nature of debt until it’s too late. We believe debt helps us get what we want—when we want. In reality, debt is sucking life from our souls. The more debt we have, the more we are tied to our jobs, lifestyles, and cities. Today, I want to get…
