Tag: free-pdf-book
Pursue Your Creative Career with Dividends as a Backdrop
Our hearts crave creativity and expressing ourselves in the public eye. As kids, we loved to paint, color, and write; we loved to dream. As we grew older, the world became about earning money and finding a career we could use to support ourselves. I spent 24 years in the military, a great profession indeed.…
How to Determine Your Bare Bones Budget: The First Step to Living on Passive Income
The single most essential part of retiring early comfortably is determining your Bare Bones Budget (BBB). Without a BBB, you’ll always feel you must work to pay all of your bills. What is a Bare Bones Budget? A Bear Bones Budget is the minimum amount of money your household needs to thrive every month. Notice…
Your Wealth is Your Choice: You Have More Control Than You Think
We are moving towards scary times. Student loan payments are returning, rents are increasing, home insurance is sky-high, and food costs are outrageous. The world is applying pressure to the average American household, and things may look bleak. What’s the typical American supposed to do to beat the odds? When all else fails, return to…
Side Hustle: The Gig Economy vs. Entrepreneurship
We are moving into hard times and must all find ways to make extra cash. However, we need to be very intentional with how we spend our time. The term “side hustle” can mean many things when it comes to making money outside of your regular job. I want to explore which type of side…
How to Make $100 a Month in Passive Income
Passive income is very elusive in that it does not start very passively. You must contribute a certain amount of work to build a passive income stream. However, once you get the hang of it, you can create as many income streams as you can maintain. Passive income is a mindset more than an amount…
Welcome to the Elite Savers of America: Save $10,000 in Your HYSA
Do you find saving money to be a difficult task? Do you need help keeping cash in your accounts? Well, it’s time to commit to saving money for your future. Welcome to the Elite Savers of America (ESA), where we value saving our money in a High-Yield Savings Account (HYSA) to protect our futures from…
Investing for Interest 116: Series “I” Bonds vs. Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities
We all must position our money to beat inflation. We can do this by investing in dividends, real estate, royalties, and businesses. Once we start earning additional cash, we must invest it into securities that also attempt to beat inflation. Two safe government-sponsored inflation-beating products are Series “I” Bonds and Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS). Financial…
Investing for Interest 115: Tips for Buying T.I.P.S.
Writing this article on Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS) took me over a year because they are incredibly complex and tough to understand. Over the last year, I have come to understand them more; however, I have yet to become an expert. I will direct you to others who have even more guidance about TIPS. I…
The Road to Homeownership #3: Saving for the Down Payment
So you crunched the numbers and controlled your emotions; it’s now time to get your new house. But, there is still one major roadblock—the down payment. Welcome back to the Road to Homeownership series (Part #1, Part #2), where we move into the house of our dreams. What is a down payment? The bank will…
Life Begins at the Edge of Your Comfort Zone: Time to Take Control of Your Destiny
Every day in retirement is a gift—an amazing blessing from the heavens. However, these wonderful moments weren’t just given to my wife and I; we created them. You have to create the life of your dreams. At the intersection of knowledge and effort comes luck. To find your life, you must put yourself out there.…
My First Day of Retirement: It’s Time to Live
Can life truly be this good? I finally retired from the Marine Corps after 24 years, and yesterday was my first complete day away. It was a fantastic day. I accomplished so many things that I’ll just list them instead of discussing them. I did all this at my own pace without any rushing or…
Financial Freedom Road Trip #4: Creative Writing
I drove for almost 10 hours today by combining two days of travel into one. What can I say? I am ready to get back to my wife and kids, who are two days away. I drove from Fort Stockton, Texas, to Lake Charles, Louisiana, roughly 652 miles. I decided to drive the extra distance…
Financial Freedom Road Trip #3: Rental Income
It’s always amazing to see the lights at night in El Paso, Texas. I can see an ocean of lights from my hotel as I overlook Juarez, Mexico. El Paso is a unique city that has its own sense of identity. I usually stay in Las Cruces, Mexico, because it is much smaller and quieter,…
Financial Freedom Road Trip #2: Options Trading
This is my sixth time driving between San Diego, California, and Pensacola, Florida. And this will be my last time doing it as a US Marine. Arriving in Tucson, Arizona, is always a welcome feeling. Again, I love the desert more than any other environment, and Tucson has that old-school Western vibe. Welcome back to…
Financial Freedom Road Trip #1: Dividend Investing
After one year of living in San Diego, I am back on the road again. I came to San Diego to continue my Marine Corps career, dreaming of doing 30 years. But after three years away from my family (2 in Japan, 1 in SD), it was time to hang up my green uniform—24 years…
The Road to Homeownership #2: Reducing Emotions
Purchasing a home is one of the most emotional experiences of your life. The process will send you to the highs of the mountains and the lows of the valleys. I would never suggest removing emotions entirely from the process; however, reducing your feelings to make sound decisions throughout the journey is a great idea.…
The Road to Homeownership #1: Crunching the Numbers
Although homeownership may seem out of reach today, you’ll still need to know how to buy a home effectively. Yes, there is a right way and a wrong way to buy a home. I own three houses, and my track record is spotty. My first home was a financial disaster (score 20 of 100). My…
Don’t Gamble with Retirement 11
There couldn’t be a better time to release Don’t Gamble with Retirement 11. I will retire from the Marine Corps in 10 days after 24 years of service. I will not work another job, instead relying on the principles of passive income to increase my revenue every year. But, I didn’t always understand passive income…
Five Ways to Make Rental Income Without Owning Rental Properties
The real estate market is tougher than ever. It is difficult for the average person to buy a primary residence, let alone own rental properties. I own two rental properties, and it’s safe to say that they are a pain in the rear end. Being a landlord is not for most people. However, everyone’s goal…
Investing for Interest 114: Individual Treasury Bonds vs. Treasury Bond Funds
Investing in bonds was nearly impossible for 15 years (2008-2022). The Federal Reserve kept interest rates low to spur the economy meaning bond yields were abysmal (1-2%). However, the Federal Funds Rate is above 5% currently, and bonds are back to being a good source of safe yields. Now we must decide the best ways…
