The giving season has begun! Growing up in Australia, we didn’t celebrate Thanksgiving. Actually, there’s no national holiday even like it down there. After moving to the USA, Thanksgiving quickly became my favorite holiday. This will be my 13th year celebrating! What I love most about this holiday time is seeing everyone actually showing and expressing thanks, together
How to Save Money in College
[My buddy Fiona, a.k.a The Millennial Money Woman is a financial ninja! She graduated college debt-free by working 50-plus hour weeks (on top of her regular class and study work) and earned a Master of Science degree in Personal Financial Planning. She’s also a CFP®, and now helps others take control of their financial lives and achieve financial freedom early in life! All
Bustin’ a Few Myths About the FIRE Movement
For every “movement” where a group of people band together and try to improve their lives, there will always be a handful of nay-sayers trying to discredit the cause. The financial independence FIRE movement has a bunch of these haters. And while some concerns about early retirement might be legitimate, the most common objections I usually hear are myths (or personal limiting
The TINA effect – There Is No Alternative
Have you guys ever heard of this thing called the Tina Effect? I just learned about it and found it really interesting. It might shed some light on why sometimes the stock market rises, even when global growth slows down. Kind of like now, in this weird pandemic! Fun fact: Apparently “Tina” is also a slang word for crystal meth! But, we’re not talking about that today - drug
Net Worth Report #2 – “One Little Duck”
Before getting to the net worth update, 2 quick things to share... The first is a comment I received last month from a reader, Max S.: “Good Morning Joel.. I finally did my first net worth report. After all that time hearing JMoney telling us readers to track our net worth I just never got around to it. Seeing your first net worth report motivated me to do my first report.
How I Appealed My Ridiculous Property Taxes
Last week I got my property tax bill. $5,185. Booooooo. Many counties across Texas decided that 2020 was a good time to increase everyone’s assessed property value, raising bills by a whopping 10 - 20% for the tax year. It’s a kick in the groin... Because not only are many people under a financial squeeze this year, Texas was already ranked #3 for states with the highest
How To Save Money on Heating… and Other Wacky Ideas to Stay Warm!
A news publication reached out to me recently asking for a quote on how to save money on heating costs this winter... So I responded with the first tip that came to my mind → “Grab your partner, take off all your clothes, get under the covers and press your naked bodies against each other. It’s the cheapest and fastest way to warm up!” They didn’t find it as funny as I did.
Living a Stealth Wealth Lifestyle
A few years ago, I went into my local bank branch to do a wire transfer. I wrote my name on the check-in sheet and helped myself to a free cup of coffee in the waiting area. After a few minutes, a well-groomed young fellow in a suit and tie came over to greet me. As he reached to shake my hand, I noticed his eyes looking me up and down, studying my old t-shirt, dirty jeans,
Starting a side hustle food blog, while keeping a full-time job!
[Are you a foodie? Want to start a side hustle blogging about it?! Today's guest Brett started his blog FoodTruckEmpire.com in 2014 and has grown and maintained it even with regular full-time employment! Brett shares what it's really like running a food blog on the side, annual revenue numbers, ups and downs, and advice on starting this type of business if it's something you'd
How and When to Hire a Property Manager for Your Real Estate Rental
Since I live in California and all my real estate rentals are in Texas, I heavily rely on property managers to look after the day-to-day landlord responsibilities. I get asked about this a lot… Who manages the properties? How do you find a good property manager? What stuff do they handle, and is it all worth the cost? This post is a brain dump of everything I know about
