Finance

This month, I joined a book club that’s part of my local real estate investors group. They’ve been supportive about building the cabin in Arkansas, finding funding to rebuild the house in Memphis, and have given me lots of ideas about how to acquire more real estate.

I went to Arkansas to get well + septic installed on the land, put gravel down on the little road, and cleared a site for the future build. I’m looking into DSCR loans and investor financing for some houses near my other properties.

Anyway, I didn’t expect the first book club book to be all that much. I mean, I’ve read tons of similar ones over the years. I don’t know if it’s the group aspect or if it’s just really finding me at the right time — probably both — but 10x Is Easier Than 2x is inspiring me right now.

The premise is that you do things because you want them, NOT because you need them, and that creates simplified focus. That’s currently blowing my mind. I’ve been thinking about what I want and why a lot this month. My biggest factors are all things you can probably guess:

• Have control over my time.
• Not be dependent on outside employers for money and health insurance.
• Spend more time with my kids.
• Make more art (write, paint, dabble in music).
• Create long-lasting assets that I can pass along and have fun along the way.

And as I get into the final stretch of my $500,000 goal, what I want is leading me toward all of this.

June 2025 Freedom update

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Talk about a recovery. As of today, I’m up $46,000 vs. last month and a hair’s breadth of 75% to my $500,000 goal.

Real estate stuff: The cabin isn’t happening. Update 5/16/25: Yes it is!

It’s not a “never,” but a “not right now.” Long story short, the zoning office was requiring that I pave a 20-foot road, complete with curb, gutter, and fire hydrant, and were throwing the book at me about it. Update 5/16/25: They dropped this requirement. Now all I have to do is get approval for the septic and well from the county. 

Now, I probably could’ve fought it, but, tbh… I have so many other things going on that I’ll just move on to another project.

Update 5/16/25: So I made one extra call an said, “REALLY?!” and they dug into it an found some old ordinance exemption and that was that. Permit fee is only $60. 

Home prices are dropping. It’s to the point where buying a house may be cheaper than continuing to rent, or at least a wash. I applied for a mortgage today and will look at a few houses over the weekend.

One way or another, I’m making some real estate deals happen within the current environment. But for now, I’m enjoying the progress and trust — I’m planning future moves. Maybe literally (within the same school district bc #suburbandadlife).

May 2025 Freedom update

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Note: I pulled these numbers before “Liberation Day,” so I’m sure they’re much lower now. 

I’m going to do 5 more of these updates, and then let them go. So after this one, 4 more — and end it one year after the date I originally set, which was August 2024.

Instead, we’ll end in August 2025. Not bad, considering the current state of the world and atrocious stock market.

So did I do it? Did I reach my goal? Not quite yet. But I have enough on the way that it’s inevitable. I feel secure, like I will have enough and so will the kids.

And while losing a job or income source would sting, it wouldn’t be the end of the world. When I account for the things that are happening, my net worth is comfortably over $500,000, which was the goal all along. So while I’m not wanting to count the chicks before they hatch, there’s enough that it will all work out and all be OK.

All that to say, I’m marking the goal as “COMPLETE” in August 2025… and will update again when I hit $1M.

April 2025 Freedom update

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The comments on last month’s update hit me hard, particularly this one about taking on a Sisyphean task.

They got me thinking about money and tools and this whole journey I’m on. And a lot of things snapped:

• I pulled $40,000 in contributions from my Roth IRA.
• Paid off one of those pesky credit cards (and all lingering credit card debt!)
• Bought a house from a tax sale
• Set up a future inheritance with an attorney

And can I just say how much LIGHTER I feel? How much that was needed?

And yeah, it burned to let some of those investment funds go. But as I was driving around one cold, sunny morning, I realized it was so worth it — and now I have so much to look forward to.

February 2025 Freedom update

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I need to get this out before January slips away. There’s never enough tiiime.

I feel like I’m getting into debt again, like I can’t make enough cash, and the expenses of everyday life keep piling up. Grocery prices are insane, and everything is a “thing.” And there aren’t enough hours in the day.

Can I get paid for being a good dad and playing with my kids? Unfortunately not.

I keep thinking I can turn Points Hub into something, but people don’t seem to want to participate, and researching community-building is exhausting. I work during the day, look up, and it’s 3pm. The final hour before Warren gets off the school bus at 4pm.

From there, 5pm to 8pm is the march to dinner/bath/bed, and if I’m lucky, I have maybe one more hour before I absolutely crash out.

I truly admire those parents that can side hustle. I know it’s just a patch/season of life/all that good stuff.

The stock market was meh this past month, so I’m hovering around the $350K mark much like I was hovering around the $300K mark for what felt like years.

Slow and steady wins the race?

January 2025 Freedom update

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These days are so fast and so slow at the same time. It feels like they fly by, and I never get nearly as much done as I’d like.

Add to that shorter days of less daylight, and it’s nearly a sunk cost. Despite it, I’m up nearly $14,000 this month and striking distance of $400,000 toward my $500,000 goal — as of now, I’m 71% of the way there. That seems… close.

After hovering around the $300,000 mark for what felt like foreverrr, the stock market is picking up wind. I bit the bullet and used a balance transfer offer on an existing card that’s good until March 2026, so that gives me 15 full months to catch up on my credit cards.

That’s slow going, too. I feel like I spend as much as I earn, and that’s with side hustles and a pretty healthy income otherwise. Having three kids is no joke, and the grocery bills… well. How are berries so expensive?!

December 2024 Freedom update

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Lord love me, I am not known for my brevity in writing, but this should be a pretty quick update. It’s been a long week with Halloween, the time change, the election, and getting ready for a work trip next week.

Since I pulled the latest numbers on Tuesday night, the stock market has rallied for the last two days (it’s now Thursday night), and my overall net worth is now over $350,000. This turnaround has already given me momentum to close the last $150,000 gap to a $500,000 net worth goal.

November 2024 Freedom update

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A lot’s happened this month! Our house was befallen with strep throat, Beck turned two, Warren had his first sleepover at his grandma’s house, many school events and birthday parties, and lots of running around.

I also got into couponing at CVS and Walgreens and upgraded my extra phone to the new Pixel 9 Pro—it’s really zippy!

I also got through lingering expenses that put me directly on the path to clearing up my credit card debt, and then into saving. It’s going to take some time, but it’s finally here, so my complete financial focus is on resolving this debt so I can save and invest.

I imagine this is how I’ll close out 2024 and ring in 2025. And it that’s the case, I’m thrilled. It’s now Q4. I’m ready to make some progress and get to the New Year!

October 2024 Freedom update

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I’m currently at 67.2% of my $500,000 goal. My previous net worth peak was $363,002, and this month I’m at $335,872. I’m tired of being at this level, though I’ve been mostly at the mercy of the stock market. I’m to the point where I’ll do whatever it takes to get over the $400,000 hump and into the home stretch to $500,000.

I’ve been working nights and weekends to freelance, pay down credit cards, and get my savings built up.

Something about turning 40 last week lit a fire under my butt. I’m over the halfway mark and ready to push through this last 30% or so that’s left.

You think I can do it by August 2025? That would divide to about $14,000 a month for the next 12 months. That sounds like a lot, but then again, I’m up nearly $17,000 this month alone. But a lot of it is the stock market, which I can’t control. So now I’m working on producing as much as I can—which I can control—to clear this hurdle that’s been in the works for a few years now.

I’m proud of my goal and progress so far, and now I’m beyond ready for the final phase.

September 2024 Freedom update

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August 2024. This date has been in my mind for a long time as the original goal date to accumulate a $500,000 net worth. Now it’s here—and my net worth is still hovering around the $300,000 mark. ‍

This date was set because of my 40th birthday, coming up in a couple of weeks. Back then, I didn’t know I would move, buy and sell two houses, be a digital nomad for a stretch, or have three kiddos. And who could’ve predicted a pandemic in the middle of everything?

Despite many ups and downs (this month AND in the last few years), I’m in good spirits.

I have a lot to report and process this month, so let’s get crack-a-lackin’.

August 2024 Freedom update

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What a month already! A week ago, I was laid off from my job. It was my second layoff in as many years, just when I was starting to feel like I was doing well in the position. Oh well—it lasted a year. So that was how June ended.

It was a particularly nasty layoff: the kind you hear so much about on LinkedIn these days. I was shocked/sad/mad for about a day, then decided to move on. Easy come, easy go.

While I look for the next thing, I decided to go full force into creating a points, miles, and travel rewards community packed with info, courses, events, and more. I announced Points Hub on Friday. As of today (Monday), many members joined with a Pro Lifetime membership, which showed me how crucial this resource will be for so many people.

I’m still applying to full-time jobs on the side. I’m also making outlines for courses, adding info, and building the community at Points Hub. It’s just getting started, but already a blast. Come on in!

Also, spoiler alert, this is kind of an anti-update because, uh… no income at the moment. But this journey has its own life, so let’s see what’s up.

July 2024 Freedom update

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Now that the dust has settled on the house sale, I can more fully take “stock” of my financial situation. I’ve been stressed about it for a few weeks, but ready to lay it out in gleaming detail.

Turns out, months of two housing payments, moving a house full of stuff across two states, and the birth of a child will really put a dent in your short-term financial goals.

I put a lot of expenses onto two 0% APR credit cards, figuring I’d use the money from the sale to pay them down. Well, I barely touched them before the money was gone from other things (which I detailed in the last two updates).

But it’s good! I have a few months to figure out how I want to approach everything and in the meanwhile, I’ve completely retooled my midyear goals now that we’re halfway through 2024.

June 2024 Freedom update

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