It's Worth Your Wage - A Guide to a Fresh Start!

  #46 - 05/21/2025 Run Your Own Race: Why Chasing Others Won’t Lead to Your Success As I’m sitting here on what I call an admin day—a once-a-month productivity habit where I sort mail, review finances, follow up on goals, and reset my systems—I’m reminded of how powerful it is to just stop. Not slow down. Stop. No phone in hand. No distractions. Just me, a spreadsheet, and a brutally honest check-in with myself: Am I still running my race? Or did I start chasing someone else’s finish line without realizing it? Because if you’re not clear on your goals, you’ll always find yourself drifting into someone else’s. You either run your own race, or you chase someone else’s definition of success. The Danger of Constant Comparison If you’re wondering how to stop comparing yourself to others, start here: realize how easy it is to do it without knowing you are. Comparison rarely starts as envy. Sometimes it looks like motivation—until you realize you're measuring your progress using someone...

       #45 - 4/20/2025 Building a Passive Income System through Flipping & Resale How a Spreadsheet, a Friendship, and Facebook Marketplace Sparked a Growing Side Hustle Ecosystem Introduction: From eBay to Ecosystem If you’ve ever Googled "how to generate passive income," flipping and reselling items almost always make the list. What many don’t realize is that building a passive income system through resale takes more than just listing items — it requires structure, strategy, and the right mindset. Back in the early 2000s, I jumped on the eBay wave using dial-up internet, selling household items to make some extra cash. Fast forward two decades, and I'm slowly building a Facebook Marketplace ecosystem with my closest friend — and this time, it's much more intentional. The Early Days: Hustling on eBay I started selling out of necessity. With a military background and a budding career, every extra dollar counted. I bought a scale, shipping materials, and bega...

#44 - 3/23/2025 The 50/30/20 Rule: A Simple and Powerful Budgeting Strategy for Financial Success Managing your finances effectively is one of the most crucial steps toward achieving financial freedom. Yet, for many people, creating a budget can feel overwhelming. That’s where the 50/30/20 rule comes in. This simple and straightforward budgeting strategy helps individuals and families allocate their income in a way that promotes financial security and growth. By breaking your income into three categories—needs, wants, and savings—the 50/30/20 rule makes it easier to manage your spending and plan for the future. If you’re looking for a practical and proven way to control your finances, this budgeting method could be the solution you need. The 50/30/20 rule was popularized by Elizabeth Warren, a Harvard Law School professor, and her daughter, Amelia Warren Tyagi, in their 2005 book All Your Worth: The Ultimate Lifetime Money Plan. The book introduced this rule as a way to help people man...