Every business, no matter how large or small, can be compared to a lemonade stand. This simple concept has been the foundation for teaching my son, who is now 7 years old, about money. Ever since he was 4, he has been setting up his lemonade stand, and over the years, it has grown more…
I had an unexpected but enlightening conversation with a close friend the other day, and it made me rethink how I’m raising my twin daughters. I’ve always thought of compliments as a way to build confidence and show love, especially as a dad. I tell my girls all the time that they’re beautiful, and I…
I want to be a good dad and I try hard to be one. It’s not easy but I try to be present. I love my kids and my wife very much. Nearly my entire motivation for wanting to retire early is to have time to spend with them, and to just be present. That’s…
Not long ago, dads taught their kids the simple skills life required. Some were directly taught, others were picked up by example. Now? Many of those basics are missing, and younger adults are paying for it, often without even knowing it. This gallery breaks down the basic life skills dads once passed down, and what…
There’s a reason life feels harder than it used to. It’s not just inflation or rent, it’s the fact that a lot of people hit adulthood without knowing how to actually be an adult. Boomers and schools dropped the ball on passing down the basics, and now we’re watching Gen Z and even some Millennials…
Some jobs don’t just take your time, they drain your energy, patience, and eventually, your relationships. A long shift might pay the bills, but it can also chip away at your marriage in ways that don’t show up on a paycheck. This list is built on data pulled from the American Community Survey, analyzed through…
You ever meet someone who just gets how money works, even at a young age? That’s not luck. That’s parenting. Wealthy parents don’t just hand over cash, they hand over mindset, habits, and systems that shape how their kids see work, money, and life. So what do rich parents teach that poor parents usually don’t?…
In my teens I developed a plan to try to buy myself an early retirement so I could spend that time with my children and wife that I didn’t yet have. The phrase Financial Independence Retire Early didn’t exist, but the path to it did. Unlike other FIRE experts online, Finance Experts in real life,…
Raising kids isn’t what makes life expensive. The choices we make around them do. Most of the stress isn’t from parenting. It’s from money decisions that never made sense in the first place. Why should you listen to me? I’m a Chartered Financial Analyst who retired at 42. I also have three young kids, so…
Kids aren’t too young to understand money, they’re just not being shown how it actually works. Most schools don’t teach it, and most parents wait too long. But the truth is, kids are more than capable of earning, saving, and building smart habits early. Money lessons don’t have to be boring or complicated. They can…
Teaching financial skills early isn’t optional anymore, it’s essential. Kids are surrounded by ads, digital payments, and peer pressure before they even hit middle school. If they don’t learn how money works now, they’ll pay for it later, literally. This post breaks down 25 simple, real-life ways to help kids get smart with money. Each…
Raising kids will stretch you, but it doesn’t have to wreck your wallet. I’ve got three of my own, and I can tell you, it’s not the kids that get expensive. It’s the decisions we make around them. According to national data, families spend approximately $27,000 on education-related costs between preschool and high school. That…
Financial freedom doesn’t happen by chance, it happens through choices. Every decision you make sets the tone for your future. I know this because I’ve walked the talk. In my teens, I mapped out an early retirement strategy. Throughout my 20s and 30s I made it happen. Then, I retired at 42. Now, I spend…
Money is everywhere, but most people have no clue how to handle it. Just look around, grown adults drowning in debt, stuck in the paycheck-to-paycheck grind, wondering why they’re always broke. The problem isn’t a lack of money. It’s a lack of financial education. And guess what? The school system won’t save your kid. It…
529 plans are way more flexible than people realize, and if you know the rules, there are smart ways to use those funds without getting hit with penalties. Considering that as of June 2024, there were 16.8 million 529 plan accounts in the U.S., holding a total of $508 billion in savings, it’s clear this…
When I was a teenager, I made a life-changing decision. I decided I wanted to retire young, not because I dreamed of lounging on beaches or traveling the world, but because I wanted to be an engaged dad. My motivation came from my childhood and the complicated relationship I had with my own father. My…
