https://youtu.be/fPMFQl1drjI In my latest video, I went over how to organize your personal finance documents. My system is completely paperless, but here is a list of documents you should never shred. Academic records (Transcripts, Diplomas, Certifications) Adoption...

Today I want to talk about saving money on smartphones.The Samsung Galaxy Fold is being listed for sale at the price of a whopping $1980! Cellphones have become unaffordable. They cost more than computers, which can do so much more. But people are willing to pay for...

How much do you make? How much does someone else doing the same job as you make? How do you know you are being paid a fair wage for your skill and for the amount of time you’ve been at your current job? Have you ever wondered this?Because money isn’t something people...

Hi everyone,A couple months back, my friend had to get a Td vaccine to get some paperwork filled out. His university’s health center didn’t offer it, so we had to look elsewhere. The medical clinic filling out the paperwork recommended we go to the City of Lubbock...

Hi everyone,One of my blog readers, Kelly, encouraged me to start investing my money in an IRA a few months back. I was reluctant because I felt like a complete amateur when it comes to investments. I felt scared of losing my money, as I worked hard to make and save...

Hi everyone,I haven’t written this newsletter in a while. For the past three months, Handrio and I have been on the road. We drove from Texas to New York to stay with my parents, and then went back and forth between NYC and Boston looking for an apartment and job. We...

Greetings everyone!Several years back, my parents told me a news story that I still think about from time to time. A landlord had given a prospective tenant an apartment tour. The tenant signed the lease, paid one month’s rent and security deposit, and got the keys. A...

Today I want to share with you an idea I got from my dear friend Robert Guddahl a few years ago. One day, Robert and I were talking on the phone. I asked him what he was doing. He responded, “Just swimming in my pool.” I thought he lived in an apartment. How could he...

I drove to Ciudad Juarez in Mexico and back earlier this month, and I’m alive! I went there by myself and am glad I made it back in one piece. I was not prepared for how scared I would feel driving alone. Going through the Guadalupe Mountains, there were no gas...

Sauna. That’s what our Honda Civic sedan felt like in the Texas heat last summer. We used a windshield cover and parked in the shade when possible, but it still wasn’t enough to combat the heat. We’d been planning to tint the windows before the summer season starts. I...

How great would it be if we could all make money in our sleep? Assuming Bill Gates slept 7 hours last night, he made $9.66 million in his sleep. Bill Gates makes so much money that if he were to drop a $100.00 bill on the ground, it wouldn’t be worth his time to pick...

Location. Location. Location.Where you live can make or break your bank. When deciding where to live, I argue that these factors should top the list: Location relative to your work.Location relative to your grocery outlet.Cost.Commutes are time, money, and soul...

Hi everyone,Handrio got accepted into a Ph.D. program at Boston University. We will be moving to Boston in late August. I'm excited because the sky's the limit for my future income! Lubbock's low and stagnant wages means I work four jobs right now.While I'm excited to...

"In this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes." Benjamin Franklin was right, but he never said you must hire a third party to do your taxes. According to the IRS, the majority of Americans do not do their own taxes. Instead, they use...

Orgasmic. That's the greatest word to describe my non-sexual, unhealthy obsession with saving money. For years, I saved 50 cents out of every dollar I earned. Now that I'm married and need my husband's approval on finances, I've compromised down to 25 cents.I am the...

In 2014, Movoto ranked Lubbock as the absolute most boring city in America. Although Lubbock is a small city, it doesn't have the hustle and bustle energy. There's not much to do besides eating, drinking, and going to church. Everything closes at 9:00 p.m. and during...

It's been four months since I started my 18 Month College Challenge and I decided to give an update of my experience so far. So far I accumulated 55 credits in my first year of college. That means I have 65 left to complete. This current semester (Fall 2016) I'm...

I took the Psychology CLEP exam two weeks ago and passed with a 72 out of 80. Passing score was 50 and I got three college credits. I spent one week preparing for this exam because I was about to go on vacation and didn't want to take it in another city. I...

TES-100 Lifelong Learning Strategies is the cornerstone for Thomas Edison State University. The course is mandatory for all students and is worth 1 elective credit. I completed this course in only two days time. It was basically like an orientation or an overview on...

I took the Personal Finance DSST exam today and passed with a 441 out of 500. Passing score is 400, so I got three college credits.Below are the exam details as found on the DSST fact sheet.This exam was developed to enable schools to award credit to students for...

A few days ago, I met up with a colleague and we were chatting. During our conversation, he asked me what I wanted to be a few years from now. As a society, we place too much attachment to our career as our identities. For example, someone asks, "Who are you?" A...

This exam was difficult to actually prepare for because there was nothing I could study. This test basically gives you a short poem or passage to read and you have to analyze and interpret it.This exam has an optional essay portion and TESC doesn't...

I took sociology back in high school since I was in the social science research major and was required to take electives in that area of study. It's been a while, so I needed a refresher when I took this CLEP exam. A score above 50 qualifies for 3 college credits and...

When I originally entered Kingsborough Community College in September 2015, I wanted to complete college at a rate of 12 credits per semester, which meant that it would take me 2.5 years to get an Associate degree and then 2.5 years to get my Bachelor's degree after...

Last year was my first year moving out and living away from my parents. I wasn't sure exactly how much money it would cost me to live on my own, so I tracked all my expenses in a small notebook and decided to figure it out in 2016. The time is now, and to be honest, I...

In today's society, you need a college degree to get your foot in the door. But college tuition keeps skyrocketing and with many students not being able to afford college, they take out student loans. Student loans are considered an investment for the future....

According to the most recent data, the class of 2015 graduated with, on average, $35,000 student loan debt per person. This class is the most indebted class so far. It is twice the amount that borrowers had to pay back in the 1990s. Not only is the dollar amount per...

I've been telling Renato's story to countless people ever since the day I met him back in August. I think it's about time I shared this in writing so that anyone can read it and get all the details. :)I'll start with the day before I met Renato. I was at Landmark,...

When I was in Chicago earlier this month, I made a new friend named Andrew. I met Andrew via couch surfing and he was kind enough to host me for one night. “Couch surfing has served as some of the best education I have received,” he praised. It’s a great way for him...

I have been involved with Landmark Worldwide for quite some time now and I decided it's time for me to write a review of this personal development and training organization. I have mixed feelings about my time there. I love the breakthroughs and transformations I had,...

Wow! This post is definitely late. I was in Chicago for pretty much more than half my week, so I didn't have much time to write. Last Wednesday, I held my first class for Financial Peace University. Everything went better than I expected.I actually held a free...

This past weekend, I went to Chicago for the Publish A Book and Grow Rich seminar hosted by Black Card Books (fastest growing publishing company). This is an excellent seminar that shows you how to write a book in 40 hours and publish it and market it, so that...

I am coordinating Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University course in Long Island. After giving a speech at Landmark, someone offered to give me an office space at The Source Mall to rent for free to host this course. I am so grateful and I believe this is the...

My sister, Jenny, is currently 14 years old. She's just started high school this year and my parents have put me in charge of teaching her self-discipline when it comes to handling her money.Back when Jenny was in middle school, she received a weekly $20...