How do you like that confidence?!

It’s true though – I am (thrilled to be on the) So Money podcast again!

And I was a little nervous, not gonna lie… it’s been a hot minute since I was last on a show, but that quickly faded as Farnoosh and I got going because it’s like reuniting with family. I was one of her first guests when her podcast first launched, and now here we are over 10 years later just picking up the convo where we left it!

It’s fun to read the summary of that first episode too compared to this new one:

******

“I’m very excited to introduce today’s guest. He is one of the most influential financial bloggers of our time and the founder of 2 personal finance websites BudgetsareSexy.com and RockstarFinance.com. He also coaches people interested in blogging and launching an online business. His name is J. Money.

Like many of us, J. struggled with money and made some poor choices early on. So what did he do? He decided to blog about. In 2008 he started his personal finance blog, BudgetsareSexy.com, to track his spending and keep himself accountable. And that worked! Since then, he’s built his net worth to over half a million dollars… by doing what he loves!

Three takeaways from our interview:

1. Why home ownership is not for everyone (J$ <– Still believe this!)
2. How Craigslist helps J. develop better money habits…and MAKE money WEEKLY.
3. Awesome tips on reducing your phone bill … (Farnoosh: and I just got mine and due to data overages, my bill was an extra $100 this month. I’m seriously considering switching plans. This is absurd.)

Our favorite quote from today’s interview: “I’m challenging myself every week to get rid of more stuff.””

You can check out the show here: So Money, Ep. 43: J. Money, Financial Blogger

*******

And then here is the write-up on the show that just went live!

“For as long as I’ve known him — which is now more than fifteen years — he’s had the same signature look: a sharp mohawk and an even sharper perspective on money.

Today on So Money, we welcome back one of the original voices of the personal finance internet: J. Money, the longtime blogger behind Budgets Are Sexy and the founder of Rockstar Finance, a platform that helped shape the early personal finance blogging community. When this podcast first launched more than a decade ago, J. Money was one of my earliest guests – back when sharing your net worth online was considered radical and the idea of building a career from a blog about money was still pretty new.

In this conversation, we catch up on what’s changed – and what hasn’t. The mohawk is still there, thankfully. But J.’s life looks very different these days. He’s stepped away from blogging full-time, sold his site to The Motley Fool and later bought it back, and now spends much of his time running something called a “Free Closet,” giving away thousands of clothing items every week to people in need in his community.

We talk about the early days of the money-blogging world – when transparency about debt, savings, and net worth helped motivate an entire generation to take control of their finances. We also talk about what happens when you actually reach financial independence. Does money stop mattering? What motivates you next?

J. shares why the blogging magic eventually faded for him, how social media changed the tone of personal finance conversations, the surprising lessons he’s learned from working closely with unhoused communities, and why he believes the real power of money is simply the freedom not to think about it anymore.

*******

So fun to reflect and take in all that’s changed in this time… You do a lot of things in 10 years! New jobs, projects, moves, births, deaths, more gray hairs, NEEDING READING GLASSES FOR THE FIRST TIME IN YOUR LIFE! (I swear – I did nothing different and then one day BAM – everything’s blurry in front of me. How??!)

If there was a quote to be tacked onto this episode like the first one, it would have been this:

“Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway. – Earl Nightingale

A good reminder to get going on something that’s important to you

Thanks for having me on again Farnoosh, and I will see you in another 10 years, God willing!

You can listen to this latest episode here:

So Money, Episode 1,957: J. Money, Founder: Budgets Are Sexy

[This post, I Am So Money, was first published by J. Money on Budgets Are Sexy]

The one thing I miss the most from being away from the blog lately is hearing everyone’s stories and how they’ve figured out not only how to overcome such trials, but to then thrive!! And this guest poster today had my attention right from the start learning that he was once part of the unhoused community I’m deeply involved with today.

So I’m excited to share this post from new (I think?) financial blogger Early Retirement Earl! Thanks for taking the time, brother – and congrats!

*******

When I was homeless at 19 after my mom died, I never would have imagined I would be semi-retired by 52 and sitting on a $3 million dollar empire of dirt.

But here I am.

I didn’t get here because I was a math genius or because I had a 30-year vision board. I got here because I spent two decades in a blind, exhausted grind, woke up at 40 with a limp and a corporate headache, and decided to stage a 10-year sprint for my life. I realized I was killing myself for a corporate machine that didn’t care if I lived or died. I decided to stop limping and start sprinting.

This is the story of how a kid from a small town in New Jersey clawed out of poverty by sheer will, then discovered the math he needed to build a Freedom Fund bridge – escaping a grind that was destined to put him in an early grave. This isn’t a story about early retirement. It’s a story about a Late-Starter who realized the corporate machine was a funeral procession and decided to jump out of the casket.

The Zombie Years: The Power of the Accidental 401(k)

For 20 years, I was a retail grinder. I pushed carts, I managed stores, I dealt with the public. I was paycheck-to-paycheck well into my 40s. I had the standard American habit of spending exactly what I made and, like most people, I got myself into debt.

But I had one saving grace: Fear. Because I had been homeless twice, I was terrified of being old and broke. So, I checked the box. I auto-enrolled in the 401(k). I didn’t know what VTSAX was. I didn’t know about asset allocation. I just knew that if I didn’t put money in the lock box, I’d be living off of Pop-Tarts again at 70.

While I was busy surviving, the math was busy working. Between 1994 and 2014, I wasn’t an investor; I was a zombie. But by 41, I looked at my balance and realized I had nearly $200k. The market had been doing the heavy lifting while I was dealing with shoplifters and inventory audits.

The Mid-Career Pivot: Breaking the 401(k) Cage

By June 2019, I hit a milestone I never thought possible: Half a Million Dollars.

I was 45 years old, staring at a 401(k) balance of exactly $500,000. My wife, who is younger and actually likes her career, was right on my heels with her own accounts. I sat down with a calculator and ran the projections to age 59.5—the standard finish line. I realized that if I didn’t contribute another red cent and the market continued its historical average, my $500k would balloon to over $2 Million by the time I was eligible to touch it.

The math told me I was already a future multi-millionaire. The mirror told me I was a current slave.

I didn’t need more money in the cage for my 60s. Old Man Earl was already taken care of. I needed a key to the front door now. So, I did the unthinkable: I dialed my 401(k) contributions down to the bare minimum. I kept just enough to capture the company match, but every other dollar was redirected into my taxable Freedom Fund. Most experts call this a mistake because you give up a tax break. I call it an Escape Fee. I traded a tax deduction today for the liquid power to fire my boss at 52.

The $11-a-Day Lifeboat

In 2016, my world shifted. My daughters were born, and suddenly, my vices weren’t just bad habits—they were threats. I was a smoker, burning through a pack a day at $11 to $12 a pop. I was spending nearly $4,000 a year to stay stressed and sick.

In 2018, after the birth of my son, I quit. But I didn’t just stop buying cigarettes; I started buying Freedom. I redirected that $11 a day into an index fund.

The Math of the Vice:

• Daily Savings: $11
• Annual Investment: $4,015
• Total over 7 years at 9% growth: $39,145

That’s an entire year of my current household essential expenses bought back with money I used to literally set on fire.

The 2020 Turbo-Boost: The $100k Injection

By 2020, the Sprint was on. When interest rates hit the floor, most people saw a chance to buy a new SUV. I saw a loophole. I did a cash-out refinance on my New Jersey home at 2.75% and pulled $100,000 of equity out.

I took that $100k and dumped it into my taxable Freedom Fund. I let it sit in the market while it was running red hot. That move, combined with paying off $20k in credit card debt from fertility treatments, changed the math forever. By 2024, my Freedom Fund alone hit $300k.

The Rule of 55 Bridge

Most people think they have to wait until 59.5 to touch their money. If you’re 45 and miserable, 59.5 feels like a life sentence. But the IRS Rule of 55 says if you leave your job in or after the year you turn 55, you can tap your current 401(k) penalty-free.

I’m 52. My $350,000 Freedom Fund is the bridge that covers my $50k annual income gap for the next few years until I hit that magic age. It’s what allowed me to walk away from my $110k job in 2024 and start working part-time for my kids.

Why I Call it an Empire of Dirt

People hear $3 Million Net Worth and they think of Ferraris. To a guy who was once so poor he stole 5 bucks from a lost-and-found for gas money just to get to work, that’s not wealth.

Wealth is being the guy at the bus stop when my kids get home. Wealth is not having to swallow humiliation from a landlord or a regional manager ever again. My Empire of Dirt is just a shield. It keeps the rain off my family and the stress off my heart.

The Bottom Line for the Late-Starter

If you’re 40 and broke, stop whining about the system.

• Nuke the debt: It’s financial opium. Kill it.

• Build the Bridge: Your 401(k) is a cage. You need liquid cash to buy your Gap Years.

• Kill the Vices: Your $11/day habit is a year of your life. Which do you want more?

You don’t need 30 years to win. You need one focused, brutal, 10-year sprint. I’m living proof that a retail grinder can claw his way to freedom.

******

About the Author: Earl Owens is a 52-year-old dad of three who walked away from a 32-year corporate grind in 2024. He went from homeless at 19 to a $3M net worth through grit, a 10-year sprint, and some calculated mathematical pivots. You can follow his ongoing “Empire of Dirt” chronicles at EarlyRetirementEarl.com

[This post, Homeless Twice, $3M Net Worth at 52, was first published by J. Money on Budgets Are Sexy]

What up, what up!

Happy New Year! Lol…

It’s me J$ – remember that guy?? Mohawk rockin’, FIRE wielding, personal finance nerd who went rogue and forgot all about his blog?!

Sorry about that. The rumors are false though as I am still very much alive, just living more in the “real” world than the online one :) I also don’t nearly think about money as much as I used to so I don’t have as much to say about it!

But lately a few things have reminded me of the joy of finance so I’m going to furiously try to type it all out before life pulls me back in again…

The best gift money gives you is not having to think about money.

Whenever I think about money this is the part I think about the most. How when you’re IN IT you’re solely focused and grinding and just spending all your hours being scrappy and hoarding as much as you can going for “your number”, but ironically once you hit it money drops wayyyy down on the priority list. At least if you’re doing it right, in my opinion. There are certainly millionaires and billionaires and trillionaires who most definitely want MORE no matter what goals they hit, but I am not one of these people. The only thing I want more of is tacos! Mmmm…

But once you activate “not needing any more ” status, life gets exponentially easier. Yes because you can afford stuff and don’t have to work as hard, but also just in mental energy alone. Whenever something breaks down, or you’re shopping for gifts for someone, or you simply just want to order WHATEVER YOU WANT off the menu without having to worry about being able to afford it (like tacos!!) you can do it! And don’t have to ask permission! This alone is one of the best reasons to save and invest early.

The other – much bigger benefit, of course – is because you then get to choose 100% for yourself what you spend your time on. AKA Freedom. And this is the part I’m reminded of at least three times a week when someone asks me what I do “for a living” as I’m standing there giving away free clothes left and right!

I used to say I was “retired” and just doing this on the side (I tried once saying I was FIRE’D but then they felt bad for me and asked if they could help me find a job! Lol), but now that the “side” project is no longer on the side and it’s become a 40-hour week “job” just without pay,  I now say I run my Free Closet as a job. Just without pay. It doesn’t save me from still having to answer a million questions on how I can afford to do so, but it’s great for reminding me of all the hard work Past J. Money put in in order to get Present J. Money to this stage here! What a guy! So I always welcome the interrogating :)

Speaking of this “new” project, it actually turned 1 year old last month!! And we’ve since hit over 50k items of clothing and essentials given out!! Crazy!

And remember how I was looking for a van or truck of some sort to have a “mobile closet” vs running it out of my minivan (which I still have! And you were right it grew on me!) ??? Well, none other than fellow blogger Gwen from Fiery Millennials stepped in and generously donated her huge Cargo Van to me so I can continue to do more good in the world!! How awesome and beautiful is that??!

[This is Gwen – who I love to embarrass :)]

And I can tell you that just from this action alone you know she is on her path to Freedom as well, forfeiting $5,000 she could have easily made selling it. Sure she got a tax deduction from it (of course – we’re still money nerds!) but I’m sure 2006 Gwen would not have been as gracious as 2026 Gwen :) Money opens up a world of opportunities like being able to give away money when you want to!!! lol…

Which brings me to the 2nd thing I’ve been working on lately…

The Arsenal of Good

Do you remember that goal I had where I wanted to donate $20/mo to 100 local organizations? Well I made it up to around 16 or 17 organizations I want to say, but recently decided to change my giving strategy back to *direct giving* for even more impact. No doubt spurred by my latest Free Closet project.

I cancelled 12 of the automatic donations (always automatic so you never have to reconvince yourself to give every month!) and redirected these future funds ($240) right into a new “community fund”, aka savings account, where I now distribute it to *individuals* I think could best benefit from it. It’s been great because it doesn’t “cost” me any more money than I’ve already allocated to it, but now I have an Arsenal of Good I can deploy at any given point in time! Some towards people who shop my closet each week (mostly unhoused friends), but also to young entrepreneurs trying to get projects off the ground where money is the only thing holding them back.

In the few months I’ve started this I’ve given out three no-interest micro-loans totaling about $2,000 (one to a baker, one to a photographer, and another to someone to fix their car for more employment opportunities). It’s been so fun exploring and keeping my eyes and ears open!

And the cool thing with these micro-loans is that the repayments will keep funding The Arsenal so I can continue to loan out more and more over time… And if they default? Well, that’s how it goes sometimes. I have no intention of ever fighting to get it back, it’s more about the responsibility and holding yourself accountable aspect. You tend to want to succeed more when you have skin in the game!

*****

And lastly in the world of J. Money’s errr… money, I may or may not have invested in some pretty risky investments lately!

“You need some Sexy on the side”

Someone once told me this years ago and I’ve never forgotten it. Having some “sexy” on the side basically means that you should do the smart boring stuff at least 90% of the time, but then make sure to save a little bit for fun too to stay sane! Whether in life, or career, or finances, or whatever. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy and all that…

In that line of thought (and also because it’s fun to try something new!!) I invested $10,000 into three private companies over the past year+ that I have an “edge” in. I.E. I personally know the founders who all have insane track records. Two are in the VC (venture capital) world so I’m just begging to lose money, haha, and the third is with my old friend Ethan from Digit days who retired when he sold it, and then came out of retirement exploding with energy and wanting to BUILD again! He just launched the first product a few months back – HIRO Finance – and is having fun doing all the things he once dreamed up but which technology couldn’t do yet. Now with AI a lot of it is possible!

I don’t expect all of them to take off, but if just one does it’ll definitely pay off. And it’s just fun getting off the bench for a bit and being sexy again!

So that’s what I’ve been up to lately…

Thanks for being here whoever’s still left here, and hello to all new readers giving the blog a chance!! Sorry you found me during the end of my blogging career, lol, but hey – we got an archives of 1,800 posts if you want to start from the beginning and pretend it’s 2008 all over again! I’m sure most of the stuff there is still accurate today as money is essentially the same now as it was thousands of years ago:

Spend less than you earn, bank the rest, enjoy your freedom.

The trick is just staying motivated!! So keep reading and watching financial content out there, and then start experimenting and seeing what sticks! All you need is one or two things to go right and then you can pour fuel on the FIRE (sorry – I had to…)

And I’ll be here rooting you on, virtually and in spirit

Update on that AI company I started with Nate last year… It’s been added to the Resume of Fails!

Update on our general finances… it continues to climb, due to the 90% unsexy! AKA Index funds! I barely remember to keep our net worth updated, but I’m always glad when I do so it forces me to pause and reflect and change something if something needs changing… But I’ve long stopped budgeting

Update on my three boys – they are now 7, 11, and 13!! CRAZY!! It’ll really be a logistical challenge next year when we have one in elementary school, one in middle school, and one in high school (!!!)

[This post, The best gift money gives you., was first published by J. Money on Budgets Are Sexy]

They say that just looking at and touching money makes you happier, so here are a bunch of moneys for you to look at…

Be sure to touch the screen to get the full effect!

******

*******

Did it work? ;)

It always brings a smile to my face when I see it, not gonna lie… And I’m not really even chasing it anymore?!

Those are all real U.S. notes up there btw. Some were meant just for xferring money between banks and not used as legal tender (like the $100,000 note – illegal to even own one!), but the others still exist in some peoples’ collections. Though much more valuable now than face value.

Except for those $2.00 notes. Those have, and forever will be, worth only $2.00 despite them feeling like they should be worth more!!  They do make for fantastic tips and other gift ideas though :)

Have a fantastically fiscal week!

[This post, Look at all this money!, was first published by J. Money on Budgets Are Sexy]

What’s up y’all!

My boy Nick’s new book just hit the shelves this morning!

“The Wealth Ladder: Proven Strategies for Every Step of Your Financial Life”

I don’t know if every book comes with one of these, but the ones he just mailed out to me came with some pretty epic bookmarks ;)

Genius, right?!

Which should come as no surprise as Nick’s always been so good at using his brain to help people with their money and conveying strategies so anyone can understand them… If you’ve ever read the blog, Of Dollars and Data, or read the best-seller “Just Keep Buying” – that’s all his work! Which I absolutely love.

And even more so now that I can read it with a $2.00 bookmark! Lolol…

Anyways, it just dropped on Amazon this morning (congrats dude!) and I’ve got TWO (SIGNED) COPIES to giveaway today – absolutely free.

All you have to do is use your cute little fingers to type out an answer to the below question, and you’ll automatically be entered to win.

Oh, I guess first you’d want to know what the book is *actually about* haha…. Okay here you go:

The Wealth Ladder:
Proven Strategies for Every Step of Your Financial Life

By Nick Maggiulli

“Do you feel stuck financially? Are you working more, trying to spend less, yet still not seeing results? If so, the issue isn’t your effort—it’s your approach.

This is where The Wealth Ladder comes in. It’s not a get-rich-quick scheme or a one-size-fits-all solution to your money problems. It’s a new philosophy for thinking about money altogether.

In a world where interest rates shift, careers take new turns, and desires evolve, our financial strategy must keep up. This is why The Wealth Ladder breaks wealth into six distinct levels, each demanding its own strategy. What works at Level 1 won’t cut it at Level 6—and vice versa. You’ll learn exactly how to handle your spending, income, investments, and more, with tailored advice for every stage. The result? Smarter choices, less stress, and a clear path upward.

Because building wealth isn’t just about hard work—it’s about applying the right strategy at the right time to focus on what matters most.”

********

Look like something you’d like to read?

Tell me what *level* you think you’re at right now with your finances, 1-6, and let me know in the comments below (or via email if you’re reading this in my newsletter).

I know you don’t know what the levels are yet as you haven’t read the book – hah – but just guess and then if you win you can find out if you were right ;) And if you don’t win it you can always borrow it from the library and find out!

Drop your answer down below by the end of the week, and I’ll randomly select two winners to win a copy of this new book + the bookmark. U.S. residents only please so it doesn’t cost me more than the book to ship out to you! And if you’re already at level 6 and don’t need the book, take the free $2 at least and then hand it out to a friend ;)

Alright, good luck! And thanks again to Nick for shooting us over a few copies! I hope it flies off the shelves, brother

Your friend at level 4,

UPDATE: GIVEAWAY OVER! Congrats to Ryan and Jose for winning! Everyone else be sure to catch it at the library :)

*******

*Links to books are Amazon affiliate links

[This post, New Book Drop (& Giveaway): The Wealth Ladder!, was first published by J. Money on Budgets Are Sexy]

Hi!

Been a while!

I’m sitting at a coffee shop right now in the Outer Banks desperately trying to avoid a presentation I need to put together for a new project (shout out to Ashley’s Espresso Parlour!), and realized it’s been a while since we last chatted. So hello! Whatcha been up to over there? Anything new and juicy going on this Summer? :)

It’s been a hot mess here in the DC area with all the gov’t cuts and confusion and chaos. Everyone here knows someone – or is someone – affected by these changes, and it doesn’t seem to be getting any better… We’ve somehow managed to avoid a bulk of it so far (my wife is a proud – and hard working! – civil servant), however the walls are closing in which is sad as it’s her favorite job in the entire world and she’d be devastated having to walk away But we keep going and just do whatever we can within our control!

Aside from that, life is going pretty well. Our 3 boys continue to grow and be their silly little selves (who now care awfully a lot about clothes and brands and influencers – even my 7 year old!), and I’m still practicing retirement and failing pretty hard at it, haha… I “work” just as much now as I did before, though it is on my own time and for no pay, so I suppose it’s kinda like real retirement? :)

It’s been a blast though. I accidentally started a new project a few months back and it’s since taken a life of its own: A free clothing closet in my hometown, giving out clothes and essentials to anyone who needs it!

It mainly caters to our neighbors living on the streets and in the woods, but also a lot of our lower income families as well. We’ve given out over 10,000 items so far, from clothing to bikes to tents, sleeping bags, hats, shoes, feminine products, you name it.

It’s so different from running an *online* project where you’re sharing ideas worldwide and never see anyone face to face, compared to this one which is so hyper focused and only deals with physical products being shared IN PERSON! I even had to get back onto Facebook after a decade away as everyone in this town communicates there, lolol… Okay, well that and Instagram, but still. It’s like going back in time and having to unlearn a whole way of doing business

On one side it’s been great – the project is flourishing and there’s no end in sight, but on the other it hurts my heart as it only proves that there’s such a need for this in the community :( And not only mine, but probably yours too as well as all around the country/world! And it only seems like it’s getting worse with how things are playing out… Since when is food and clothing a nicety and not necessity?!

But oh well…  Can’t say I ever saw myself going into this line of business, lol, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s to keep going when you’re onto something and everything keeps flowing :) Whether that’s a new project or a relationship or even your finances. There’s something magical that happens when your passions align with your skills, especially if it happens to solve a problem in the world. So when the universe tells you you’re on the right path you keep pushing because you’re right where you’re meant to be at this point in time! It’s a beautiful thing!

So that’s what I’ve been up to over here!

And now gotta stop procrastinating and get back to work :) This presentation I have to put together is for a local organization who wants to donate a bunch of clothes – and hopefully money so I can get a sprinter van and turn this into a mobile closet! – and I need to convince them I’m not a psycho, haha…

If anyone wants to learn more about the closet, and/or wants to donate yourself (yes please!!), DM me and I’ll tell you more

In the meantime, I’ll try to get back to some sort of rhythm here on the blog! I should have more time as the kids start going back to school here over the next couple months…

If you’re new to the site and this is the first post you’re reading, hello!! Thanks for giving it a shot! :) You can check out “my story” here, and feel free to reach out anytime with questions or just to say hi. We usually do talk more about money than my personal life, haha, but it probably won’t be the last time either.

Have a fantastic week!

UPDATE: The presentation went fantastic!! I ended up just scrapping the whole powerpoint and just spoke from the heart (figures), but it was greatly received and opened up a door of future collaborations as well as free clothes and essentials for the community. So yay!

PS: That other project I’m helping my friend with is still moving forward (YouBots.ai), but proving to be more of a long haul than we thought. On the plus side, the Project of Me is still going strong!

PPS: Here are 3 fantastic books I’ve read recently if anyone’s interested:

• “The Happiest Man on Earth” by Eddie Jaku
• “The Tattooist of Auschwitz” by Heather Morris
• “10% Happier” by Dan Harris

*Links are Amazon affiliate links…

[This post, Hi!, was first published by J. Money on Budgets Are Sexy]

Good morning, friends!

Got another great book to give away today!

But first – wanted to thank you real quick for all the love and encouragement on our latest business launch I just posted about. We got a lot of great interest from the community so far as well as a handful of signups which is always promising when you put something out into the world – so thanks! :)

Also while I’m at it, we raised $2,000 for our Community Fund the other month – woo!! Half of which I’ve already disseminated into the homeless community to help feed them, clothe them, shelter them, paper them!, and much much more. It won’t solve all their problems of course, but it’s a nice reprieve from their daily lives and I know they appreciate every last kind gesture we do. So thanks for helping me turbocharge it! :)

• To donate more to it, click here: Community Fund
• And to learn more about my new biz, go here: YouBots.ai

*****

Now onto the giveaway!

“Inner Entrepreneur”
A Proven Path to Profit and Peace

This one’s an exciting one to bring to you not only because of the content (all us bloggers are solopreneurs – even if by accident! ) but mainly because it comes from a good blogger friend of mine, who’s as smart as he is NICE: Grant Sabatier.

You might recognize him from MillennialMoney.com, or his best selling book, “Financial Freedom“. And he also just launched a real life independent bookstore too if you can believe it!! This guy never sleeps! Haha… (Check out ClintonvilleBooks.com if you’re ever in the Columbus, Ohio area)

At any rate, super legit and genuine dude, and here’s what he says about his latest book – WHICH JUST DROPPED TODAY!!

*****

“Inner Entrepreneur contains everything I’ve learned over the past 15 years that has really made a difference in my businesses and life. There’s no fluff. No generic business advice. It’s packed full of actionable steps. I’ve held nothing back.

While there are many great entrepreneur books, there isn’t one like this – which presents a comprehensive view of how to go from finding a business idea to selling your company, acquiring, building a holding company, and more. Whether you’re curious about entrepreneurship or you’re already a pro, I’m confident you’ll get value from Inner Entrepreneur.

The book is built around 4 levels of entrepreneurship and I dive deep into exactly what to do, consider, and the trade-offs required at each level:

• Level 1: Experimental Entrepreneur
• Level 2: Solopreneur
• Level 3: Growth Entrepreneur
• Level 4: Empire Entrepreneur

Whether you’ve read my first book or not, this book is designed to help you build a business that gives you more freedom in your life.”

*****

• To learn more, go to: Inner Entrepreneur: A Proven Path to Profit and Peace
• Or download the first chapter (FREE) here: Chapter 1 of Inner Entrepreneur (PDF Download)

Want a free copy?!

I’ve got TWO free copies of Inner Entrepreneur to give away today :) All you have to do is answer the following question in the comments below (or via email), and you will automatically be entered to win.

What’s a dream business you’d love to build? Or a business you’re currently working on?

You don’t have to get too specific about it (“dog sitting” works), but feel free to elaborate too if you’re into it. You never know who will see it and could maybe help you out – or better yet, be a first customer! :)

If you’re fresh out of ideas and need a little push – peruse our Side Hustle Series and maybe something there will jump out at you. We’ve featured everything from Christmas tree stands to photo booth empires to worm harvesting to trash picker-uppers to even more erotic areas like phone sex operating ;) There’s a million things you can do for money, and this book by Grant can help you narrow it down and take action.

I’ll announce the two winners at the end of the week. GOOD LUCK!!

And thanks again to Grant for offering these up. You can learn more about his projects here: GrantSabatier.com

PS: You might also remember Grant if you were a member of the Rockstar Finance forums! He was a top resident there, always popping in and offering (free) advice. Fantastic person.

*Links to books are Amazon affiliate links

*** Giveaway Over! ***

Congrats to Eric S. and MEM for winning!! Books will be in the mail soon! For everyone else – be sure to check it out at your local library so you can still get the good stuff! :)

[This post, New Book Alert + Giveaway: “Inner Entrepreneur”, was first published by J. Money on Budgets Are Sexy]

Hi all!

So I’ve been working on a new project lately, and it’s officially live :)

It has nothing to do with personal finance (*gasp*), but it is something that could help save you a ton of money – and grow faster! – if you run a business. It also heavily relies on AI, so if you’ve been trying to figure out the best way to harness it in this brave new world this could be the trick.

Introducing….

YouBots.ai – A suite of advanced, powerful marketing tools powered by AI!

My partner in crime has been obsessed with AI this past year – to the point he even changed his entire career around it! – and after watching him build out customized “bots” for companies and selling them for thousands of dollars a pop, I asked him why he doesn’t just package them all up under one roof and offer them up to *everybody*? Kinda like the world’s first AI marketing agency, but only at a fraction of the price?

He paused for a few seconds leading me to believe it was massively stupid, haha, but to my surprise he eventually shot back with, “this is the best idea you’ve ever had – we need to build it.” Lol… Okay!

And just like that YouBots was born :)

Can’t say I ever imagined myself doing anything around AI, but it was one of those instances where it just clicked and I knew I’d regret it if I didn’t go for it. So we’ll see what happens! We already have a number of paying clients, and it’s been fun as hell working on the branding and building out the site…

Just look at these cute little robots!!

At any rate, if you run a business and wanna see if these bots can help YOU, check out our site and let me know what you think. It’s set up so that anyone on your team can use it without needing to know a thing about AI, prompt engineering, or even software development.

Our target audience is small-medium businesses who wish they had a bigger budget for hiring (both people and marketing agencies), so we’ve priced it with that in mind and one of our clients is already saving $4,000/mo. It’s beautiful.

Check it out –> YouBots.ai

We’re currently offering a one-week free trial, then 50% off the subscription cost while we’re in beta. No credit card required for the demo, and you can unsubscribe anytime.

So that’s what I’ve been up to over here! How about you? Anyone else dabbling in AI or working on a new project? Would love to learn all about it :)

Your long-time, non-AI powered, friend,

PS: I should note that while AI can do big huge amazing things to make your life and work better, I don’t believe it should be a substitute for YOU. To me it’s meant for *enhancing* your work, not replacing it.

PPS: If you came here today hoping for financial tips, check out my personal newsletter that just went out that features my favorite $$$ articles from around the community this month. There’s some really good ones in there, and you’ll find them in the bottom half of that page (as well as a current book I’m thoroughly enjoying). Feel free to subscribe to that newsletter here as well!

[This post, My Newest Project: YouBots!, was first published by J. Money on Budgets Are Sexy]

[Good morning, friends! Got a fantastic guest post for you today that’s got me reconsidering all kinds of habits over here! It comes from Amanda Grossman over at Frugal Confessions, and hopefully it gets you rethinking some of your routines too Take it away, Amanda!]

*******

I’m about to introduce you to a frugal living rule I started using almost a decade ago.

It’s saved me untold amounts of money.

And to be honest, it’s without much sacrifice at all (none, in some circumstances).

It’s called The Half Rule.

I only wish I’d discovered it back in my early 20s when I could’ve really used it!

It’ll help you fight inflation. It’ll cut your grocery bill down without having to stop buying the products that you like.

And you’ll start to have some money left at the end of the month.

While it can’t be used on everything, it can be used in more cases than you think.

Ready for it?

What is the Half Rule?

The Half Rule means cutting the amount of product you use in half, and seeing what happens.

Does it still perform like it should? Then keep it at the new, half-level. Do you need to add a bit more to it? Go ahead and do it.

You’ll likely always end up using less than you were before, causing you to have to buy a replacement product less (and saving you money).

I started playing around with this over a decade ago. and I can’t tell you how much money it’s saved me (without having to buy generics or go without).

You see, I’m going out on a limb here, but I think we all use too much product.

And there are three main reasons for that:

• Manufacturer Recommendations are Inflated: Manufacturer recommendations are often asking us to use more of the product than necessary.
• Habits are Hard to Break: We have developed a habit of using a certain amount of a product, and it’s hard to change habits. (J$: This is me!! I need to work on this!)
• Product Inflation is a Real Thing: We’re experiencing product inflation, where we think to get the same amount of pleasure out of something, we need to use more of it (has anyone increased their Starbucks size to grande, for example, to get the same degree of pleasure they used to get from a tall?).

I tested this rule out by cutting in half my use of:

• Shampoo
• Laundry detergent
• Dryer sheets (I’ve cut them in half to no bad effect for decades now)
• Cooking oil (started using an oil mister instead of pouring it)
• Restaurant meals (I typically take 1/3 to ½ home for lunch)
• Bagels for breakfast (I started eating half a bagel at home, instead of a whole one)
• Starbucks order size
• Glass stovetop cleaner
• Tape (when wrapping gifts)

And those are just the easy ones you can start with.

[TIP: to save even more money, pair this Half Rule with my Bank It! Saving Money Challenge.]

Why is the Half Rule So Effective?

When you change a few things here and there, or something by a little amount, it’s not really noticeable to your bank account.

Not enough to make you want to keep doing it.

By cutting your use of many things in HALF, you quickly see the change to your money.

Imagine having to buy 10 products half as often – that’s a significant change to your spending.

And with these current prices?

Yeah… you’re going to notice.

It starts a ripple effect of savings – one that you can control.

[TIP: you could then use your extra savings to get one month ahead on your bills!]

A Specific Example of Where This Paid Off

Most of us don’t want to take a close look at how we’re using products, because it’s become a habit.

And habits can be hard to break.

I’m no different from you in this.

But many times, the money we need to actually increase savings is being spent on our habits.

For example, I love Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint soap. I use it to create foam hand soaps for each of our bathrooms.

I was filling up half the bottle with the semi-expensive peppermint soap, and then the other half with water.

I can’t even blame this one on a bloated manufacturer recommendation; when I finally looked at the instructions, I noticed that I was only supposed to use 1 part soap to 3 parts water.

It was all me (product inflation? Habit? Not really sure).

I changed. Now, I’m buying Dr. Bronner’s refills less often.

Ka-ching!

When you bring awareness to how you’re using a product, then you can make a change.

Is The Half Rule for Everything?

Again, this rule does not work for everything.

But I would argue it works for MUCH more than you will initially think.

For example, you can’t fill up your gas tank halfway and still commute the same number of times to work.

Never, EVER, cut a prescription in half.

And you won’t catch me eating ½ of a single serving size of yogurt.

But why waste your money on a daily, caterpillar-sized amount of toothpaste on your toothbrush when a dentist-recommended pea-size will do just fine?

Take a handful of products, cut your use in half, and see if anything changes. You might be surprised. I know I was.

*******

Amanda L. Grossman is a Certified Financial Education Instructor (CFEI®), a 2017 Plutus Foundation Grant Recipient for her kid money program, The Mt. Everest Money Simulation: A Kid’s Educational Adventure, and founder of Frugal Confessions and Money Prodigy. You can learn more about Amanda here.

// Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay
// Link to soap and mister are Amazon affiliate links

[This post, “The Half Rule” – A Frugal Hack I Live By, was first published by J. Money on Budgets Are Sexy]

Morning!

So right as I went to hit “publish” on this post, I got hit with a 2nd great credit card tip so you’re gonna get a two-for-one special today ;) Neither of which, btw, I’d ever heard of before in my 15 years doing this so of course I had to share!

The first comes from my friend, and fellow blog reader, Win (real name!), in response to my $500 subscription mistake I shared recently, and as he stated this would have most definitely prevented it!

******

“I ask my credit card company for a new card with a new number every year. That cancels any services that I pay for automatically. The service contacts me and I decide if I want to give them the new credit card number.”

******

HAH! Brilliant!

I asked him to explain more as I was intrigued as hell by this (was it really just to cut down on subscriptions?? Or was it more of a security hack?) and here’s what he wrote back:

******

“Did I tell you the story about my daughter losing my credit card? I let her use it for shopping. She called and said “I lost your card! I’m so sorry!!” She didn’t understand that I’m not liable if someone finds my credit card and uses it. (<– True Fact!)

The next day, I called the credit card company and canceled it. They sent me a new card in the mail. It took 7 to 10 days. I think the pony express was faster than that. :)

Disadvantages? If you have any online payments like cellphone, Verizon will send you an email saying your credit card didn’t work. You have to contact them to give them your new number. I’ve been doing it for a few years. No problems, but I don’t make many online payments from my credit card. I pay electric, natural gas, etc from my bank account.

I do think it’s a good security idea. There’s a big biz in stolen credit card numbers, so changing your number every year should help.”

(UPDATE: So it looks like some card companies already do this automatically! Per a reader: “I just had something decline for my apple subscription and it turns out that my wife’s apple card automatically changes their number every 6 months!”)

*******

Ok so yeah – definitely good for security, but what a great way to force yourself TO REVIEW all your subscriptions each year too. And it’s not like it’s just a calendar item that pops up and you can brush it off  – with this route you literally have to take action *right then and there* or the service you’re signed up for will be canceled!

Such a great idea, and for a few solid minutes I actually considered it… Until I realized I have over 25 places my card is connected to (10’ish bills + 15’ish charitable donations) and there’s no way I’d want to deal with that every year Def. works best if you only have a few accounts linked up and/or the patience of Mother Teresa.

Now onto the second hack…

This one comes from my personal proofreader, and blog fan, Lenny Bron, whose trick is a little more invasive but doesn’t require any major changes like that first idea:

*******

I have a new trick I’ve started ever since my C/C was electronically stolen a few months back (Chase is great at catching that stuff, btw).

I set my phone to get alerts every time the credit card is used at all. So now I know if something weird gets charged (even if it’s a subscription I no longer need) and I can cancel whatever it is right away or at least call the bank to stop the transaction.

So far, the system has been working well! And plus I can monitor if any of those pesky hackers are using my credit cards again!

*******

Another great tip at least in theory! It forces you to review all your charges EVERY DAY which is even better in the “paying attention” department! Of course, that can get annoying fast if you’re a big swiper, so it would be interesting to see if Lenny’s still doing this a year or two from now ;) Perfect for those who rarely use their cards though, or even better: those who only keep cards for *emergencies*! You’d know there’s something concerning going on fast in this case!

(UPDATE: A follow up from Lenny: “You can definitely set limits on the amounts you get notifications about. So if you’re not worried about anything spent under $100, then you can have the system ignore those. Also, you can choose what kind of notifications you get. If it’s something I want to see right away I let it notify me on my phone, but you can also just set it to notify you by email so you can pick and choose how you get notified (definitely will be less intrusive if you don’t want your phone going off all the time). ” Good to know!)

And btw, on the topic of Lenny, I gotta promote his side hustle here as a proofreader as he’s super fun to work with and great at catching all those pesky misstypings of mine (or even made up words, like misstypings!! Don’t you edit this one, Lenny!!). He reviews all my posts for me, and as you can imagine has a lot of patience ;) If you run a blog or small business and can use an extra set of eyes on things, be sure to reach out to him: TheBlogProofreader.com

So there you have it! Two great tips to consider!

Let me know if any of these ideas resonate with you and/or if you’re already doing them… And feel free to pass over any other creative hacks you have incorporated into your financial life as well! They’re all super helpful and you never know how much of an impact they’ll have on others!

Big thanks to Win and Lenny for letting me share their ideas here, and huge thanks to all of YOU for always reading. Will see ya back here again soon

FYI: Lenny proofreads my posts *after* I publish them, so if you come across any errors today that would be why! I’m too lazy to send them to him first to proofread ;)

[This post, A Good Credit Card Hack 💪, was first published by J. Money on Budgets Are Sexy]