Staying motivated at the start of any endeavor is tough. When your retirement account has $4,031 in it, no doubt it's hard to see the benefit of working hard and contributing to the account. It's easier and more enjoyable, short-term to buy cool toys and go on vacations.

Going from $0-$100k is the hardest part of the journey. Imagine if the first 1/2 mile of a 10-mile run was the hardest. As the race progressed you ran faster and faster with little effort. That 1/2 mile is exactly how it feels saving your first 100k, it's a slog, and why 86% of Americans have less than that in their retirement account.

After hitting the 100k mark, it's easy to stay motivated. I'll show you why.

The below chart shows you accumulating a balance of $3,159,244 in 40 years, not too shabby.

By the time millennials hit retirement age, the median home price in the U.S. will conservatively hit 1 million dollars. Your two-year-old that will be looking at their first home in 25 years will be shopping for 1-million-dollar homes. $200,000 will be needed for a downpayment and $5,700/month on a 20-year mortgage payment. (not including taxes, insurance or utilities). As most parents have realized, 25 years go by in a blink of an eye. This projection was made by the National Association of realtors, not your 58-year-old uncle still living with his mom.

In 1990 the median home price was $90,000. As of this writing (June 2026) the median home price is $434,000. This is where things get interesting. While normal inflation and appreciation contribute to the 1-million-dollar price tag, what is not talked about, is the "affordability squeeze".

Home prices have grown 5x since 1990. Incomes have roughly increased…

The average American household wastes $10,000-$18,000 per year annually on non-essential items. Things like takeout, coffee, entertainment, impulse buys, and forgotten subscriptions.

Last night I was having a budget conversation with our 12-year-old. Like most kids he suffers from shiny object syndrome. If he has $10 in his pocket and goes into a store, he automatically "needs" the shiny object. 2 days later it is normally found in the corner of his bedroom going unused. Luckily, he has improved dramatically over the last few years which has resulted in him contributing over $2,000 to his Vanguard retirement account.

One basic lesson in economics and budgeting that I repeat frequently not just to my son but anyone that wants to listen is this:

You give your employer your time, in exchange for money.

Example: 1 hour of work and you get paid $25

The bottom 50% of Americans by net worth own just 1% of stocks. The top 1% own 50% or 29 trillion in stock. I'm assuming these numbers make many of you upset, and rightfully so.

In 2007 I remember balancing my checkbook on a Friday evening after getting paid and I had a balance of 32 cents. I remember standing in my kitchen feeling happy that I was not in the negative. Then I remember a wave of sadness come over me because of how low I had set my expectations and goals in life. I was 25 years old and broke with no plan. Shortly thereafter I read that in order for an individual to make a positive, lasting change in their life the perceived negatives have to outweigh the positives. This was the turning point for me; I was finally tired of being poor. No one was coming…

Question: Should I lease or buy my next new vehicle?

Thank you for the question! Assuming you already read our Should I Buy A New Vehicle Post and you meet the recommended requirements for buying a new vehicle (read them carefully), I will compare leasing and buying options for a new vehicle.

New vehicles depreciate on average 70% the first 10 years of ownership. If you paid $50,000 (the average price for a new vehicle) for a new 2026 F-150 truck, 10 years later it is worth approximately $15,000. You would be losing $292 per month, every month over 10 years in depreciation. That does not include repairs after the initial warranty runs out. Average annual car repairs for vehicles out of warranty but less than 10 years old are approximately $800/year or $67 per month. If you total up $292 per month in depreciation and $67 per month in…

Hitting submit on your final mortgage payment feels orgasmic. You are finally free and own your home free and clear after 20-30 years of back breaking payments. But do you really ever own your home?

8 years ago, we moved into our newly constructed home with a very manageable mortgage payment, and cheap(er) utilities. Our property and school taxes combined were approximately $3,500 per year in 2018 and our electric bill was $135 per month. Fast forward 8 years and after diligent spending habits, and working hard, the mortgage was paid off. Our particular property has 2 rental units on it which helped tremendously in crushing the mortgage. While having no mortgage is exciting and liberating, taxes and utilities follow you to the grave.

Spiraling out of control: Taxes

Our taxes in 2018 were $3,500 annually

Our taxes in 2025 are $6,400 annually (83% increase)

Can you guess what the number one asset for families in the United States is? Answer = Home ownership. Home equity accounts for 43% of net worth for the average household. Homeowners are 40x wealthier than renters, with an average net worth of $400,000 compared to just $10,000 for renters. I do believe however that owning a home is a great idea for most people. Having structured monthly payments, pride of ownership, and in many cases solid property appreciation over the long-term. With that said there are major items often overlooked when shopping for a new home.

#1 Property and School Taxes

Taxes vary quite a bit state to state but are a major line item when calculating what you can afford. When banks preapprove you, they do not take into account taxes. Many homeowners shit when they get their first school tax bill September 1st and gulp at having…

Warren Buffet purchased his first stock at 12 years old and has a net worth of $146 billion dollars. Not too shabby. Our 12-year-old son recently started investing the money he earns from splitting firewood into a Vanguard retirement account. His current balance is $960. We reviewed his holdings and performance the other day and he asked an intelligent question; how much money do I need to invest to become a millionaire? So, we broke out the investment calculator and ran different scenarios. Just for fun we ran scenarios based on 31 years of investing or until age 43 (his dad's age)

Scenario #1: Slacker

Starting balance $960

Invest $1,000 per year for 31 years at 8% return

Total = $133,788

The majority of mentally healthy parents do not want their 35-year-old child unemployed, depressed, broke and living at home playing Minecraft in the basement at 1:00 PM on a Wednesday. Parents want their children to grow up finding happiness, purpose, inspiration and financial security. Unfortunately, many young adults are stuck in a rut and not thriving.

• 1 in 3 adults age 18-34 live in their parents' home

• 42% of young adults 18-34 say they are struggling to make ends meet.

• 40.5% of 16–24-year-olds were not in the labor force nor actively seeking work (as of July 2025)

I empathize with this generation. Housing is through the roof, rent is insane, technology has hacked our dopamine centers literally rewiring our brains, college costs are crazy, processed food is 90% of supermarket options, and doctors hand out prescriptions like candy, numbing our bodies and brains to reality. Numerous people (me included) believe…