When Melissa found out she was pregnant, she was a sophomore in college. Her counselor gave her a pretty alarming statistic: a frighteningly small number of women who get pregnant in college actually end up graduating. 
Melissa threw herself into her studies, and prepared as much as she could for the birth of her son. And while her plans may have been changed by this unexpected addition, she pushed on and beat the odds - in more ways than one!
Not only did Melissa graduate on time, she graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering while working an internship in California and attending school in Michigan.
Melissa’s story shows that bumps in the road of life do not have to define your path and that financial independence is STILL achievable even if life throws you a curveball.
In This Episode We Cover:

Melissa's money journey

Three situations that set up her money mindset

What her life looks like during her college years

What her school program looks like during her college years

How she handles the situation when she got pregnant during her college years

On childcare

Her goal after college

All about her medical debt

The reason why she opens up her 401k

What her lifestyle looks like and the sacrifice she made to make things possible

On paying off her debt

How does her situation changed after she got married

The moment she discovered the FIRE movement

And SO much more!

Links:

BiggerPockets Money Podcast 79: Financial Freedom Through Decades of Hard Work and Hustle with Carol Scott

BiggerPockets Money Podcast 82: Early Money Lessons Create Healthy Money Experiences with Aditi Shekar

BiggerPockets Money Podcast 35: Hacking Your Life to Live for (Almost) Free with Craig Curelop

BiggerPockets Money Podcast 26: Graduating College on Track for Financial Independence with Cody Berman

BiggerPockets Money Podcast 22: How to Pay Off 6-Figure Student Loans While Pursuing Financial Independence with Travis Hornsby

Student Loan Planner

SoFi

Mr. Money Mustache

Mindy's email

Connect with Melissa:

Traveling Wallet

Melissa's Twitter


      
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90: From Unplanned Pregnancy to Financially Free with Melissa from Traveling Wallet

For those who have money… or want more of it!
Join Mindy Jensen and Scott Trench (from BiggerPockets.com) weekly for the BiggerPockets Money Podcast. Each week, financial experts Mindy and Scott interview unique and powerful thought leaders about how to earn more, keep more, spend smarter, and grow wealth.

Education

Training

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Higher Education

K-12

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Business

Investing

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Management & Marketing

Business News

Shopping

Could real estate investing help you reach financial freedom much sooner than you thought possible? Today’s guest had his world turned upside down by one tragic incident, but he was able to quit his W2 job, pivot to real estate, and fast-track his journey to FIRE!
Today, we’re chatting with technology instructor turned full-time real estate investor Keith Nugent. After a skydiving accident rendered him unable to perform his previous job duties, Keith knew he needed a new path to financial independence. Fortunately, he discovered real estate at the perfect time. Taking advantage of the fallout from the 2008 housing market crash, Keith started loading up on rental properties—often buying them for pennies on the dollar. In just twelve years, he had not only achieved his goal of thirty cash-flowing units by 2020 but also added an additionalten units to his portfolio!
Thanks to real estate, Keith now has a career that fully accommodates his disability and will allow him to retire early. In the meantime, he enjoys his newfound financial freedom by traveling the world and spending time with his FIRE-bound friends. In this episode, Keith offers practical tips on how to start investing in real estate—from choosing your market to buying your first rental property and more!

In This Episode We Cover
How Keith became a full-time real estate investor after a tragic skydiving accident
How to replace your W2 income and achieve financial freedom with real estate
Why time in the market is MORE important than timing the market
How to determine how much cash flow you need to support your retirement
Why you NEED an estate plan and how to decide who inherits your assets
And So Much More!

Links from the Show
BiggerPockets Money Facebook Group
Network with Other Investors on The Path to FIRE Through the BiggerPockets Forums
Finance Review Guest Onboarding
Join BiggerPockets for FREE
Mindy on BiggerPockets
Scott on BiggePockets
Listen to All Your Favorite BiggerPockets Podcasts in One Place
Apply to Be a Guest on The Money Show
Podcast Talent Search!
Find an Investor-Friendly Agent in Your Area
Find Investor-Friendly Lenders
Money Podcast 330 - The Ultimate Teen Money Hack for Parents
Money Podcast 397 - Estate Planning, Wills, & What to Do NOW to Protect Your Heirs
Grab Your “Family Emergency Binder”

Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/money-521
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

521: Full-Time FIRE and Traveling the World…All Thanks to Rentals!

The best side hustles can put some extra cash in your pocket, help you leave your W2 job, or even launch you toward FIRE. If you’re looking to make money in ways other than real estate investing, you don’t want to miss this side hustle special!
Nick Loper, founder of Side Hustle Nation and host of The Side Hustle Show, has been building businesses since he was a teenager. From lucrative digital assets to service-based ventures, Nick has done it all, and today, he’s bringing some fresh ideas for you to try. As you’re about to learn, these fledgling businesses come in all shapes and sizes. Some take years to nurture before you reap any reward for effort, while others allow you to start earning immediately. In any case, you need to choose one you’re interested in and stick with it if you want to see results!
In this episode of the BiggerPockets Money podcast, Nick dives into some of his favorite side hustles—many of which you can start TODAY with little to no money and minimal time. You’ll learn whether it’s still possible to build amoney-making blog in 2024, as well as how to make extra income by renting out assets like inflatables, hot tubs, and vending machines!

In This Episode We Cover
Nick’s favorite low-money side hustle ideas (not named real estate!)
How to turn your own side business into a money-making machine
Creative ways to earn royalties from YOUR original works or ideas
How to build a digital asset that generates income for years to come
Why you MUST follow the “rule of one hundred” with every new side hustle
The non-digital assets you can rent out for a HUGE profit
And So Much More!
Links from the Show
BiggerPockets Money Facebook Group
Network with Other Investors on The Path to FIRE Through the BiggerPockets Forums
Finance Review Guest Onboarding
Join BiggerPockets for FREE
Mindy on BiggerPockets
Scott on BiggePockets
Listen to All Your Favorite BiggerPockets Podcasts in One Place
Apply to Be a Guest on The Money Show
Podcast Talent Search!
Find an Investor-Friendly Agent in Your Area
Find Investor-Friendly Lenders
How Anyone Can Easily Make Extra Money Using Side Hustles with Nick Loper
Finance Friday: Pay Off Debt, Invest in Real Estate, or…Buy Vending Machines?
Make an Extra $100/Day with These Work-From-Home Side Hustles
Hear Nick on “The Side Hustle Show”

Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/money-520
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

520: The BEST Side Hustles You Can Start in 2024 (Outside of Real Estate!)

Want to know how to avoid capital gains on your next home sale? If you tune in, you may dodge a quarter-of-a-million-dollar bullet (or more!). What about investing in one of the most tax-advantaged accounts that almost EVERYONE should have but most people don’t? What do you do when a family member asks to borrow money from you but has a bad track record with keeping their personal finances together? We’re getting into it all and more on this finance FAQ with Amanda and Scott!
We get a ton of personal finance questions through the BiggerPockets Forums and our Facebook Page, so we decided to round up some of the most common ones and answer them for you. First, we’re talking about how to dodge capital gains tax when selling your home. Then, a concerned listener asks whether they should take out a loan on a family member’s behalf. A high-income earner wants to know whether renting or buying is their best bet, and we share whether paying off your mortgage early is a mistake!
Got a medical expense coming up, or just want to boost your retirement investing? We’ll answer whether an HSA (health savings account) beats an FSA (flexible spending account)—but make sure you get this one right. If you invest in one of these accounts the wrong way, you’ll be throwing money away. Finally, a debt-free chaser asks whether they should use their emergency reserves to pay off debt or keep slowly slogging away with the snowball method.

In This Episode We Cover
How to avoid capital gains tax when selling your primary residence
HSAs (health savings accounts) vs. FSAs (flexible spending accounts)
Whether or not to use your emergency fund to pay off credit card debt 
Why you may want to reconsider loaning a family member money 
Whether to buy or rent in today’s housing market (EVEN with low money down)
Pay off your mortgage early or invest the rest of your money?
And So Much More!

Links from the Show
BiggerPockets Money Facebook Group
Network with Other Investors on The Path to FIRE Through the BiggerPockets Forums
Finance Review Guest Onboarding
Join BiggerPockets for FREE
Mindy on BiggerPockets
Listen to All Your Favorite BiggerPockets Podcasts in One Place
Apply to Be a Guest on The Money Show
Podcast Talent Search!
Money Moment
Find an Investor-Friendly Agent in Your Area
Find Investor-Friendly Lenders
Fidelity Investments
She Wolf of Wall Street Website
Emergency Fund: How Much Do You Really Need in 2024?
How to Pay Off Credit Card Debt FAST ($30K+ in 1 Year!)
Renting a Home Is Financially Better Than Buying—Wait, What?!

Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/money-519
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

519: HSA vs. FSA and When to Drain Your Emergency Fund to Pay Off Debt

Whether you know it or not, “shrinkflation” is costing you. You’re paying more for less, as manufacturers boast record profits. Your paycheck is getting eaten away faster and faster every month, but you’re left with the same amount of stuff. How did this happen, and when is it going to stop? Phil Lempert, AKA the “SupermarketGuru,” has been analyzing consumer behavior, marketing trends, and the retail landscape for over two decades. Now, he’s sharing thetricks manufacturers use to get you to spend more while expecting less.
Shrinkflation has become such a severe problem that even the president of the United States has recently mentioned its damaging effects on the American household. Phil gives us the inside scoop on why prices are rising while sizes shrink, how retailers are actually fighting back to get customers the savings they deserve, and which products are seeing the most shrinkflation today.
Phil also shares his top tips to beat shrinkflation and save more money every month, how to show the companies that you WON’T put up with their price gouging games, easy ways to identify shrinkflation, and the supermarket chains that give you the best bang for your buck. If you’re tired of seeing your grocery bill inflate while your bank account shrinks, this is an episode you cannot miss!

In This Episode We Cover
Shrinkflation explained, and how manufacturers are taking advantage of Americans
Products that are seeing the most shrinkflation and which items to avoid
Why America’s need for “choice” is making shrinkflation even worse
The grocery stores and brands that are the best for budget-conscious shoppers
How to identify shrinkflation and the sneaky tricks manufacturers play to get you to spend more for less
How to take action against shrinkflation and tell brands to STOP ripping you off!
And So Much More!

Links from the Show
BiggerPockets Money Facebook Group
Network with Other Investors on The Path to FIRE Through the BiggerPockets Forums
Finance Review Guest Onboarding
Join BiggerPockets for FREE
Mindy on BiggerPockets
Scott on BiggePockets
Listen to All Your Favorite BiggerPockets Podcasts in One Place
Apply to Be a Guest on The Money Show
Podcast Talent Search!
Find an Investor-Friendly Agent in Your Area
Find Investor-Friendly Lenders
Cutting Your Grocery Bill in Half with Erin Chase from $5 Dinners
Persuasion Secrets and Predatory Practices Businesses Use on YOU
Supermarket Savings Tips: How to Avoid Shrinkflation as Some Companies Give Consumers Less

 Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/money-518
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

518; Shrinkflation: How to Outsmart The Grocery Stores’ Rising Prices

Buying a business? Maybe you’ve thought about it before. You could own a laundromat, self-storage facility, plumbing business, or landscaping service. It doesn’t sound glamorous, but these types of businesses can make you millions of dollars and lead you to financial freedom. And, with so many baby boomers retiring, tons of small businesses with built-in customer bases are for sale, just waiting for YOU to come and make money from them. But before you buy, there are some things you should know.
Elliott Holland, an expert in acquiring small and medium-sized businesses, helps aspiring business buyers uncover whether a business is worth the price. Elliot’s team specializes in business due diligence, making sure that YOU don’t buy a business that’s worth less than what the owner/broker told you it was. Trust him; he’s saved many new entrepreneurs from making million-dollar mistakes.
So, before you buy a business, listen to this episode. In it, Elliot walks through exactly how a business is valued, which loans you can use to buy a business, why you CAN’T trust the financials from the current business owner, questions to ask before you buy, and who should even be buying a business in the first place. Do this right, and you could be sitting on lifetime financial freedom, but take a wrong turn, and you could lose millions (we’ll share that story, too!).

In This Episode We Cover
How to buy a “boring business” that will lead you to financial freedom
How businesses are valued and why you MUST understand “EBITDA”
Tricky ways that business owners inflate their numbers to sell to you for more
Who should (and definitely shouldn’t) be buying small businesses 
Three things you MUST look at before you make a bid on a business
The wrong move that lost one business owner over $2,000,000 when buying a business
And So Much More!

Links from the Show
BiggerPockets Money Facebook Group
Network with Other Investors on The Path to FIRE Through the BiggerPockets Forums
Finance Review Guest Onboarding
Join BiggerPockets for FREE
Mindy on BiggerPockets
Scott on BiggePockets
Listen to All Your Favorite BiggerPockets Podcasts in One Place
Apply to Be a Guest on The Money Show
Podcast Talent Search!
Find an Investor-Friendly Agent in Your Area
Find Investor-Friendly Lenders
Codie Sanchez: These “Boring Businesses” Will Make You Rich
Leila and Alex Hormozi’s Unbelievably Simple Investing Advice
Sites to Buy Businesses:
Acquire
BizBuySell
Flippa
QuietLight
Elliot’s Resources From Today’s Episode:
LOI Template
12 Public Stories of Failed Due Diligence
Success Stories

Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/money-517
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

90: From Unplanned Pregnancy to Financially Free with Melissa from Traveling Wallet

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