491: Why You DON’T Need a College Degree to Reach Financial Freedom

Do you dream of hitting financial independence before the age of fifty, forty, or even thirty? In this episode, we’re joined by two of the SheeksFreaks community’s finest—a pair of scrappy entrepreneurs who decided to skip collegeand pursue a much faster path to financial freedom.

First up, we chat with Adrian Zapata, a twenty-two-year-old serial entrepreneur who now owns multiple thriving seasonal businesses. During the spring, summer, and fall months, Adrian delivers lawn care and tree trimming servicesto the locals of San Antonio, Texas. But, once the holiday season rolls around, that’s when the real cash cow takes over: a Christmas lights installation business that brings in a whopping $115,000 in only two months!

Next, Javier Leyva shares how he was able to achieve financial independence by just twenty-six years old despite his underprivileged upbringing. After performing his own cost-benefit analysis, Javier determined that getting a traditional bachelor’s degree wasn’t the right path for him. Instead, he joined the workforce and took actionable steps toward FI—doubling down on saving money, finding a higher-paying job, and increasing his income with the house hacking strategy!

In This Episode We Cover

Two unique ways to achieve financial independence before the age of 30

How to boost your income with the house hacking strategy

The HUGE revenue potential of building a seasonal business

The case for SKIPPING college and choosing the straight path to FI

Why you NEED to plug into a personal finance community (and stay accountable!)

Why financial education—NOT a college degree—is the key to financial freedom

And So Much More!

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Money Moment

Is College Worth the Cost? This 30,000 Variable Study Says “Sometimes…”

Why 40% of Master’s Degrees Aren’t Worth It (and Which Are) w/Preston Cooper

20 Year-Old Minimum Wage Marine with $850K in Real Estate

Building a $1 Million Net Worth in Only 3 Years by Investing in Real Estate

Hear Our Last Episode with the SheeksFreaks Success Stories

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Click here to check the full show notes: https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/money-491

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