Good morning, wealth builders!

Let’s start today with a quick gratitude check-in…

1. Do you have food in your fridge?

2. Are you living under a stable roof?

3. Do you have running water?

4. Are you in any chronic pain right now?

5. Do you have family and friends who care for you?

Chances are, if you’re reading this your life is pretty dang good!!!

Take a sec and be grateful for the good stuff you have (and the bad stuff you don’t have) in your life. We are incredibly blessed. 🙂

OK, now let’s get to the money stuff, and discuss ways to make your life even better. 👇👇👇

TO DO

Treat Yourself!

We talk so much about saving money and tightening the belt, but a balanced life is a good life! You’ve put in the hard work, now it’s time to reap some rewards. Don’t forget to live a little and celebrate here and there.

This week's mission is: Treat yourself.

Whatever your ‘craft beer equivalent’ is -- rustle some up and cheers to yourself. You've earned it. 💪

LIFESTYLE

Tipping Etiquette

Tipping is getting a little weird in the US. It’s like navigating a minefield of social expectations, guilt, and potential embarrassment of not being generous enough (or accidentally coughing up too much!)

About 4.4 million Americans work in predominantly tipped occupations. Here’s a rule of thumb guide to tipping these brave souls and showing your appreciation for their service...

Of course, there are several factors that can influence your tip amount… For example, if the pizza delivery guy schlepped 12 scorching hot pizzas, while getting barked at by your golden retriever, to your doorstep in the middle of an Arizona heatwave- you might want to err on the side of generosity and throw them a few extra bucks for their bravery.

Here are a few other situations and things to consider…

• Flight attendants: No need to tip, BUT… I know from personal experience that if you bring some chocolates or a small thank-you gift/tip for your flight attendant they will potentially HOOK YOU UP with in-flight favors like upgrades and free drinks!

• Tour guides: Tips vary depending on the tour type... If you didn’t pay much for the tour and you were shown the time of your life by a charismatic and knowledgeable guide, tipping is a great way to show your appreciation!

• At the car wash: For car detailing and hand washing, tipping 15-20% of the bill is customary. Bigger cars, filthy cars, or more washing time might warrant a larger tip.

• Kiosks with ZERO human interaction: If you’re buying something from a vending machine or self-serve kiosk, tipping is definitely not mandatory or expected. (And it’s kind of shocking if these places ask!)

Ultimately, tipping is not just about following social norms; it's about showing appreciation for the service provided and spreading a little bit of kindness in the world. So, next time you find yourself in a tipping situation, take a deep breath, embrace the uncertainty, and remember that a well-placed tip can make someone's day – and maybe even earn you a few extra smiles along the way. 💪💪💪 

Related stuff:

• 💻 HTM Blog: 10 Money Etiquette Tips Everyone Should Know

• 📊 Bankrate: Tipping Survey & Stats 2023

• 🎧 Podcast Ep #281: How giving away money will make you richer

TOGETHER WITH ACORNS**

Round Up & Invest Your Spare Change

Acorns is an app that lets you save without thinking about it. Every day, it rounds up your spending transactions and saves/invests that spare change. You can build up an e-fund, begin investing for retirement, or even set up a gift account for your kids!

The average Acorns customer saves $166 within 4 months — all from rounding up spare change.

If you find it difficult to save and want to round up spare change in the background, get started with Acorns!

INVESTING

Dividend Reinvestment Plans (aka DRIP)

A couple of weeks back we recommended that everyone check their retirement and brokerage accounts to ensure that dividend reinvestment is set up.

We just want to reiterate how important this is because if you’re not reinvesting those dividends it means that cash is building up and sitting on the sidelines and you’re not taking full advantage of the compounding you should be enjoying.

This can drastically lower your potential growth over many years — (by like hundreds of thousands of dollars!!!) 👇👇👇

Most people don’t realize:

• Almost ALL the index funds and ETFs we love and recommend pay a dividend, usually 4x per year. Total stock market funds, S&P 500, etc.

• Many brokers make dividend reinvestment a manual setting you need to check when you set up your account, make trades, migrate funds, or roll over accounts.

The bottom line is, check your accounts and then re-check every time you make a major change (like rollover or start a new job or whatever!)

Related stuff:

• 📊 Setting up DRIP: Here are guides for Vanguard, Fidelity, and Schwab

• 👨‍💻 Investopedia: DRIP plans explained

ICYMI

Buzzing around the internet...

BNPL 🤮
Buy Now Pay Later programs are getting worse…. A new Consumer Reports study shows many new BNPL offerings are actually more expensive than using a high-interest credit card! A good reminder: If you don’t have the cash in the bank to cover a purchase… don’t buy it!

Couples 👩‍❤️‍👨
Here’s a cool post from WSJ about setting spending limits with your significant other… “A cap on purchases reduces conflict and preserves financial autonomy in a relationship”

Realtor Jobs 🏠
Now is probably not a great time to become a realtor… Check out this chart showing single-family home inventory vs. the number of licensed realtors! More people + less work = a lot of competition and potentially meager earnings.

AI Exposure 👨‍💻
Will your job be replaced (or heavily assisted) by AI? Pew Research just published a bunch of data showing which US workers are most exposed to AI. Something to keep in mind!

FRIENDS OF HTM

Coach Carson’s New Book Is Out!

You don't need a big, scaled-up real estate empire to achieve financial freedom… Feel free to start, and stay, small. Just a few rental properties can change your life (and financial trajectory) over the course of a decade or two.

Chad Carson (aka “Coach”) is the most humble, authentic, and FUN person we know in the real estate investing game. We like his work because it’s smart, approachable, and repeatable.

And he just released a new book! It details strategies to get started with rental properties, as well as dozens of real-life stories and examples. Check it out! (and if you’re not following him, here’s his Insta, website, and YouTube channel!

Thanks for reading! Wishing you a great day ahead, doing what you do best. 💪

Best friends out 🍻