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The Smart Way to Travel for Free Using Credit Cards & Memberships
I grew up watching my mom run businesses and squeeze every benefit from loyalty programs — she called it point stacking. In this post I walk you through why I still use that approach, how it actually
Lilet Anne Santos
Feb 4, 2026 • 11 Minutes Read
Jan 29, 2026
Why SMART People Still Struggle With MONEY in 2026
I used to think abundance meant bigger cars and bigger houses. Then, as a single mom juggling three jobs and later as someone working mortgages and in
10 Minutes Read
Jan 23, 2026
This Mortgage Trap Quietly Costs Homeowners Thousands
I remember the afternoon I stared at my bank app and felt paralyzed—dozens of transactions, subscriptions I barely recognized, and a spreadsheet gathe
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Jan 21, 2026
How Depression Quietly Destroys Your Finances (And How to Heal)
I open with a short, slightly messy story: I grew up in a number-loving household but taught myself how to shop my feelings. At 15 I met clinical depr
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Jan 14, 2026
Why Most Entrepreneurs Stay Broke in 2025
I remember the first time someone told me, “You can be high-class broke.” It stung—because I’d built a brand that looked polished while my personal bo
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Jan 12, 2026
THIS Is Why Most “SMART” People Still Struggle With MONEY
I still remember milking a cow in fourth grade and learning that money could be both messy and meaningful. That odd childhood business paid for a four
10 Minutes Read
Jan 5, 2026
Affordable Homes Are a Lie (Here’s Why You’re Still Struggling)
I remember staring at a mortgage calculator and feeling my chest tighten — that monthly number looked like a cliff. You're told to trust the bank's nu
10 Minutes Read
Jan 4, 2026
The 401(k) Creator Admits What’s Wrong With Retirement Today
I still remember the first time I heard Ted Benna tell the origin story: a one-and-a-half page addition to the tax code in 1978, ignored for a year, t
10 Minutes Read
Jan 2, 2026
Bitcoin in 2026 Will Separate Believers From Doubters
I remember sitting in a living-room-style studio with Eric Runge, thinking: I barely understand Bitcoin, but I know disruption when I see it. Between
10 Minutes Read
Jan 1, 2026
How I Bounced Back: Building Resilience After Setbacks
I still remember the week everything felt like it fell apart: a health scare followed by unexpected time away from work. I had some savings, but what
11 Minutes Read
Sep 10, 2025
The Surprising World of Seller Concessions: What Homebuyers (and Sellers!) Need to Know for 2025
When I bought my first house, I thought the final price tag was the only thing that mattered—turns out, I was wrong. My closing table crash course rev
15 Minutes Read