TheMoneyTools

My parents grew up poor. My dad grew up in a family of 12, earned his way through college and got a decent job to support his family. After the Vietnam war, my dad volunteered to work in the deep south of the country where mines and bombs from the war were still active on the ground. Because my grandpa fought against the communist, alongside with the US, my dad knows that he would not be given a fair chance even though he was more qualified than others (he was denied for medical school admission because of the family status). He is a true definition of “Jack-of-all-trades” because he has held many jobs in many different areas from the rubber tree factory workers to woods selling to a travel agent and many more. My mother helped out my dad in the rubber tree factory for a while then she became an accountant.

I CAME TO THE USA WHEN I WAS 16 AS AN EXCHANGE STUDENT THROUGH A SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM THAT I WAS ABLE TO ACHIEVE THROUGH SCHOOL.

Spoke very little English and it was hard for me to fit in with friends. My only way was to move forward because I did not have an option to fail. My parents would be devastated and I would waste the biggest opportunity of my life. I was feeling more excited than depressed because I was so eager to discover all the new thing around me. I improved my English by doing everything I possibly could: watch a lot of TVs, read magazines, books, listen to music (rap and hip-hop especially…). One method I found that was really effective was to talk with friends because they could teach me slang and a proper way to communicate. It took me about 5 years to get to a point where I could feel confident starting a conversation with a stranger. Sometimes I encountered folks who judged me based on my accent but I did not let it bother me or slow me down. I hope my story give you motivation and courage. When I think about my career, my parents do not care what I become as long as I can support my self financially. I eventually followed in the footsteps of my uncle and became a pharmacist. I am making GOOD MONEY but I start to realize 3 things:

In 2015, with a lot of blessing, and tons of lucks, I was able to purchase a home here in Southern California and it was one of the best feeling ever. Finally, after 4 years of nonstop working, I was able to built a decent 401k retirement valued at $120,000 plus $100,000 cash in my Saving account. But don’t judge me so fast, I made a fair share of financial mistakes. Some of which cost me more than $30k. Luckily, none were detrimental to my financial health and I was able to recover. I am here to share my mistake with you guys and hope we can all learn together. I started to think about the idea of Financial Freedom and Early Retirement.

I think nothing is impossible. You just have to be smart about it.

​The key is consistency, making smart financial decisions and using the right tools. There is no need to show off your wealth by buying the new car, new cells phones, purchasing the most modern and expensive gadgets, or new expensive house. I am comfortable with what I have but I need to continue exposing my self to a new idea so that I can be better financially.

If you haven’t paid off your debt and making better financial decision in your life, you are probably reading the wrong books. To be free from debt means you can be who you want to be, find your truth self and your truth happiness. ​ A good financial plan will help you: Put away those stressful moment of your life, save those time and energy to do something you love or spend it with the family Money will automatically generated so you can devote your limited time and energy towards something else Create that fall back when you are sick and not be able to show up to work. My goal for this blog is to help you make better financial decision and create a community where friends can share their own success and failure story.