📣 MMV Pro Membership

On a positive note, the MMV Pro membership will go live shortly! I’m finalizing my custom-built Personal Finance Dashboard that’s designed to be very easy to manage and use without many manipulations needed. This spreadsheet will be included with all MMV Pro memberships. 

What else is included in MMV Pro:

✅ Real-life case studies of people’s money journeys including full breakdown of numbers, mistakes, and lessons learned
✅ Personal Finance Dashboard
✅ Net Worth Tracker
✅ Interviews with vetted guests
✅ AMAs with greater transparency
✅ Lifetime access to all posts
✅ Community forum (future release)
✅ Mini-courses (future release)

Once released, the early members will lock the MMV Pro membership at the lowest price it will ever be, even when more features and tools are released.

Recent News

Business & Economy News 📈💰

🤖 OpenAI launches new GPT-5 model for all ChatGPT users
Apparently, GPT-5 is 🔥. Free users can use GPT-5 as well (though limited).

🪫 EV sales soar as Trump axes $7,500 tax credit: ‘People are rushing out’ to buy, analyst says
Thinking of getting an EV? Tbh, Elon will probably slash prices by $7,500 after Sept. 30.

📸 Instagram takes on Snapchat with new ‘Instagram Map’
I don’t see the reason for this roll out. With how many creeps there are, this is just not a good idea imo. People have concerns about privacy especially with Meta..

The Brief

From Burnout to Balance

Part 1: Rich in pay, but poor with time

After a few years of consulting as a junior staff and as a freshly minted MBA grad, I thought I made it.

✅ $200K total compensation
✅ Leading project teams
✅ Performance bonuses that could be as much as $40,000

Do you remember the famous line by Uncle Ben? 

I was quickly thrown into the fire and I was definitely working for the pay I was getting. My average day started at 7:00 AM and ended at 7:00 PM but there were days when it would end at 10:00 PM. 

I had very little control over my time as my calendar was filled with back-to-back Teams meetings across 3 different projects and teams along with expectations to help with business proposals for new work.

This went on for two years.

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Part 2: I was laid off and I felt happy

When I finally got laid off for not returning to the office, it was a huge sign of relief. 

I knew it was coming and was waiting for it. 

An overcast of anxiety that hovered above me quickly disappeared. It was surreal how quickly it happened.

For the first time in two years, I felt calm. 

No more late nights working or Sunday Scaries.

Prior to having this job, I was amped up for the increased pay. For this kind of pay, I was willing to suffer. However after going through it, I realized that after a certain point, the hours worked weren't worth the extra money. I was working more hours than I’ve ever worked and I wasn’t enjoying the work at all.

It wasn’t just when I was working either. I was always “on”, thinking about work at night before bed and on Sundays. 

My job was also putting a strain on my relationship.

I immediately knew that the layoff was a forcing function for my wellbeing. I needed it because I wasn’t going to quit on my own. The money was too good.

Even though I was jobless with bills to pay and a girlfriend (now wife) to keep happy, I was LESS anxious and MORE relaxed than when I was employed. 

Part 3: Am I jobless or retired?

For a year, I was in a limbo between jobless and retired. Thankfully, all those years I prepared my finances and invested in real estate allowed me to take an extra long break that ended up lasting a whole year.

When friends asked what I was up to, I just said I wasn’t working and half jokingly said that I retired. I knew I wasn’t actually retired even though my finances could’ve kept me afloat for years. I just needed a break.

However, I feel like all I did was rest. I realize now that it was a mistake to not have specific goals to pursue during that time. I should’ve worked on SOMETHING. I was just so relieved from getting out of that job that all I did was relax.

And because I wasn’t getting a paycheck, I had to keep an eye on my bank account to make sure I wasn’t overspending. 

I was getting bored and was tired of budgeting intensely, so after 6 months a job didn’t sound bad anymore. I was well rested to get back to work and to have a normal routine again.

I started casually applying to jobs and I was getting excited about the idea of going back to work and having steady money coming in. 

Part 4: Lower salary but comfortable

I managed to get a role in the federal government in the DC metro. Thankfully, my wife was on board with it and I’m truly grateful to her for supporting me on this huge change.

The pay was ⅔ of what I was making before. I knew what I was getting into but it was enough to live comfortably on. Plus I was bringing in cash flow from my rental portfolio.

At that point, I’m very happy with my decision. The job ended up being exactly as I expected. The work isn’t stressful at all (partly because I don’t let it be) and the hours are what I expected them to be. I never work past 40 hours a week. We ended up moving to a great location and we both like where we work. 

Life is good.

Part 5: Getting too comfortable and wanting more

Now a year in, I know how to do my job well (so much so that I got a $3,500 bonus in my third month). 

But I can’t deny that there are days when I question my pivot and the path that I’m on.

My former classmates from MBA school are leveling up in their careers. The consultants I started with at Big4 have been promoted to Manager and Senior Manager. 

Is this really where my corporate career will end while people in my network continue to move up the ladder and get paid double or even triple my salary?

I almost feel like the last 4 years I spent in MBA school and working in a boutique consulting firm were wasted. Did I need to do all that just to get here? Absolutely not. 

For the past two months, I was in this weird phase of entertaining the idea of going back to the private sector for more money or committing on my current path.

The reason I want more is because I want to be able to provide my wife with luxuries like a custom-built house, a Porsche, and most importantly, give her the option to retire without sacrificing that higher quality of life.

Part 6: My Plans From Here

Regardless, I’m locked in my role until next summer since I took a 20% bonus in exchange for a two year service agreement.

The only logical option right now is to wait since I can’t leave my current role until next year.

I could either look for a high-paying private sector job or apply to GS-14 positions. If I stayed in the federal government, I can expect to increase my salary to about $153,000. I’m currently making around $136,000. Not bad at all..

The whole point of me going to this line of work was to improve my overall wellbeing.

I love have more time to do things I enjoy like:

1. Going to the gym regularly vs whenever I ended work early enough 

2. Being able to go out regularly with my wife for date nights

3. Actually enjoying my Sundays without anxiety building up

These 3 changes improve my own health (physically and mentally) and improve my relationship with my wife.

A lot of money is nice but quality of life is and will always be more important.