Matt | The Mini-Retirement Maximalist

I recently returned from ~2 months of traveling. Italy. Wyoming. Montana. North Dakota. Not for work. But to appreciate life beyond the office. Here are some of the small moments I’ll never forget... And why you can’t afford to wait for “someday” (click here & scroll) ↓

Most people don’t believe this, but… Teaching is one of the top professions for self-made millionaires. Teachers: Invest early Have pensions Avoid lifestyle inflation Avoid massive student debt Contribute to retirement plans They don’t just grade papers. They build wealth.

@darrelltalksfi Just buy some $VTI and forget about it.

Grabbed drinks with a buddy of mine last night He already maxes out his 401(k) and IRA But still has $20k sitting in savings and doesn’t know where to invest it I told him: open a brokerage account Most people miss this step 5 reasons brokerage accounts are so underrated: 🧵

@darrelltalksfi Dude, it can be incredibly frustrating, especially when you're just starting out.

@TheMattViera Makes sense. The standard of living in NY is much higher!

For everyone asking, “Where are teachers making $100k+?” One place teachers make $100k+ is New York City.

@EmailCopyJames It comes from buying a ticket to one of your dream destinations and staying there for a month (or more).

Here’s the hard truth: Most people will never escape average lives. Why? They follow the script: school → job → retirement. They wait for permission. They copy what everyone else is doing. You don’t have to. The internet rewards builders, not followers. • Start creating skills. • Start building an audience. • Start taking control of your path. Your freedom isn’t going to come from luck. It comes from consistent action and learning.

@EmailCopyJames Yeah man, definitely relative to COL in the city. It should be a heck of a lot more.

@TheMattViera In some countries it's a lot but for NYC it'll be decent but what matters is the peace and time control

@Atlutdfandom What are the bonuses for? I haven't heard of bonuses for teachers.

@TheMattViera We live in the Atlanta suburbs. My wife is a middle school Math teacher . 20 years of service. Masters degree. She is at 95k. plus bonuses which put her right at around 100k. Median home price in this area is about 400k. Our average annual spend including Mortage is around 60k.

@6packbrands To be 29 years old again.

@TheMattViera Legend, what?!

Feels scary that I’m turning 29 in 2 months. 20s gone - just figuring things out. But here’s the upside: Now I know exactly: > what I need to do > how I need to do it Cost me 10 years. Gave me the next 50.

@dan_elston That's cool Dan. When is she thinking of retiring, if you don't mind me asking?

@BoomerDivvies That is not a bad thing. That sounds like a very good thing.

@TheMattViera I need to start taking food pics, but we’ve been eating it too fast 😂

Self-managed portfolio down over $50k as I woke up in Hong Kong to see that the S&P500 got killed on Wednesday. My broker run accounts would have been down similarly. Glad I was sleeping for all that. 😂😂 It won’t bother my holiday as volatility is part of the game.

@jackiekenoyer What's the range in CA Jackie?

@TheMattViera Wow, we need to get that over here, and pay our teachers like that.

@firstladyships A good idea for those people to find someone to talk to to process those emotions.

Some grow up in emotionally unsafe homes. They don’t just cope... they become obsessed with decoding everything, predicting everything, surviving everything.

@firstladyships Oh they deserve more LaShonda. They deserve way more.

@TheMattViera NYC really paying teachers what they deserve. 😯

@Tyler_Van_Acker Sounds like the perfect marketing strategy to visit and spend time in Europe!

How to stay fit 101: • Walk outside everyday • Do exercise that you enjoy • Hang out with other fit people Make movement a part of your identity.

@Tyler_Van_Acker It's all relative. But, truth be told... Teachers deserve way more pay.

@TheMattViera Healthcare is one of the worst industries in terms of adjusting pay relative to the cost of living. Glad to see teaching isn’t quite as bad.

@HeroDividend LOL! Costco should make its pizzas look like Bitcoin.

@TheMattViera Costco hotdog is the new Bitcoin

Gold is crashing Bitcoin is crashing The stock market is crashing The price of a Costco hotdog is staying rock solid at $1.50

@kristieds @RomanPuglise Love it! Thanks for sharing.

@TheMattViera @RomanPuglise LESSIE Low Earner. Spend Summers in Europe. Aka living the dream...

You're raking in a high salary, your resume screams success, but your bank account tells a different story. That’s the HENRY dynamic. High Earners. Not Rich Yet. And the gap between those two words — “earning” and “rich” — is where most of the stress lives. This weeks read from Playing the Long Game (in bio or 👇)

@GenXmillionaire Remove the emotion variable from the equation and you'll be alright.

Volatility is the price of admission.

@GenXmillionaire Is that right? That's good. How's the COL in Washington State?

@TheMattViera They do in Washington state.

@DalasiQueen I was unaware. Thank you for sharing.

@TheMattViera Dc also pays six figures based on experience and education.

@SymoneBeez Oh, is that right? Near DC? Thanks for sharing!

Northern Virginia too I think