I bought my first property at 22.

And no, it wasn’t some overnight success story.

I was waiting tables at the Ritz-Carlton in Lake Tahoeand my parents were gracious enough to co-sign.

I’m extremely lucky, and I’ll always be grateful for that help.

To make it work…I slept in 1 bedroom and rented out the other 4 bedrooms to UNR (University of Nevada, Reno) students.

House hacking before I even knew what house hacking was.

But renting rooms wasn’t the only thing I did.

One of the best side hustles I still believe exists?

Flipping electronics on eBay.

Here was my schedule for over a year:

• Thrift stores + Facebook Marketplace in the morning

• Waiting tables typically from 11am–7pm

• Listing items, packing, and shipping orders until around midnight with free packing material I got (with permission) from the Ritz Carlton recycling bins. 6 days per week.

No glam.

No shortcuts.

No watches or cars or clubs.

Just consistent effort.

That grind allowed me to save $45,000 in 15 months.

That’s:

• ~$3,000 per month

• ~$100 per day

Small numbers.

Every day.

Stacked over time.

Because of that season, I was able to buy my second property.

Not because I was special.

Not because I was smarter.

But because I was willing to trade comfort for progress, temporarily.

The internet still offers a ridiculous amount of opportunity.

But it also offers an equal amount of distraction.

One of my favorite quotes says it perfectly:

“It’s never been easier to win, but it’s also never been easier to do absolutely nothing.” - Alex Hormozi

If you’re early in your journey, remember this:

You don’t need a perfect plan.

You need momentum.

Chip away at the goal.

Every single day.

It adds up faster than you think.

P.S. What’s been a good side hustle for you? 

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