Skills

The practical things a capable man can do. Short guides, no filler, no life story first.

The BRO Survival & Preparedness GuideThe printable family manual: a kit and go-bag builder, water and food calculators, the core skills and a family emergency plan.Get ready, calmly

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Pension Choices, Lump Sum or Monthly Check

The election form takes ten minutes to sign and you can never take it back. Slow down and run the numbers with your wife at the table.

GuideSide HustlesRay Okonkwo23 Sept 20266 min

What Freelance Bookkeeping Actually Pays From a Home Office

Real hours per client, what it costs to start, what a full book of business brings in, and the four kinds of client you should turn down.

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Pressure-test my business idea

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GuideReal EstateRay Okonkwo23 Sept 20266 min

The Repairs Worth Making Before You Sell, And The Ones That Aren't

A new roof can move a sale. A new kitchen usually just moves your money. How to spend the last dollar before listing.

Dude.com — 16 advisers who listen, talk and pray with you

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Retirement6 min read

How to pick a low-tax retirement state without getting burned

No income tax sounds great until the property bill and the homeowners premium show up. A plain-English way to compare states before you move.

Poll

Where does your phone charge overnight?

GuideSide HustlesRay Okonkwo23 Sept 20266 min

The Side Hustle Offers That Cost You Money Instead of Paying You

How to spot an MLM, a reshipping scheme or an upfront-fee job in about ninety seconds, and what each one actually costs when it goes wrong.

GuideReal EstateRay Okonkwo23 Sept 20266 min

How to Buy and Sell a House at the Same Time Without Owning Two

The double-close is a scheduling problem with money attached. Contingencies, rent-backs, bridge loans, and what breaks at 3 p.m. on closing day.

Shirts.com — Design it with AI. Wear it this week.

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GuideRetirementRay Okonkwo23 Sept 20265 min

Downsizing Sounds Like Free Money Until You Run the Numbers

Selling the family house rarely frees up as much cash as the kitchen-table math suggests. Do it anyway if the numbers work, but do the real numbers first.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

Five questions, honestly answered, and a plan for the next fortnight.

GuideSide HustlesRay Okonkwo23 Sept 20266 min

What to Set Aside for Taxes on Side Income From Dollar One

Open a second checking account, move 30 percent of every payment out of reach, and learn the four things the IRS actually wants you to track.

GuideReal EstateRay Okonkwo23 Sept 20266 min

House hacking a duplex when your tenant shares your wall

Live in one side, rent the other, and let the loan do some of the work — plus the documents, the fees and the arguments nobody warns you about.

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Rehearse the raise conversation with me

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$The Social Security math married couples keep getting wrong$

GuideRetirementRay Okonkwo23 Sept 20266 min

The Social Security math married couples keep getting wrong

A spousal benefit tops out at half. A survivor benefit can be the whole check. The gap between those two numbers shapes a widow's entire budget.

Delicious.com — Nine thousand recipes and a plan for tonight

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GuideTradesRay Okonkwo23 Sept 20266 min

Licensing, Insurance and Your First Ten Customers

You can be running your own trade business a year from now. The order you do things in decides whether you make money or just make noise.

Poll

When did you last ask for a raise?

$The Math Your First Rental House Has To Pass$

GuideReal EstateRay Okonkwo23 Sept 20266 min

The Math Your First Rental House Has To Pass

Before you fall for the kitchen, run the four numbers that decide whether a single-family rental pays you or bills you every month.

GuideRetirementRay Okonkwo23 Sept 20266 min

How One-Income Families Make Retirement Work

The spousal IRA, the survivor gap and the pension election that quietly decides whether your wife is fine at 78.

Names.com — The name is the first thing you sell

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GuideSide HustlesRay Okonkwo23 Sept 20266 min

What to Charge for Saturday Handyman Work

The license threshold, the insurance nobody skips twice, and the hourly math that tells you whether giving up Saturday is worth it.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

Six questions. No email required, no sales pitch at the end.

Real Estate6 min

How To Screen A Tenant Without Landing In Court

Retirement6 min

Claiming Social Security At 62, 67 Or 70

Ask BRO

Build me a revision plan that I will actually stick to

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GuideSide HustlesRay Okonkwo23 Sept 20266 min

What eBay and Facebook Marketplace Actually Pay After Fees

A drill kit that sold for $120 put $71 in my pocket. Run the same math before you list, and know which things aren't worth the box.

CancerDefying.com — The research, protocols and reading in one place

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Real Estate5 min read

The Questions That Separate A Good Agent From A Busy One

Most people hire the first agent who returns a call. Twenty minutes of real questions will tell you who actually knows your market.

Poll

When did you last ask for a raise?

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