Mastering Your Financial Future

by Henrik Bacilieri This month, I started something that felt awkward, vulnerable, and kind of pointless at first: I began tracking my  net worth . Why? Because I read somewhere that  “What gets measured gets managed.” And I want to manage my growth from the  very beginning —not just when it looks impressive. At the moment, my net worth isn’t impressive at all. Honestly, it’s probably negative. But here’s the truth:  that’s where most people start . And that’s why I’m documenting it—because I don’t just want to show people the highlight reel. I want to track the whole climb. So how am I doing it? I made a basic spreadsheet. Nothing fancy—just a few columns and rows in Google Sheets. Every month, I open it up and write two numbers: 1. My Assets These are things I  own  that have value: Cash in my checking account A small amount of emergency savings I’m trying to build A few personal items I could sell if needed (laptop, camera) 2. My Liabilities These are th...

by Henrik Bacilieri One of the biggest breakthroughs I’ve had so far in my financial journey came from one simple concept: “The rich buy assets. The poor buy liabilities—and think they’re assets.” —Robert Kiyosaki,  Rich Dad Poor Dad That line hit me like a punch in the gut. Before I explain why, let me back up. Growing up, I thought owning  anything  made you successful. If you had a nice car, you were doing well. If you bought a house, you had "made it." If you had designer clothes or new electronics, people respected you. But no one ever explained the cost behind the scenes. The stress. The debt. The upkeep. The fact that sometimes, people looked wealthy but were living paycheck to paycheck. Reading that book made me realize I had it all backwards. Let’s break it down the way I had to learn it: 🔹 What’s an Asset? An  asset  is something that puts money in your pocket. Not just one time—but over and over again. It either appreciates in value or generates cash...

by Henrik Bacilieri There’s something funny about chasing financial freedom when you don’t even have money. Right now, I don’t have a savings account that impresses anyone. I don’t have stocks, bonds, or a high-income job. In fact, I’m barely a few steps ahead of where I was when I first got to the States. I’m learning, experimenting, failing, and slowly getting my feet under me. So why am I already thinking about financial freedom? Simple: because I’ve seen what life looks like  without  it. And I know deep down I want something  different . Where I come from—Sicily, Italy—money was always tight. The conversations around it were mostly centered on  survival : Can we make rent this month? Do we have enough for groceries? Will there be something left over? I don’t remember ever seeing someone who was free. People worked hard—very hard—but it never felt like it led to peace. If anything, the work just kept coming, and the life people dreamed about always stayed just ou...