Happy Tuesday,

Angelo here! Welcome to New Money, where we go over weekly tips to help you build your wealth, one dollar at a time.

Today’s edition:

• What actually changed my financial life

• The habits quietly building real wealth

• Meta layoffs, Nvidia earnings, and more…

🍎Wealth Tip of the Week

I started at $42,000 a year and had no real plan.

I didn't have a mentor. I didn't have much money to start with. I made almost every mistake you can imagine along the way.

But my portfolio looks completely different now. 

And it wasn't a secret strategy or a lucky break. Just five things done consistently until they actually worked. 

Here's what they are.

1. Stop Performing Wealth 

Everyone wants to show the highlights. I get it. I do it too. 

The problem isn't celebrating progress. The problem is spending money to look like you have progress you haven't made yet. 

The new car before the emergency fund. The expensive apartment before the investments. 

Performing a version of success that's running on credit instead of actual wealth. 

Post the wins. Just make sure the wins are real first. 

Here's what to do:

• Ask yourself honestly, “Is this purchase moving me forward or just making me look like it is?”

• Pick one expense you're carrying for appearance and redirect it to savings this month

• Build the foundation first. The lifestyle will come and it'll actually be yours when it does.

2. Your Circle Shapes Your Money Mindset

Growing up in an immigrant household, money was survival first and nothing else.

You worked hard, you paid your bills, you kept your head down. Investing felt like something rich people did. 

Wealth building wasn't even a concept we had language for.

And when that's your normal growing up, you don't question it. You just inherit the relationship with money that was modeled for you.

The thing nobody tells you is that your environment shapes your financial decisions.

You can want to build wealth. But if nobody around you is doing it, talking about it, or even thinking about it, it stays a dream instead of a plan. 

That changed for me when I found one person who was actually building something. 

One conversation shifted what felt possible. 

Here's what to do:

• Find one person, community, or group whether online or in person where building wealth is a normal topic of conversation

• Engage with content that makes financial growth feel achievable not out of reach

• You don't have to leave where you came from just make sure where you're going is somewhere in your environment too!

3. Be Intentional With Your Time 

I used to spend money without even realizing I was doing it. 

Scroll, see something, order it. Bored on a Saturday, find something to do that costs money. Stressed after work, buy something to feel better.

It was never really about needing the thing. It was about filling time.

And the system is designed to keep you there. Every notification, every ad, every limited time offer is engineered to get you to spend before your logic catches up. 

Here's what I realized. The most financially disciplined people aren't necessarily grinding harder than everyone else. They're just more intentional with their hours.

When your time is filled with things that cost nothing like building a skill, working out, creating, learning, the impulse spending naturally drops. 

You're not restricting yourself. You just stopped being bored enough to spend.

Your free time is either working for you or costing you. 

Here's what to do:

• Pay attention to when you spend impulsively. What were you doing, how were you feeling?

• Identify one trigger: boredom, stress, late night scrolling and replace it with something that costs nothing

• The money you stop spending unconsciously is money that works for you without you having to earn more

4. Start Investing Before You Feel Ready 

Most people think investing is a risky move. The real risk is doing nothing.

Inflation is running at 3.8% right now. The highest it's been in nearly three years.

That $1,000 sitting in your checking account today will only have the buying power of around $690 in 10 years. You didn't lose it to a bad stock. You lost it to doing nothing.

Before you invest a single dollar make sure your savings aren't sitting idle losing value.

Once that foundation is in place, investing is the next move.  

My very first investment was cannabis stocks. I threw in $100 and lost almost all of it. 

But because I started small the lesson only cost me $100. If I had waited until I had real money and made that same mistake with $10,000 that's a completely different story. 

Starting small isn't a disadvantage. The mistakes are cheap and the lessons are permanent.

Once you start, your emotions become your biggest enemy. 

Bad headlines make you want to pull out. A friend mentions a crypto that went up 500% and your long term thinking disappears. Your portfolio goes red and panic sets in.

The fix is to remove yourself from the equation. Automate everything. Set it up once and let it run. The system works in the background while you live your life.

Here's what to do:

• Open a Roth IRA — Fidelity and Charles Schwab both have no minimums to start

• Invest whatever your margin allows — $25, $50, $100 a month

• Put it in a simple index fund like VTI or VOO and don't overthink it

• If your job offers a 401k with employer matching contribute enough to get the full match that is free money

• Automate the contribution so it happens every time without you having to decide

• Leave it alone and let compounding do the work

5.  Give Your Money A Destination

Most people invest because they know they're supposed to. But they have no real target. 

No number. No destination. Just a vague idea that more money is better.

That was me for a while. Investing consistently but with no real picture of what I was actually building toward.

Then I learned the 4% rule. Here is how it works.

Take what you want to spend each year in retirement and multiply it by 25. That is your target number. 

To live on $60,000 a year, you need $1.5 million invested. Want $80,000 a year, you need $2 million.

Once you hit that number your portfolio generates enough to cover your life without you working.

It might feel far away. But it gives you something real to aim at.

Retirement isn't a magic age the government decides for you. It's a number you hit. And the earlier you start the earlier you have the option to stop working because you have to and start working because you want to.

Every dollar you invest today is working toward that number while you sleep.

Here's what to do:

• Calculate your number by taking your desired annual expenses and multiplying by 25

• Check where your portfolio stands against that number today

• Use this compound interest calculator to see what your monthly contributions get you and by when

• A rough plan executed consistently beats a perfect plan that never gets started

The account didn't change overnight. It changed slowly, then all at once.

Five things. Done consistently. Long enough to compound into something real.

You already have what it takes to start. The only question is whether you actually will.

💬Quote of the Week

📉 Market Recap

Check out some of the biggest stories shaking up money, markets, and momentum this week.

👉Uber wants to buy Delivery Hero 

Uber just doubled its stake in the German food delivery giant and is now exploring a full takeover.

Wallet Impact: Uber is making a big bet on food delivery. If you own Uber stock or use Uber Eats, this move could shape how the company grows and what it focuses on over the next few years. 

👉Meta lays off 8,000 employees to go all-in on AI

Meta cut 10% of its workforce while spending up to $145 billion on AI this year. Employees doing traditional tech work are being replaced or reassigned to AI teams.

Wallet Impact: AI is replacing jobs faster than most people expect. The best thing you can do right now is build skills that are harder to automate.

👉Space ETFs are booming ahead of the SpaceX IPO

$1.3 billion flowed into space-themed ETFs in just the last month as investors rush in ahead of SpaceX's expected June debut. 

Wallet Impact: When a big IPO like SpaceX drops everyone wants in. If SpaceX goes public and you want exposure, a broad index fund like VTI already gives you a piece of it once it hits the market.

👉Nvidia beat earnings expectations with $81.6 billion in revenue

Nvidia posted stronger than expected results driven by AI chip demand, raised its next quarter forecast to $91 billion, and announced an $80 billion stock buyback. 

Wallet Impact: When Nvidia beats it means companies are still spending heavily on AI infrastructure which keeps the broader tech sector and market momentum going. 

👀 In Case You Missed It

This is the exact ETF portfolio that helped me reach $624,945 by 25. Full breakdown here!

 🌱3 more ways I can help build your wealth

See y’all next week 🫡

Angelo Castillo

Disclaimer: The content of this newsletter is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as investment, legal, or tax advice. The views and opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of any business, employer, or other entity. Investing involves risks, including the potential loss of principal. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Readers are advised to conduct their own research and consult with qualified professionals before making any investment, legal, or financial decisions. The information provided is believed to be accurate but cannot be guaranteed. The author and publisher disclaim any liability for actions taken based on the content of this newsletter. This newsletter is not an offer to buy or sell any security. By subscribing or continuing to read this newsletter, you acknowledge and accept these terms and conditions.

Some of the links are my affiliate links. If you click on these links and sign up/purchase something, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. This helps support me and allows me to continue creating content for you. I only promote products and services I genuinely believe in. Thank you for your support!