.

National Best Selling Author & CPA | I help parents become millionaires | 3,000+ Budgetdog Academy families and counting | START NOW 👇🏻

[Brennan Schlagbaum, CPA @Budgetdog_]

Budgetdog will change the lives of millions 💯

[Brennan Schlagbaum, CPA @Budgetdog_]

“I can’t get out of debt”

“I can’t retire”

“I can’t quit my 9-5”

All small ways of thinking.

You can.

You just have to think bigger. I see people doing it daily. It’s the norm in my community. This, put into action, will be the single best advice you ever receive.

[Brennan Schlagbaum, CPA @Budgetdog_]

Claude cowork and code is wildly confusing to use. A whole new world. Literally staring at computer and about to toss it out the window. The robots officially won.

[Brennan Schlagbaum, CPA @Budgetdog_]

Jokes that are going too far:

- $25 fast food meals
- Paying property taxes
- $400k "starter homes"
- 3% raises with 4% inflation
- Daycare costing more than rent
- Working your whole life to "enjoy" 10 years of retirement

Hilarious. Truly.

[Brennan Schlagbaum, CPA @Budgetdog_]

It's insane that we've gotten to a point where this is considered normal 🙄

What am I missing?

Let me know in the comments...

And follow me for more @Budgetdog_ 🤝🏻

[Brennan Schlagbaum, CPA @Budgetdog_]

Building wealth is 1000x easier with the right partner.

(Hit the link if you're ready to fix your finances as a team: https://t.co/sGtJxGbOrx )

Want proof?

When Erin and I got married at 23, we were over $304k in debt.

- We had no financial education
- We didn't have rich parents or handouts
- We wanted a better future for our children

We could've fixed things the "normal" way...

Try to cut back individually, pay off our own debts, work with "my money" and "her money"...

But instead, we took a note out of the pastor's book and tackled the problem together:

-> We combined our accounts
-> We built a "zero based budget" around our values
-> We automated investments into low cost ETFs
-> We started making financial decisions TOGETHER

A year later, we were debt free.

7 years later, we were millionaires.

Today, our investments make more than our old jobs ever did.

None of it would've worked if we were rowing in different directions.

But because we were aligned from day one, we made infinitely more progress than we ever could alone.

If you want to do the same...

I'm running a FREE event on May 23rd to help.

You'll learn 👇🏻

✅ A stupid simple 30-min/mo system to automate financial life as a team

✅ Exactly how 3,000+ couples have grown their net worth by an avg $79k in 6 months

✅ How to build generational wealth for your children (even if you're starting from zero)

Get your free ticket here → https://t.co/sGtJxGbOrx

[Brennan Schlagbaum, CPA @Budgetdog_]

Human psychology is perfectly designed to prevent long-term wealth building.

- Crave immediate gratification
- Fear uncertainty and volatility
- Follow the crowd instead of thinking independently
- Increase lifestyle spending as income rises
- Avoid boredom and consistency
- Let emotions override systems
- Seek comfort over discomfort
- Want quick wins instead of compounding
- Compare ourselves to others constantly
- Underestimate what decades can produce
- Overestimate how much time we have
- Avoid learning things that make us feel stupid
- Sabotage long-term goals for short-term dopamine
- Rationalize bad decisions to protect our ego
- Want status signals before financial security
- Quit too early because results feel invisible at first
- Confuse movement with progress
- Wait for motivation instead of building discipline
- Consume more than we create
- Default to what feels good today instead of what builds freedom tomorrow

Long-term wealth is rarely a math problem.

If you don’t build an automated financial system, you don’t have a chance.

[Brennan Schlagbaum, CPA @Budgetdog_]

Owning a parking lot seems like a very intriguing business.

Any contacts on here that do this effectively?

[Brennan Schlagbaum, CPA @Budgetdog_]

I find it ironic people will virtue signal about “ethical investing” while owning a total market ETF 😂

[Brennan Schlagbaum, CPA @Budgetdog_]

Did an IG Live this morning and asked people when they’ll be financially free.

One woman said 34 years.

After talking to her, I know it realistically shouldn’t take nearly that long.

But she settled for that timeline so it became her reality.

Most people don’t live their potential.

They live what they’ve accepted.

Your reality today is because you settled for it.

[Brennan Schlagbaum, CPA @Budgetdog_]

Narrative will shift.

Sentiment will change.

Popular opinion will turn.

Pricing adjustments will happen.

But disciplined investors buying and holding low cost ETFs through all of it will continue building wealth anyway.

[Brennan Schlagbaum, CPA @Budgetdog_]

I don't care about politics...

But Trump is literally telling Americans where to invest in 2026.

Here's how his $1.9T agenda can make you rich:

(Without picking a single stock)

1. AI Infrastructure ($1.2T)

Stargate is building $500B worth of AI data centers...

And big tech is dropping another $700B on "AI Infrastructure"

(GOOG, META, AMZN, MSFT)

All in, that's $1.2 TRILLION flowing into tech.

2. American Reshoring ($700B+)

In response to heavy tariffs...

U.S. & foreign companies pledged billions in domestic investments:

-> Apple: $600B (tech)
-> AstraZeneca: $50B (pharma)
-> GlobalFoundries: $16B (chips)
-> Stellantis: $13B (auto)

American companies get the contracts, jobs, & profits.

3. Space ($27.5B)

NASA's 2026 budget came in at $27.5B.

That includes $10B from the "Big Beautiful Bill"...

And the biggest winners are:

-> Satellite comms (Viasat, Iridium)
-> Defense (Lockheed, Northrop)
-> Aerospace (Honeywell, L3Harris)

4. Rare Earths & Critical Minerals ($12B)

To avoid dependence on China...

Trump just launched a strategic reserve called "Project Vault."

The money is earmarked to stockpile rare minerals...

So U.S. miners like MP Materials & Albemarle win big.

Here's where 99% of people get it wrong.

They read the headlines, hear the trillions, and try to pick the winner.

-> They buy Nvidia at the top
-> They bet on penny stocks
-> They chase whatever's hot

But picking stocks is always a gamble...

So here's what I'm doing instead:

I'm buying:

-> $VTI (every U.S. stock)
-> $VWO (emerging markets)
-> $VXUS (international stock)

That covers:

-> Every rare earth miner
-> Every reshoring supplier
-> Every new data center for AI

No stock picking required 😉

Here's the full blueprint:

1. Open a brokerage (Fidelity or Vanguard)

2. Choose your account type:
-> Roth IRA for retirement
-> Taxable brokerage for flexibility

3. Set up "auto transfers" from your paycheck

4. Buy 1-5 ETFs on a fixed schedule

5. Turn on dividend reinvestment

My wife and I have been doing this since we were 23.

- We never timed the market
- We never picked stocks
- We never got lucky

We lived below our means, earned as much as possible, & invested the difference in ETFs.

That's all it took to become millionaires by 30 🙏🏻

We're not some anomaly.

The VAST majority of high earners can build generational wealth with money they already earn.

We've taught 3,000 families how to do it already...

And if you want to be next 👇🏼

I'm taking on 5 families to work directly with my team:

-> You must be willing to change
-> You must study for 1 hr per week
-> You must make $100k+ as a household

Check the link in my bio and I'll see if we're a good fit 🤝🏻

[Brennan Schlagbaum, CPA @Budgetdog_]

We wake up without alarms.

We have coffee together every morning.

We play at the park with our daughters.

We never check our phones at dinner.

We work on things we ACTUALLY care about.

And that means more than the money ever will.

We're not some anomaly.

Half of the high earners we know are in the same exact spot:

Living paycheck to paycheck
Feeling broke despite “good money”
Knowing they should do better

The ONLY difference between us and them is action.

[Brennan Schlagbaum, CPA @Budgetdog_]

Just a reminder you should spend your money.

You don’t need to hoard everything. As long as you’re a responsible adult holding back a healthy %, you should learn to let go. Scarcity mode gets you nowhere.

FYI: You’ll likely get richer learning this skill.

[Brennan Schlagbaum, CPA @Budgetdog_]

$META in 2022 was one of the most obvious buys in the last 10 years.

I’m not sure we have anything in the market right now that comes close to that buy.

One could argue $ADBE or $PYPL. Financials strong. But I don’t see the same level of growth and use case that was so obvious with $META.

[Brennan Schlagbaum, CPA @Budgetdog_]

I respect parents that have high quality kids more than anyone in society tbh

[Brennan Schlagbaum, CPA @Budgetdog_]

If your "budget" lives in your head, read this:

It doesn't matter how much you make...

You need a written budget:

- What your expenses are
- What you spend money on
- How much progress you'll make

This is THE foundation to a successful financial future 👇🏼

1) Budget Structure

Everything works better in %s

If you want an easy life, use this template:

- 30% home
- 10% car
- 10% food
- 10% entertainment
- 10% emergencies
- 5% misc
- 5% utilities/phone/wifi
- 20% investments

(net, not gross pay)

2) Personalization

Everybody has different priorities.

So if you prioritize cars more than your home...

Or convenience more than entertainment...

Just move the %s in your pie.

Example:
30% home + 10% car ->
25% home + 15% car

3) Debt & Investing

My default is "ABI"...

("Always be investing" 😉)

But it depends on your situation.

When Erin and I were 23, we paused investing ENTIRELY to pay off $76k of debt.

There's no universal rule here...

Just whatever helps you sleep at night.

4) Investing Order

For the best tax advantages, I like this order best:

401k/403B/457B (to match)
Company ESPP with discount
Max Roth/Traditional IRA
401k/403B/457B (to 15% of gross income)
Max HSA
Taxable Brokerage (unlimited)

Then buy 1-5 low cost ETFs on repeat.

(I like $VTI, $VWO, & $VXUS)

5) The Retirement Formula

Retirement is a number, not an age.

All you need 25x your yearly expenses.

So if you want to retire in...

40 years? Invest 10%
20 years? Invest 40%
10 years? Invest 60%
5 years? Invest 80%

(net monthly income)

6) The "Perfect" Budget

A budget is only as good as the person sticking by it...

So YOU have to be comfortable with the spending & saving amounts.

YOU have to believe in it.

Cookie cutter budgets never work out long term.

7) Automating Success

The end goal is to calculate what percentages work for you, then plug it into a spreadsheet.

This will take the guesswork out of your finances indefinitely.

(so you have time to make more $$)

Hope this helps!

Share it with someone who could use it...

And follow me for more 🤝🏻

[Brennan Schlagbaum, CPA @Budgetdog_]

Haven’t had a protein shake in years.

Most protein supplements are garbage.

Mostly can get all protein from natural foods anyway. Just have to plan better.

Won’t go as far as saying the supplement industry is a scam, but most things are usually not needed.

[Brennan Schlagbaum, CPA @Budgetdog_]

I’m having a hard time thinking college, as we know it today, will be relevant by the time my girls are of age.

I really don’t think it will be.

And I do wonder if/how the 529 rules will change.

Almost makes me want to shift it to the parent taxable brokerage.

[Brennan Schlagbaum, CPA @Budgetdog_]

I married Erin with $304k in debt.

10 years later, we’re multimillionaires.

Here's every lesson I learned about money and marriage:

1. Never stop dating.

2. Never keep score.

3. Never raise your voice.

4. Your marriage is either getting stronger or dying. Coasting doesn't exist.

5. Marriage doesn't get boring. People stop trying.

6. Twenty minutes talking in bed beats two hours watching TV.

7. The thing you're fighting about is never the thing you're fighting about.

8. Say "I'm sorry" faster than you say "I told you so."

9. Put your phone down when they speak. Email will still exist in 20 minutes.

10. You are the 5 people you spend the most time with. Your spouse is 4 of them.

11. Date nights are cheaper than divorce lawyers.

12. The day you have kids is the day your parents become human.

13. Your friends with the "perfect life" are financing it at 24% APR.

14. If you can't talk about your salary, you shouldn't be sharing a bed.

15. Arguments are about being heard, not being right.

16. "For better or worse" includes bankruptcy and windfalls.

17. It doesn't matter how much you make. It matters how much you keep.

18. Keep doing the little things.

19. A stay-at-home parent saves you $88k/year (minimum).

20. Nobody on their deathbed wishes they'd worked more overtime.

21. If you can't manage $100k, you'd destroy $1M. Income isn't the issue.

22. Your partner should take priority over your parents.

23. You're not too busy to budget. You're too scared to see the numbers.

24. Time doesn't heal relationships. Gratitude and resentment compound.

25. Being home doesn't count if you're thinking about the office.

26. If you don't talk about money before kids, you'll fight about it after.

27. If managing money takes longer than date night, you're doing both wrong.

28. Your financial plan should outlive you both.

29. Your kids would rather have present parents than private school.

30. Choosing a great spouse is the highest ROI decision you'll make.

If you want to fix your finances as a couple...

I'm running a FREE event to help👇🏻

✅ The 30-min/mo system to automate your entire financial life
✅ How 3,000+ couples grew their net worth by an avg $79k in 6 months
✅ How to fund your kids' future AND your retirement (without choosing between them)

Get your free ticket her 🎟️ -> https://t.co/sGtJxGbOrx