Here's a quick run down on who I am, and why I'm so passionate about my message!
I'm LaJuan
I'm from Trinidad & Tobago, a small island in the Caribbean, but I've lived in Japan collectively for 6 years and still currently live here. Before I became known as "The Minimalist guy", "The Frugal living guy" or the guy my friends came to ask money questions to, I was living in single parent home with a mom that just did NOT understand finances.
I love her very much, and we've come incredibly close to having everything, from our home, to the washing machine repossessed in my lifetime. There were weeks on end when I'd be afraid to ask for anything because I KNEW I was about to be told quite aggressively "I don't have any money!".
Everything in the house was on credit besides myself and my mom. I was definitely loved by a caring, reasonable mother, but when it came to money matters, its as if another person took over.
This was the experience of her parents before her as well, aka my grandparents. There was no one to teach them, and then no one to teach my mom, and then it came down to me and my siblings. The third generation of people destined to never have enough.
The third generation to tie anger, fear or anxiety to financial conversations.
I said F**K THAT!
It was a struggle because of how much bad information I've had to unlearn after YEARS of it being programmed into me that having NO money was the norm, having a boss is the only way to earn money and collecting as much stuff (ON CREDIT) as I could is a sign that I'm doing well.
Just so you know I really made it out of the 'slums' financially, here's a fun little highlight list of my "stupid with money" moments :
I walked 9 hours to an airport with 40kg of luggage because I didn't know how to not spend every dollar I had.
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I borrowed money on a credit card and didn't know it had interest until I landed in 4 figure USD debt and it was called due (thankfully).
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I had to borrow money to pay an electricity bill in the middle of winter because I spent the bill money at a bar.
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I went completely broke in 4 different countries on vacation (I walked to the airport in every situation) and borrowed money to eat in every situation.
I'm embarking on this mission to share what I learnt because I took things personally.
I took the fact that my family suffered generations of financial insecurity personally - So I spent years listening to NOTHING but finance podcasts, reading finance books, practicing financial principles and now I want to tell it to anyone that would listen so they can free themselves from several lifetimes of stress.
I took the fact that my Multinational Corporate Airline employers paid me less than half of what they paid other people "because of where I lived." despite working the same hours - So I spent years learning how to find clients, grow a business and make money online.
I took the fact that people try to persuade you to buy things to prove you have worth, personally - So I learnt to live with as little as possible and love myself much more.
That chip I had on my shoulder just 3 years ago, actually turned out to be a recipe for freedom at any financial level. Today I can quit any job, move to any country, earn enough to survive, save and invest.
I'm NOT a millionaire and I don't pretend ever to be, I'm just someone that's figured out how to become a millionaire, and is crafting the most fun way to do it. I currently work as a part-time english teacher in Japan. I have a salary that comes in monthly from that, and I live in a way that the part time salary covers all of my expenses, and leaves room for me to save and invest into this business I'm growing.
At the same time, I earn income from youtube, and have freelance video editing, website building, video marketing, content creation etc... all as potential sources of income that I don't utilise as they're not the thing I really want to do with my life. But I feel peace knowing that I can at any time go back to any one of those as income.
I've optimised my life for flexibility, but that doesn't mean its right. Its just what I've decided I wanted. I don't like dealing with hiring, I don't like big complicated systems, I'd like to just wake up, do what I enjoy and go on about my day.
You know what you enjoy, and even if you don't the minimalist content on this site can help you figure that out. If I can be a stepping stone on your journey to creating what you want, it would be a treat.