🐧 Top 10 Editions in 2024

INSIDE: Readers' Top Choices, Financial Independence, Career Growth, Side Hustles
Dexter Zhuang
Dexter Zhuang
December 22, 2024

Hi friends, for the holidays, I’ll be taking a break from writing deep dives.

Today’s newsletter will be a round-up of the most popular editions from this past year.

Let’s dive in!

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⭐️ Top 10 Editions From 2024

Wow. What a year.

You spoke. I listened. In the past few days, I dug into your feedback on this year’s editions. And I have to say, it was on point.

In this edition, I’m going to uncover the top 10 editions that you voted for in 2024.

But before we dive in, I first wanted to share something personal:

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A short gratitude bomb 💣️ 

I’m grateful everyday to be building an online education business that leverages my superpowers. It’s fulfilling and rewarding.

But the truth is, I wouldn’t be able to do this without you.

There are creators who are obsessed with reaching 100M eyeballs, but I disagree with this approach. I fundamentally view my content as a vehicle for building deeper genuine relationships on the internet.

This goes back to why I started Money Abroad in the first place. One of the main reasons was I wanted connect with like-minded peers on a similar journey (that can otherwise feel pretty lonely).

On the internet, you’ll run into so-called “experts” everywhere. With a bit of discernment, you’ll notice they have no experience in the topics they talk about.

Money Abroad is different. The lessons I share in this newsletter, I practice in my own work and life. No-BS. Only real-world case studies and practitioner insights.

So thank you for trusting me and for being a part of a badass group of professionals living on their own terms.

(I kind of imagine us like a merry band of pirates exploring the frontier.)

Now let’s get onto how I sorted my top 10 editions:

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How I rated these newsletters 🐧 

At the end of every newsletter, readers can rate the edition with 5-penguins, 3-penguins, or 1-penguin.

I decided to rank the editions from 2024 by the number of 5-penguin ratings.

Without further ado, here’s the list:

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Top 10 Editions 🗞️ 

  1. Ultimate Guide to Semi-Retirement
  2. My $100k Side Hustle Journey
  3. The Deferred Life Plan
  4. The Secret Formula to Fulfilling Your Dreams
  5. How high net worth households allocate their wealth
  6. 3 arbitrage strategies I used to save or make money
  7. 7 geoarbitrage strategies to save or make money
  8. How I'd invest $100k today
  9. 17 life lessons I learned at 33
  10. 9 FIRE alternatives you need to know
  11. How to Negotiate a $10k+ Raise (I know I said 10, but was proud of it and barely missed the mark)

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What were the common themes?

I noticed 5 core themes across these various editions:

  • Alternative approaches to financial independence: Semi-retirement, FIRE alternatives, asset allocation, investing
  • Career growth: Salary negotiation, balancing present enjoyment with future career goals,
  • Side hustles: How to build side hustles and portfolio careers
  • Global money and careers: Types of arbitrage (including geoarbitrage)
  • Personal reflections: Life lessons

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In summary

It’s been a hell of a year.

As we head into 2025, I’m excited to continue dishing out big servings of actionable strategies to live on your own terms.

Whether you’re a high-achiever moving up the career ladder or a founder/portfolio careerist who has already pivoted to a non-traditional path, we’ll keep writing content just for you.

You can look forward to unconventional approaches to financial independence served with a side of building a fulfilling career—and a dash of global money.

This is what Money Abroad is at heart.

🌐 Beyond your borders

🏡 Today is your friendly reminder that homeownership isn’t for everyone. Even though my wife owns an apartment in Melbourne, we’re happy to be renters. The flexibility is unmatched.

💼 Despite being an advocate for (leveraged) portfolio careers, I can also see the downsides. Like the author suggests, it’s true that major opportunities come from doubling down on your career path. With that said, it’s crucial to start with your life goals and work backwards. There’s no one-size-fits-all career.

FROM OUR READERS

What do you think of this edition? Reply or rate it at the bottom of this email.

📆 How I can help

That’s all for today!

Whenever you’re ready, here’s how I can help you:

1. Monetize Your Expertise (free) - Click here to receive my free, 5-day course teaching you the foundations of monetizing your expertise outside of your day job.

2. Part-Time Consulting Launchpad - Click to join the waitlist for my January 2025 cohort. This teaches the system I used to earn 6-figures from my consulting side hustles taking 10 hours/week.

3. Tools I use and recommend - Discover my favorite tools for my personal finances and remote business.
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4. Promote yourself to 6,000+ high-performers by sponsoring my newsletter.

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Dexter Zhuang

Dexter is the founder of Money Abroad, an online education platform that helps people live on their own terms. He writes about money and portfolio careers. Starting his career in San Francisco, he has lived and worked across Southeast Asia and Latin America for the past 6 years. He has 10+ years of experience building products and teams at public companies (Dropbox) and scaling startups (Xendit). His work has been featured in global outlets like Business Insider, CBS, and Tech in Asia. He graduated from Dartmouth College.

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