• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Financial Panther

A Lawyer Side Hustling Towards Financial Independence

  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Side Hustle Reports
  • Best Credit Card Offers
  • Money Making Bonuses
  • 70+ Side Hustle Apps/Gigs
  • Bank Account Bonuses
  • Student Loan Strategy
  • Archives
  • Press
email-iconfacebook-icontwitter-iconinstagram-iconpinterest-icon
IMG_3252
Hi, I'm Kevin and I'm an attorney, writer, gig economy expert, side hustler, and the blogger behind Financial Panther. I paid off $87,000 worth of student loans in just 2.5 years by choosing not to live like a big shot lawyer. I started this blog to share all I know about personal finance, travel hacking, and making more money by side hustling. Click here to learn more about me.
As Seen On
Popular

The Dream of Barista FIRE

The Ultimate Guide to Bank Account Bonuses

7 Best Cashback Apps That Everyone Should Use

See All
Side Hustle

The Ultimate List Of Gig Economy Apps

Latest Side Hustle Report

Monetize Your Life And Get Paid To Live

See All
Saving/Investing

How To Get a 5% Interest Savings Account

Where To Get 5% Interest Savings Accounts

The Financial Panther Money System

See All
Current Money Bonuses
Chime Bank Bonus ($100) Spiral Bank Bonus ($50)Brex Business Bank Bonus ($250) SoFi Money ($25)View All Bonuses

Doordash Dasher

Uber Eats Driver

Grubhub Delivery Driver

See All
Current Bonus Offers
Chime Bank Bonus ($100) Spiral Bank Bonus ($50)Brex Business Bank Bonus ($250) SoFi Money ($15+$25) Lili Bank Bonus ($100) SoFi Invest ($25) Yieldstreet ($100) View All Bonuses
Popular Posts
The Ultimate Guide to Bank Account Bonuses 70+ Side Hustle Gigs/Apps How To Get 5% Interest Savings Account Where To Get 5% Interest Savings Accounts View All Posts
Get Exclusive Content Delivered
Right to your Inbox.
Latest Posts
What Financial Health Means To Me

What Financial Health Means To Me

Last Updated on August 11, 2021June 27, 2017 11 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links.Financial Panther has partnered with AwardWallet and CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Financial Panther, AwardWallet, and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.

I like to think that I’m pretty financially healthy.  At 30 years old, I’m in a fairly unique position.  I’m currently debt free after paying off nearly six figures worth of student loans in just a few years.  I’ve got a sizable emergency fund that should cover me in the event of a disaster. And my net worth continues to grow each year as I continue to push myself to save as much of my income as I possibly can.

We have a plan of attack for my wife’s student loans as well.  If all goes as planned, we’ll have her debt paid off within a year or two. A dentist/lawyer couple in their early 30s paying off all of their student loans in just a few years isn’t just a unique proposition. It’s pretty much unheard of.

Most Americans struggle financially.  When I think about it, the one theme with financial health is a willingness to do things that aren’t considered normal.  If you’re a young lawyer/dentist couple like my wife and I are, the normal thing to do would be to use our paychecks to upgrade our lifestyle.  We should be living large with a fancy car, a big house, and nice clothes.

But we don’t.

That’s the normal way of doing things.  But normal doesn’t work for us.

Financial Health Means Choosing Not To Live Normally

The fact is, most people are financially unhealthy.  Most people don’t have any savings. Most people carry huge amounts of debt.  And most people opt to upgrade their life before making sure their financial house is in order.

I saw it all the time with my lawyer colleagues.  Instead of paying off their debt and building up their savings, many spent their income on upgrading their lifestyle – the luxury apartment, the fancy car, the expensive clothes. My wife’s dental school friends did the same thing.  It’s easy to see how someone can spend all day working and have no money leftover.

When I started my first job, I vowed not to fall into that trap.  I kept living like a student and threw everything I could into my student loans.  I was debt free just a few years later.  And importantly, I got myself used to living on less.  Imagine what I can do once my wife is earning a paycheck too.

How To Be Financially Healthy

Here’s what I think it takes to be financially healthy:

  • Make debt a priority. Most people just think debt is normal.  Financially healthy people know that it doesn’t have to be.  You don’t need to manage your debt.  You need to destroy it!
  • Constantly push yourself.  Just like with physical health, financial health requires pushing yourself just a little bit more each day.  Challenge yourself to save just a little bit more out of each paycheck. You’ll be surprised at what you can get yourself to do if you try.
  • Stay humble.  There’s a lot to be said about being humble.  I think that lifestyle inflation happens because there’s an idea that you need to live a certain way once you reach a certain age or get a certain type of job.  A sense of humbleness will go a long way towards your financial health.

For me, financial health has always been about doing things most people aren’t doing. Most people just aren’t financially healthy. If you want to be financially healthy, you have to do things out of the ordinary to get there.

And trust me, it’s worth the effort.

More Recommended Ebike/Scooters

Check out these other ebikes/scooters I've had the chance to do a review for:

  • GEN3 Outcross Bike – The GEN3 Outcross is a solid, affordable fat tire ebike that does a good job of doing what I need it to do. It works great for city riding, giving me a smooth ride in all conditions. It’s works really well as a winter ebike since the fat tires give it good traction over snow and ice. Check out my GEN3 Outcross Review.
  • Himiway Escape Bike – The Himiway Escape is an interesting bike for anyone looking for a moped-style ebike. If you’re a gig economy worker, the Himiway Escape is particularly interesting and it’s possible to think of it as an investment, especially if you can opt to do deliveries with the Himiway versus using a car. It’s not cheap, but you can definitely make your money back when you compare the mileage you’ll put on your car versus using an ebike. Check out my Himiway Escape Bike Review.
  • Espin Sport Bike – The Espin Sport is a good ebike for someone who is looking for an ebike that feels and rides more like a regular bike. There are many ebikes that are really only bikes in name. In reality, they’re basically electric mopeds. The Espin Sport, by contrast, is a bike you could probably ride without the battery and you’d feel like you’re just riding a regular bike. Check out my Espin Sport Review.
  • Varla Eagle One Scooter – The Varla Eagle One is an excellent scooter that can make sense for a lot of people. It can work as a primary mode of transportation. You can use it to work on gig economy apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. And it can also be a recreational vehicle if you’d prefer to use it for that. Check out my Varla Eagle One Review.
  • Fucare H3 Scooter – The Fucare H3 is a fun scooter and I’ve enjoyed testing it out. For a daily commuter or quick trips or errands, the Fucare H3 is probably the scooter I’ll use. It’s portable and easy to maneuver, so it’s just easier to take on the road when I need it. Check out my Fucare H3 Scooter Review.

More Recommended Investing App Bonuses

For additional investing app bonuses, be sure to check out the ones below:

  • M1 Finance ($50) – This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $50 for opening an account. Check out my M1 Finance Referral Bonus – Step-By-Step Guide.
  • SoFi Invest ($25) – SoFi Invest is an easy brokerage account bonus that you can earn with just a few minutes of work. Use my SoFi Invest referral link, fund your SoFi Invest brokerage account with $100 and you’ll get $25 of free stock. I also have a step-by-step guide for the SoFi Invest referral bonus.
  • Moomoo (5 free stocks) – Moomoo is a free investing app currently offering 5 free stocks (usually worth around $75-$100) if you open an account using a referral link and deposit $2,000. Read my Moomoo referral bonus guide for more information.
  • Webull (5 free stocks) – Webull also gives you 5 free stock valued between $3-$3,000 each if you open an account using my referral link. Here’s a guide I wrote about how to earn your free stocks using Webull.
  • Robinhood (1 free stock) – Robinhood gives you a free stock valued between $2.50-$225 if you open an account using my referral link.
  • Public (1 free stock) - Public gives you a free stock valued between $3-$70 if you open an account using my referral link.

More Recommended Bank Account Bonuses

If you’re looking for more easy bank bonuses, check out the below options. These bonuses are all easy to earn and have no fees or minimum balance requirements to worry about.

  • Chime ($100) - Chime is a free bank account that offers a referral bonus if you use a referral link and complete a direct deposit of $200 or more. In practice, any ACH transfer into this account triggers the bonus. This bonus is easy to earn and posts instantly, so you’ll know if you met the requirements as soon as you move money into the account. I wrote a step-by-step guide on how to earn your Chime referral bonus that I recommend you check out.
  • SoFi Money ($25) - SoFi Money is a free checking account from SoFi. They’re currently a $25 referral bonus if you open a SoFi Money account with a referral link. This is a good bank that is also 100% free, so you won’t have to worry about managing this account. Here’s a post I wrote with instructions on how to earn your SoFi Money bonus: SoFi Money Referral Bonus: Step By Step Guide.
  • Brex ($250) – Brex is a free business cash management account that is offering new users a $250 Amazon gift card if you sign up using a referral link and meet certain requirements. It’s an easy bonus to earn and well worth doing. Here is my Brex Card Referral Bonus Step By Step Guide.
  • Current ($50) – Current is a free fintech bank that’s offering new users a $50 referral bonus after signing up for an account using a referral link.Current is an easy bonus to earn and also gives you access to three savings accounts that pay you 4% interest on up to $2,000. That means you can put away up to $6,000 earning 4% interest. That’s very good and makes Current an account I recommend to everyone. Check out my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Current Bank bonus.
  • Spiral ($50) – Spiral is a fintech bank that's currently offering new customers a $50 signup bonus after opening a free checking account with them. The Spiral referral bonus is especially good because it's a free checking account and doesn't require a direct deposit to earn the bonus. Here is my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Spiral Bank bonus.
  • Nearside ($90) - Nearside is a free business checking account that’s currently offering a $40 signup bonus and a $50 referral bonus if you open a Nearside business checking account using a referral link. Filling out the application should only take you a few minutes. And the bonus terms are easy to meet. Check out my Nearside signup and referral bonus guide here.
  • OnJuno ($100) – OnJuno is a fintech/neobank that is currently offering a $100 referral bonus if you open an account using a referral link and complete a direct deposit of $250 or more. The account has no fees or minimum balance requirements. Even better, the bonus posts immediately after you meet the requirements. If you can meet the direct deposit requirements, OnJuno is an easy bank bonus that’s worth snagging. Check out my OnJuno referral bonus guide here.
  • Fairwinds Credit Union ($100) – Fairwinds Credit Union is offering a referral bonus for users that sign up using a referral link. Fairwinds has no fees or minimum balance, so this is a particularly easy bonus to earn. Since this is a smaller credit union, my gut instinct tells me this offer won’t be around long, so if you’re in a position to meet the bonus requirements, grab this bonus before it’s gone. Here is my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Fairwinds Credit Union bonus.
  • Albert ($150) – If you can manage to do a real direct deposit, Albert is an easy account you can use to earn a referral bonus. Here’s a review about Albert I wrote. And here’s a step-by-step guide on how to earn your Albert referral bonus.
  • Fifth Third Bank ($350) – Fifth Third Bank is currently offering new customers a $350 signup bonus after opening a new account and meeting certain requirements. This offer is limited to customers in the following states: Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, West Virginia, and South Carolina. If you live or visit one of these states, make sure to take advantage of this high bonus. Check out my post on Fifth Third Bank to learn more.
  • Varo ($50) – Varo is a free fintech banking app similar to Chime or Current. It’s currently offering a $50 bonus to new users that open a new Varo account with a referral link. The bonus for this bank is very easy to meet, all you need to do is spend $20 within 30 days of opening your Varo account. Check out my step-by-step guide to learn how to earn this bonus.
  • One Finance ($50) – One Finance is a fintech bank that’s currently offering a $50 signup bonus if you open an account using a One Finance referral link and have a direct deposit of $250 or more. This is a completely free bank account with no minimum balance requirement, so if you can meet the requirements, it’s worth doing. Check out my One Finance referral bonus guide here.
  • Netspend ($20 + 5% Interest Savings Account) – Netspend is a company that provides 5% interest savings accounts. If you sign up using my referral link, you’ll get a $20 signup bonus once you make your first deposit into your Netspend account of $40 or more. That means you get a 5% interest savings account and a free $20 to start! Make sure to check out my in-depth guide on how to set up these accounts.
financial panther

Kevin is an attorney and the blogger behind Financial Panther, a blog about personal finance, travel hacking, and side hustling using the gig economy. He paid off $87,000 worth of student loans in just 2.5 years by choosing not to live like a big shot lawyer.

Kevin is passionate about earning money using the gig economy and you can see all the ways he makes extra income every month in his side hustle reports.

Kevin is also big on using the latest fintech apps to improve his finances. Some of Kevin's favorite fintech apps include:

  • Personal Capital. One of best free apps you can use to monitor your portfolio and track your net worth. This is one of the apps I use to track my financial accounts.
  • SoFi Money. A really good checking account with absolutely no fees. You'll get a $25 referral bonus if you open a SoFi Money account with a referral link.
  • Brex. Brex is a free business cash management account that is currently offering new users a $250 Amazon gift card if you sign up using a referral link and meet certain requirements.
  • M1 Finance. This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $50 for opening an account.
  • Albert. A great free app I use to track my finances and save more money. You can also earn a $150 signup bonus if you open a free Albert cash account.

Feel free to send Kevin a message here.

Related

Read More

Filed Under: Debt, Financial Independence, My Story

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Mrs. Adventure Rich says

    June 27, 2017 at 8:20 am

    I like how you frame Financial Health as “not living normally” 🙂 It has certainly been true in our life! If Mr. Adventure Rich and I “lived our salaries”, we would look like a normal, middle class American couple with the nice car, decent house and all the toys we could ask for. Instead, we choose to live differently, looking for deals and living below our means in order to invest in our future. Awesome post… here’s to financial health!

    Reply
    • Financial Panther says

      June 27, 2017 at 10:59 pm

      To financial health! But yeah, if you live like normal people, you’ll be normal people. All of us reading this are probably aiming to be a little something different than normal!

      Reply
  2. Laurie@ThreeYear says

    June 27, 2017 at 9:23 am

    Congratulations on what you’ve accomplished in such a short time! Being debt free for your whole adult lives is going to create some amazing financial rewards for you guys!!

    Reply
    • Financial Panther says

      June 27, 2017 at 11:00 pm

      That’s what we’re hoping! A dentist and a lawyer with no debt could do some major damage out there!

      Reply
  3. Mao says

    June 27, 2017 at 1:55 pm

    Totally agreed! I always say that if do what everyone else is doing, you will end up like everyone else. In this case, most people have an ever increasing debt…which is not a good thing.

    Reply
    • Financial Panther says

      June 27, 2017 at 11:01 pm

      You’ve got to do something out of the ordinary if you want extraordinary results!

      Reply
  4. Christine Schwalm Design says

    June 28, 2017 at 12:46 pm

    I took a job earlier this year that substantially increased my income (figure 20K pre tax). I can afford a car and some other expensive things, but I’ve made a decision not to buy those. Why? I’ve got some credit card debt to knock out first. And I want my savings account to be higher.
    I still get to enjoy some very nice things in my life, but I realize now that I don’t have to live with debt. I have the means to finally get rid of it, but only if I live like I’m still being paid my old salary.

    Reply
    • Financial Panther says

      July 6, 2017 at 8:25 pm

      That’s the perfect way to succeed financially. Get yourself used to living on less and you’ll pretty much be able to do anything.

      Reply
  5. Mrs. Groovy says

    June 30, 2017 at 1:04 pm

    You know Dave Ramsey’s corny saying — live like no one else so that LATER you can live (and give) like no one else. OK, so a poet — he is NOT. But the intent is good.

    With no debt, by the time you’re in your early 40s, the two of you will have created some major wealth. And if you stay humble and under the radar, it will be even more fun. Let everyone else have an ostentatious home and car; you’ll have huge investment portfolio. And no one will know by looking at you, which is where the fun comes in.

    Reply
    • Financial Panther says

      July 6, 2017 at 8:25 pm

      That’s what we’re hoping to do! Millionaire next door style!

      Reply
  6. ZJ Thorne says

    August 20, 2017 at 10:03 am

    I’m still very impressed with lawyers who are able to earn the high salary and not inflate their lifestyles. Well done! I think financial health involves being able to adjust as you please. You could leave the higher paying work for lower paying work that you may find more intellectually stimulating. You could do many things. You are a three-sport athlete at this point.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Close
Side Hustle Income(View Reports)
chart-icon
$137,687
Get exclusive content delivered right to your inbox.
My Reviews
Bank Signup Bonuses (Step-by-Step)
Chime Bank Bonus ($100) SoFi Money ($25) Brex Business Bank Bonus ($250) Current Bank Bonus ($50) Spiral Bank Bonus ($50) Nearside Business Bank Bonus ($90) OnJuno Bank Bonus ($100) Fairwinds Credit Union Bonus ($100) Fifth Third Bank Bonus ($350) Varo Bank Bonus ($50) One Finance Bank Bonus ($50) Albert Cash Account ($150) Netspend Account Bonus ($20 + 5% Interest Savings Account)
Other Signup Bonuses
SoFi Invest ($25) Webull ($27-$9,600) Moomoo ($75-100) M1 Finance ($10) Arcadia Power ($40)
Finance App Reviews
Albert Savings App Prism Bill Management App Bank Novo
Side Hustle Reviews
Doordash Uber Eats Grubhub Rover Pet Sitting Wag Dog Walker Shipt Grocery Shopper Airbnb Lime Scooter Charger Observa IVueIt
Most Commented
Popular
  • Insight Card: A Step-By-Step Guide to 5% Interest(690)
  • Netspend Account: 5% Interest Savings and $20 Signup Bonus(680)
  • The Ultimate Guide to Bank Account Bonuses(142)
  • Bird Charger and Lime Juicer – Side Hustling As An Electric Scooter Charger(125)
  • My Postmates Review: Getting Paid To Bike Around Town(78)
  • I Quit My Job – Rejecting The Clear Career Path And Going Out On My Own(76)
  • Barista FIRE: Not Quite Financial Independence, But Pretty Close
  • The Reverse Latte Factor – How You Can Side Hustle Your Way To Financial Independence
  • Where To Get 5% Interest Savings Accounts Now That Insight Is Gone
  • Monetize Your Life And Get Paid To Live
  • The Ultimate Guide to Bank Account Bonuses
  • Over 600,000 Miles Earned In One Year – A Recap Of My First Year of Travel Hacking

Footer

My Reviews

Bank Signup Bonuses (Step-by-Step)

Chime Bank Bonus ($100)
Brex Business Bank Bonus ($250)
Spiral Bank Bonus ($50)
Nearside Business Bank Bonus ($90)
OnJuno Bank Bonus ($100)
Fairwinds Credit Union Bonus ($100)
Albert Cash Account ($150)



One Finance Bank Bonus ($50)
Netspend Account Bonus ($20 + 5% Interest Savings Account)

Other Signup Bonuses

M1 Finance ($50)
SoFi Money ($25)

SoFi Invest ($25)
Webull ($27-$9,600)
Moomoo ($75-100)
Robinhood ($2.50-$200)
Arcadia Power ($40)

Finance App Reviews

Albert Savings App
Peak Money Savings App
Prism Bill Management App
Bank Novo

Side Hustle Reviews

Doordash
Uber Eats
Grubhub
Rover Pet Sitting
Wag Dog Walker
Shipt Grocery Shopper
Airbnb
Lime Scooter Charger
Observa
IVueIt

Popular Posts

The Ultimate List Of Gig Economy Apps
The Ultimate Guide to Bank Account Bonuses
Best Credit Card Offers For August 2021
The Dream of Barista FIRE
Coast FIRE
How To Get a 5% Interest Savings Account
Where To Get 5% Interest Savings Accounts
7 Best Cashback Apps That Everyone Should Use
Other Reviews

GEN3 Outcross Electric Bike
Varla Eagle One Electric Scooter
Himiway Escape Electric Bike
Espin Sport
Fucare H3 Scooter
Ororo Heated Jacket

Recent Posts

  • Varo $50 Referral Bonus – Step By Step Guide
  • April 2022 Side Hustle Report – $2,182.27
  • Fifth Third Bank $350 Signup Bonus – Step By Step Guide
  • College Campuses Are Great Coworking Spaces
  • The Ultimate Guide To Uber Eats Bike Delivery
  • About
  • Blog
  • Side Hustle Reports
  • Best Credit Card Offers
  • Money Making Bonuses
  • 70+ Side Hustle Apps/Gigs
  • Bank Account Bonuses
  • Student Loan Strategy
  • Archives
  • Press

Copyright © 2022 · Genesis Sample on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Copyright © 2022 FinancialPanther.com. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy * Disclaimer * Affiliate Policy * Contact Us