RECOMMENDED GEAR — FIELD TESTED
Tools I Actually Use
The following are apps, services, and books that have provided real value on my journey from cubicle to freedom. I've used every single one of them. Where affiliate links are available, I've included them — and in some cases, you'll get a bonus for signing up.
Personal Finance
Empower (formerly Personal Capital)
Track your net worth for free. Empower gives you a clean dashboard across all your accounts — bank, brokerage, retirement, credit cards — so you can see exactly where you stand.
M1 Finance
A no-fee robo-advisor that lets you build custom portfolios. I used M1 to create a Warren Buffett-styled portfolio where AI picks the investments — it became my most popular TikTok. New accounts get a $100 credit.
Fundrise
Invest in private market real estate for as little as $500. It's an interesting alternative to a traditional REIT like you'd find on Vanguard — and you don't need to be an accredited investor. Sign up to get $50 in free shares.
Vanguard
The gold standard for low-cost index fund investing. If you're rolling over a 401(k) or just want to invest in broad market index funds and traditional REITs without getting gouged on fees, Vanguard is where you go.
Travel
Traveling Mailbox
Travel the world and still get your mail. They scan your physical mail and let you view it online — and you can even deposit paper checks into your bank remotely. Essential if you're going nomad.
Nomad eSIM
Low-cost data plans that work internationally — no hunting for local SIM cards, no roaming surprises. I've used Nomad eSIMs across Mexico, Asia, and Europe. Just buy a plan, scan the QR code, and you're connected. Use referral code: ROBERQDRPY
Mint Mobile
Prepaid cell phone plans with some of the best rates around. Also features Ryan Reynolds in their ads, if that does anything for you. Sign up for a $15 credit.
Blogging & Building
Vercel
This site is hosted on Vercel — fast, free for personal projects, and deploys automatically every time I push code. No server management, no FTP, no cPanel. Just push and it's live. If you're building a modern website or web app, Vercel is hard to beat.
Claude by Anthropic
This entire site — the design, the code, the layout — was rebuilt from a WordPress blog into a modern static site using Claude. Not a template. Not a drag-and-drop builder. I described what I wanted, and Claude wrote it. If you're building anything on the web, Claude is the most capable AI assistant I've found.