enRICHed: volume 164
we have SO much to talk about besties
Sunday January 11, 2026
Volume 164
Hey besties!
AHHHH! The time is here!! This week on Networth and Chill, I shared the official first sneak peek of my new book WELL ENDOWED!!! I read you the first dozen or so pages and we talk about what comes after mastering the basics: how every dollar you spend is a choice that shapes your life, love, and legacy. I’ll touch on the biggest financial decisions of your late twenties, thirties, and beyond, from homeownership to cars, insurance, and setting up generational wealth - all with the honesty and no nonsense advice you know me for. Some of it might surprise you… some might make you rethink what you thought you knew about money, and ALL of it is designed to help you live richer in every sense!
New episodes of the podcast drop every single Wednesday so be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel HERE or follow Networth and Chill wherever you get your podcasts!
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The Money Breakdown of Venezuela 🗞️
The biggest story this week is of course the US capture of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro. While there is a lot of political discourse happening around the story, I think it’s really important to understand the money angle on what’s going on — specifically, the economic motivations behind this news, as well as how it may affect your wallet.
In case you’ve already seen, President Trump has been pretty open about the fact that the reason the US government went to Venezuela is literally because of oil. After the Trump administration plucked out Maduro and brought him over here, they announced that they would be controlling the country’s oil sales “indefinitely,” and that the interim government will be taking orders from the White House.
Venezuela has the largest oil reserves of any country on the planet (more than 300 billion barrels), which is super appealing for President Trump, who has been really big on more fossil fuels and the money that can be made by selling this oil.
But the problem is that Venezuela’s oil is not top-shelf liquor; it’s the plastic handle of Burnett’s pink lemonade. It’s called heavy sour crude (such a nasty name, I know), which has the texture of molasses and creates double the climate pollution compared to the global average just to extract the oil out of the ground.
HYCU; Is this really going to drop gas prices? Honestly, if Trump’s plan really is just to import 30 to 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil and sell it at market price, it doesn’t mean we’ll see immediate savings on our tank refills. It’s possible that in the long term, an influx of oil supply could push prices down, but 50 million barrels, compared to how much America relies on oil, is not really…a lot. Not to mention, heavy sour crude is more often used for diesel, asphalt, and fuels used in factories vs. traditional gasoline. And if the US really wants to create a long-term oil resource out of the Venezuelan reserves, we’re also talking about tens of billions of dollars in investments over several years, and that’s before we get to the legal and geopolitical implications. So for now, I would not hold your breath.
Hip, Hip, Healthcare! 😷🩺
If you’ve been following along with the government shutdown debacle, here’s a bit of symbolic news: Congress finally passed legislation this week that could extend the expired health care subsidies for those who get coverage through the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare.
In case you missed it, there was a pandemic-era tax credit that basically lowered the ACA insurance premium for millions of Americans that was being contested between politicians as part of the budget renewal process. Republicans wanted to end the initiative, saying that it’s easy for people to basically defraud the government, but Democrats have argued that the issue is of affordability, since premiums have basically doubled since the credits expired at the end of last year.
It all came down to a few centrist Republicans, who ended up saying that they would rather support some kind of extension than do nothing at all. This measure now goes to the Senate, which has already rejected it, but they said that they are working on some kind of compromise, which will be available next week.
HYCU; If you are on ACA/Obamacare, you have probably been grappling with the difficult decision of paying more for your coverage or just going uninsured entirely. If this bill really gets enacted, it’ll extend the credits for three more years, so you could pay your original rate for a little while longer. If there’s a compromise that gets passed instead, it’s possible you could still be getting a discounted rate. But you should definitely make your voice known as a voter by calling your representative’s office. Midterms are coming up in November, which means your officials are nervous about getting reelected, and if you make it known that you want your insurance premium subsidies, there’s a better chance that they’ll have to do something about it or risk losing your vote.
Proteinmaxxing 🍳🥩
Have you had your beef tallow today? Health Department head RFK Jr. just announced dramatically new dietary guidelines this week, and under his leadership, the food plate we all know is looking just a little more, well, gym bro-y.
Eating your fruits and veggies still made the cut, but the new dietary recommendations suggest doubling the recommended protein amounts at every meal — and eating animal protein (meat, eggs, seafood) over plant protein (beans, legumes, tofu). It also endorses using “nutrient-dense healthy fats,” specifically highlighting beef tallow and butter.
There’s also some less weird changes. For the first time ever, RFK Jr.’s dietary guidelines also call out highly-processed foods, saying that highly-processed foods should be off-limits, and children shouldn’t have added sugar until they’re 10 years old.
HYCU; To be super real, kids at home aren’t eating dinner based on the federal dietary recommendations, so if they’re going to eat Doritos at home, that’s between them and the bag. However these benchmarks do influence the meals for military, prisons, schools and daycares, and they do impact the groceries you can buy if you’re on a government assistance program like SNAP. Experts say that this recommendation is kind of a mixed bag — on one hand, Americans generally do eat too much added sugar and ultra-processed foods, so it’s probably good to cut back, but on the other hand, most people already meet their protein needs, and without activities like weightlifting or strength training, surplus protein can just get turned into stored fat. But something everyone can agree on? Crushing a sleeve of Oreos is not the picture of health.
Shea Brown asks, “My name is Shea Brown. I’m a 23-year-old middle school ELA teacher working full-time while pursuing additional credentials and working weekends to support myself. I admire the work you’ve done to support education and debt-free futures. At this stage in my career, student loan obligations are my primary financial barrier, and I’m looking for guidance on foundations, programs, or resources that support educators in this position.”
Hey Shea! First off, I have so much respect for what you’re doing - teaching middle school while pursuing additional credentials AND working weekends? That’s incredible dedication to education and your students.
Let’s talk about the federal programs that could be game-changers for your situation. As a public school teacher, you’re in a prime position for Teacher Loan Forgiveness (TLF) and Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). TLF can forgive up to $17,500 of your federal loans after five consecutive years of teaching in a qualifying low-income school, while PSLF forgives your entire remaining federal loan balance after 120 qualifying payments (10 years) while working full-time for a qualifying employer like a public school district.
The timing is actually working in your favor right now — the Department of Education has resumed processing student loan forgiveness for borrowers in income-driven repayment plans, and they may start accelerating processing in February. If you haven’t already, getting on an Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) plan could lower your monthly payments based on your income while you work toward forgiveness.
Here’s something crucial that many teachers don’t know: when you make extra payments on your student loans, lenders often apply them to fees first, then interest, then principal - which keeps you in debt longer. Always contact your loan servicer and specifically request that any extra payments go directly to the principal balance. This simple step can save you thousands in interest and help you pay off loans faster.
Since you’re working multiple income streams, focus on building a small emergency fund first (even $500-1000), then tackle any loans with interest rates above 7% aggressively while making minimum payments on lower-rate federal loans that qualify for forgiveness programs.
Also worth noting, there are also some fantastic grants specifically for teachers pursuing additional credentials. For example, New Mexico has rolled out a program offering $35,000 annual stipends for teacher residents, which could be a game-changer if you’re in that area. The requirements can be pretty rigorous, but you can find more details about this initiative here. You might want to check with your state’s education department for similar initiatives.
Good luck! Wishing you all the best! <3
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The Golden Globes are tonight, and all I’m hoping for is a K-pop Demon Hunters win.
Everyone’s talking about “friction-maxxing” to increase their attention spans this year.
If you’re in need of some fun news, The Washington Post did a story about a man who makes huge art pieces in the snow with just a compass and his snowshoes.
SEE YOU IN THE COMMENTS BESTIES