A 33-year-old man turned a Japanese farmhouse into a mountainside Airbnb retreat for $25,000 — here's how he did it

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a man standing in a farmhouse with his arms crossed
Xian Jie Lee runs an Airbnb business in rural Japan.

Xian Jie Lee

I got a job and immediately knew it wasn't a good fit. I quit in less than a year to take care of my mental health.

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Basant Shenouda headshot standing outdoors.
Basant Shenouda said her toxic job taught her what to look for in a career and company.

Courtesy of Basant Shenouda

I went from a Big Tech job to folding clothes at a retail store. My new role gave me confidence and joy when I needed it the most.

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Photo collage featuring Hady Mendez, a retail shopping cart, a cursor, and an

Criss Cross; Alyssa Powell/BI

I make more than $5,500 a month using an app to pick up restaurant shifts. Here's how I use it to make the most money.

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a headshot of a woman in front of a blue wall
Kai Cowan has been using the FrontHouz app since 2023.

Kai Cowan

I was laid off from Lyft and it was a relief. Here's exactly how I used my severance to land somewhere better.

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Ziwei Li
Ziwei Li

Courtesy of Ziwei Li

I went from making $15K to nearly $700K over my career at Oracle, Apple, and Meta. Here's how I increased my total compensation.

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Sandeep Rao, a software engineer photo in front of the Oracle building, with logos of Apple and Meta in the background
Sandeep Rao says he took a low-paying job to get his foot in the door.

Manjunath Kiran/AFP via Getty Images; Sean Gallup/Getty Images; Meta; Alyssa Powell/BI

I drove the 2024 Tesla Model 3. It's a big improvement from older versions, but the Model Y is still the better buy.

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a black Tesla
The 2024 Tesla Model 3.

Andrew Lambrecht

I supercommute every week from New York City to Ann Arbor for work. I have to pay my own way, but I love getting to enjoy the benefits of both cities.

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Susan Miller at University of Michigan football game with three students wearing school merchandise.
Susan Miller enjoys living in New York and teaching in Michigan.

Courtesy of Susan Miller

I profited $1.4 million last year as an Airbnb Superhost. Here's how I'm using real estate to achieve financial freedom.

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a man sitting on a gray couch looking to the left
Syed Lateef runs his Airbnb business in Chicago.

Courtesy of Syed Lateef

I make up to $2,700 in tips a week as a server. Dropping out of college was the best thing I could've done.

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a man on a ferris wheel in a white hat
Kyle Zajac is a waiter at a high-end steakhouse in Indianapolis.

Courtesy of Kyle Zajac

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