Why I Spent Over $20,000 in Two Months on Vacation

The last time I went on a vacation was seven years ago. The reason? I didn’t feel like I deserved it. I promised myself that I wouldn’t take another trip until I reached a major goal I had written down years ago—travel around Asia. But behind that goal was an even bigger dream: becoming a full-time entrepreneur generating passive income. Only then could I truly enjoy the freedom and luxury of traveling.

So, I waited. I worked. I sacrificed. At 20, I quit my full-time job and went all in on building my businesses, trying to achieve financial freedom. Over the next several years, I dived into everything I could think of: Amazon FBA, a social marketing agency, car rentals, cryptocurrency, network marketing, e-commerce, and flipping items on Facebook Marketplace.

Most of those businesses either didn’t succeed or didn’t bring in consistent income. My social media agency was my most successful venture, at one point generating about $9,000 a month. But when COVID hit, my restaurant clients were heavily impacted, and my income dropped drastically to around $1,000 to $1,500 a month. My dreams of becoming a millionaire by 25 felt like they were slipping away.

Meanwhile, everyone around me seemed to have steady, secure jobs, buying homes, and building predictable futures. I, on the other hand, was unsure of my next move, hoping that the few clients I had left wouldn’t cancel on me. The doubt weighed heavily, and I began to question whether I’d ever make it.

I pushed my millionaire goal to 30 and refocused on setting realistic, actionable steps to get there. I started looking for people in my network who were generating consistent income, hoping to learn from them. That’s when I reconnected with my family friend, Eric, who had been running an investing coaching program. His approach was different—he relied solely on paid ads to bring in clients, whereas I had been relying on organic marketing.

We exchanged ideas, and soon I became intrigued by investing. I had some money in the bank, just sitting there, losing value to inflation. With Eric’s guidance, I started small, cautiously testing the waters. Over time, I gained more confidence and began scaling up my investments. Fast forward to this year, my portfolio had grown to $250,000, and I was generating $10,000 to $15,000 a month.

This month, I even made over $37,000 through my passive income strategy and long-term investments. I followed Eric’s strategy closely, placing one trade a week. The consistent track record made it easier for me to continue scaling.

I believed in this strategy so much that I fully committed to it, even working on earning my Chartered Investment Manager certification. Eric and I are now planning to launch a hedge fund together within the next two years.

Finally, with financial stability and the freedom I had been chasing for so long, I decided it was time to reward myself and cross that seven-year-old goal off my list: travel around Asia.

To celebrate my girlfriend’s birthday month, we went big—visiting China (including Guangdong, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Chengde for my cousin’s wedding), Japan (Kyoto, Osaka, and Tokyo), and Thailand (Bangkok and Pattaya). It was an unforgettable experience that felt like a celebration of both family and the hard-fought milestones I had achieved. We explored new places, indulged in local cultures, and made memories that would last a lifetime.

The cost? Over $20,000. But this wasn’t just a vacation—it was a testimony to hard work and perseverance. That $20,000 was an investment in myself, a way to prove that anything is possible when you fully commit to your vision and believe in your own potential.

If you haven’t watched the free webinar by Eric, here it is: https://5mininvesting.com/free-case-study/

If you are interested in using Eric's monthly passive income strategy in Investing Accelerator, you can use this link to schedule a call with me to chat: https://calendly.com/michael-leung-5mininvesting/45min

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