Faith & Community
The New GhaNaiaN | 6 | FOCUSiNG MORe ON The COMMUNiTY
“Music Rabbi” Ken Appiah at Sunlight Radio Studios in Alexandria, VA.
auntie araba, ken appiah & dr. love
auntie araba, ken appiah & dr. love during an interview
clarence roberts, ken appiah and friends
Living a Six-Figure Lifestyle on a $30,000 Salary Brian c. hopkins Like millions of americans out there, i like the nicer things in life. I have an affinity for highend cars, designer clothing, and name-brand home furnishings. There was a time when i had the six-figure income to afford these things. That was before the crash of what has now become known as the dotcom era. after losing many nice things, i learned that even living at one's means can be a risky proposition. So the challenge became how to continue to live
that lifestyle while spending drastically less than i did before. I wanted to figure out how i could afford these things at a $30,000-a-year salary, just in case i ever had another salary decrease. That planning all paid off when the great recession came. here's how i learned to have a six-figure lifestyle with a $30,000 yearly budget. how to get the Big home This one was all about patience, hard work, and discipline. First: New homes
are out of the question. They're generally overpriced. i almost bid on a couple of for-sale-byowner homes, but just couldn't get the right combination of price and neighborhood. i focused on hUD homes and foreclosures, and learned quickly that banks don't want homes on their books. i found a hUD home in a neighborhood with prices averaging above $200,000. My home was more than 60% Cont’d on page 9