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By Ted Williams |
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Hello Thursday. After hundreds of you recommended it, I got my 3 kids Greenlight debit cards for Christmas. I spent the extra $9.99 per card to put funny photos on the front.
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On Christmas afternoon, I’m going to assign chores, teach them about interest, and let them each buy 2 stocks.
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I’m also going to allow the older 2 kids to bike to Rhino Market SouthPark on Saturday mornings and use their card to buy breakfast.
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As a dad, I’m trying hard to follow the advice — “parents too often overprotect in the physical world and underprotect in the digital world.”
💼 Hot Job: Community Affairs Lead at Scout Motors ($140K – $170K). Serve as their primary liaison with community leaders. Plaza Midwood HQ.
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🏫 Price check: $26,550. Cost of kindergarten at Providence Day, the No. 1 most expensive. Latin is close behind at $26,250.
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👨 Shout-out: Seth Stidham, co-owner of Suffolk Punch Brewing, for opening their 3rd location in Birkdale. Order the $8 Pulp Prescription Hazy IPA and chill on the rooftop patio.
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MARKETS: YEAR-TO-DATE
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S&P 500 |
6,721 |
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Nasdaq |
22,693 |
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BOOTSTRAPPED
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Couple buys old summer camp for $650K, invests "7-figures" in luxury treehouses
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Tajar Treehouse at Tuxedo Falls with a hammock in upper loft
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Pioneers: Lark and Tom Elliot, former Charlotte bankers in their early 60s, purchased a 50-acre property near Hendersonville, NC to create Tuxedo Falls.
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Investment: $650K for the property. Over a million more to build private access, infrastructure, treehouses, safari tents, and an event lodge.
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Tuxedo Falls features waterfalls, 2 trout-filled streams, miles of hiking trails, and a ridgetop lodge with 360° mountain views.
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Lodging: Choose from 2 custom-built treehouses or 4 luxury tree tents. Cost is $315 per night.
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Economics: "We've been cash flow positive on operating expenses since opening," said Tom.
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Given demand, they're moving to a 2-night minimum, expanding group offerings (think fly fishing and yoga), and offering wedding retreat packages.
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Investor advice: "Buy the location first. There is no substitute for truly one-of-a-kind features like our waterfalls. It creates pricing power.”
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Vision: Lark and Tom describe Tuxedo Falls as a boutique wilderness retreat.
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PRESENTED BY MOOD HOUSE
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Mood House surpasses 2,000-member milestone — but you don't need to be a member to book
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Mood House Oakhurst giving off Palm Springs vibes
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Awards: Congrats to Mood House for making it on Yelp's 2025 Top Local Businesses List 🏆!! Only 3 North Carolina businesses made the list.
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Voted "No. 1 Best Massage" in Charlotte in back-to-back years.
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Surpassed 2,000 massage members ($92/mo) across their Dilworth and Oakhurst locations — but you don’t need to be a member to book.
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Gift idea: Use code “TINY20” at checkout for 20% off services or gift cards (code valid for next 24 hours). It’s def our city’s best massage!
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OPENING HYPE
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$500K Emmy Lou's opens tomorrow in Dilworth
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Located in the former MERE'S space next to Toast in Dilworth
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Concept: The cozy wine bar and bottle shop seats around 30, including a 7-seat bar. It’s got the intimacy of Sala and the chill approach of The Bohemian.
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20 different wines by the glass (starting at $13) as well as local canned beer from NoDa, Pisgah, and Foothills.
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Appetizers include $14+ Meat & Cheese Board, $18 Wagyu Carpaccio, $16 Shrimp Cocktail, and $14 Baked Feta.
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I'm bullish on their $14 Elena Ruz sandwich (baguette, roasted turkey, fig jam, cream cheese).
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Legit owners: Andres Kaifer (37) and Alex Bridges (33) of Customshop fame.
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Date night: Go to Emmy Lou's first, then share a steak at New York Butcher Shoppe or crush sushi at Ru Sans. Both super casual. Both an easy 200-yard walk away.
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MONEY TALKS
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38-year-old VP making $315K explains "golden handcuffs" given $600K in home equity
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Napa on Providence, his wife’s No. 1 bar with wine on tap
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Money Talks is a weekly series showcasing how real people in Charlotte approach money. Participate.
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Living situation: "Bought in 2015 at 4%. Home value has doubled. So for us to move, we'd need a home in the $1.3M range to make it an upgrade, and that means our housing cost would at least double."
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Job: "VP at a tech consulting firm. $204K base plus 50% bonus (with accelerators for achievement over 100% of goal). Total around $315K."
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Side hustle: "$10K income from a blog I started in the late '90s when I was 12 years old. Blogs are so 2010. Earnings peaked at $50K in 2009, but have declined since then with SEO changes."
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Investment strategy: "Max out 401k with company match, keep $50K cash as an emergency fund, and put all other excess cash into a brokerage account."
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Splurge: "Family SUV. It's something we use every day. I get that vehicles are terrible investments, but why achieve any success if you can't enjoy the fruits of your labor?"
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Net worth: "$1.3M. Almost half of that, around $600K, is home equity. We got lucky. Rest is in 401k, IRA, brokerage, emergency fund, and 529s."
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Savings goal: "Boat and mountain cabin. I want to be completely debt-free before pursuing these."
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Rich in Charlotte: "$5M net worth. There are people in Charlotte that look wealthy, but are highly leveraged with debt."
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Full story: VP making $315K shares salary journey that started with $30K inside sales job
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MONEY SNACKS
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5 other financial headlines I’m snacking on
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Panthers tickets for Sunday's big game against the Bucs spike to at least $91. Some tickets are going for $1K. Suites around $17K.
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Ad agency for sale asking $2.1M. Revenue over $2M. Cash flow $564K. 25 years in operation. Roughly 70% recurring revenue.
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Coastal contemporary home hits the market in Kiawah for $6.25M. Overlooks the first hole of the Ocean Course. New build.
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Influencer Caitlin Covington lets Robb Report into her drool-worthy Winston-Salem estate. 1.3M followers on Instagram.
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Established Top Rail Fence franchise for sale asking $465K. Revenue $2.1M. Cash flow $585K. 3 employees.
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HOUSEKEEPING
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37-year-old couple sells 2,300 packages of $14 Half-Baked Cheese Biscuits in just a few months
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Andrew Verhagen slinging holiday cookies at Kudzu
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Now open: Husband-and-wife team Andrew and Shelley Verhagen opened Kudzu Bakery & Market in Dilworth 3 months ago.
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The brand has a cult-like following from its OG Pawleys Island store.
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So far, they've sold 2,300 packs of cheddar biscuits at $14, 1,400 cinnamon rolls at $5, and 1,200 pounds of cookies at $11/lb.
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Career pivot: Previously, Andrew was a franchise development exec at Blaze Pizza and Bojangles.
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Happy Holidays! I’ll be teeing it up on the golf course in High Point, NC, and Vero Beach, FL over the next few weeks. And spending time with family 🙂
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– Ted
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MONEY POLL
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In what grade should a child get a phone?
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Last week’s poll results: Best new restaurant that opened in 2025? (12,098 subscribers)
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Leluia Hall – 28%
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Rada – 26%
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Spaghett – 19%
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La Lima – 16%
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Seaboy – 11%
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