Hi there, I’m Valentine!
I’m a money coach, Debt-free Lifestyle Expert, self-proclaimed Money Geek, Software Engineer, and above all, husband and father. I am the founder of mrmoneygeek.com, which is the #1 resource for helping immigrants or, some will say, pioneers pay off debt, save money, invest, build wealth, and truly enjoy their American dream.
mrmoneygeek.com is designed to be the #1 tool to help Immigrants get out of DEBT, learn how to earn more money, and understand how to start investing, all so they can build real wealth.
Sharing my knowledge is just one of the ways to serve my community.
Let’s do this….
Hi! I’m Valentine Nde
My Story
I came to the United States with nothing. I recall standing at the airport with my entire family looking at me. I was my parent’s pension plan, and my siblings hoped for a better life. I remember hugging my parents and siblings, not knowing when I would ever see them again.
Tears running down my cheeks, and I was excited about getting on a plane for the first time. I remember all the different feelings going through my mind. Excitement, fear, confusion, sorrow, and anticipation. I’m looking at myself and wondering why I am doing this. And that’s when it hit me. Nothing in life is given. You have to earn it. That’s why I am doing it.
That’s why I am leaving everything behind to achieve my dreams. I remember sitting down with my mom and dad on the eve of my travel day. My parents told me to be strong, be the best at anything I want to be, and always remember where I started.
That all changed when I got to America; things were different. I fell into the trap of consumer goods trying to assimilate. I accumulated debt; before I knew it, I was $65k. To me, that was the American dream because everyone was in debt. Debt was normal. It took me a while to figure things out.
I graduated with about $40K in student loans. Right after landing my first job, I bought a used Audi A8 for about $20K and racked up $5k in credit card debt. I was $65k in debt and still thought I was living my American dream. I had a great apartment, an excellent car, and a great job. I made it in America. After about a year and a half, I had zero dollars in my savings account because every dime I made went to paying bills. On the outside, it looked like I was doing great, but deep inside, I knew I would be in severe financial trouble if something were to happen to me. I was one mistake away from an economic earthquake.
My Ah Ha Moment
In 2010, I met my now wife, Beth. She is the sweetest person ever. She is very pretty, athletic and smart. We started dating in July of 2010. Shortly after our first date, she asked me why I was driving an Audi A8. So it got me thinking: most girls don’t ask why I drive an A8; they want to go for a ride in a nice car. By November 2010, when it was apparent that our relationship was moving in the right direction, we started talking about money. I had this huge financial skeleton in the closet and kept it to myself. As an immigrant, I knew everyone in America had debt. To my surprise, she was debt-free, graduated college with no debt, and saved up $50k. At first, I thought she was weird. How do you not have debt in America? Everyone has some debt, and it’s normal to be in debt. Long story short, she said I needed to pay off the debt and get my finances together else…. well, I didn’t want to find out the else.
2011, I sold my Audi A8, bought a used Hyundai Sonata with minimum maintenance, and started paying off my debt. She inspired me to become debt-free.
We bought a house in 2012. By the end of 2012, I had paid off all my loans; our only debt was the house.
Started living on one income and used the other income to make extra payments on the house. By the end of 2014, we got married and paid off our home. We still live on my wife’s income today and invest all my income. Our goal is to remain debt-free for the rest of our lives (God willing)
We are currently on track to $1 million in savings and investment by 2020.
Why The Blog
I started this blog to document and share my journey to financial independence, saving, and investing strategies with other immigrants. Debt is NOT NORMAL, and working 40+ hours a week to pay bills with the hope of retiring someday at 68 doesn’t sound appealing to me.
With mrmoneygeek.com, I want to be as transparent as possible and highlight both the good and the bad in the debt-free process. I also want to make sure that I’m helping and not hurting.
Through my years of helping others, I’ve come to the conclusion that getting out of debt is the first step to financial freedom and building wealth.
I don’t have any magical powers to make your debt disappear. Getting out of debt takes Dedication, Discipline, and Determination. There are no “shortcuts”. My goal is to showcase a variety of personal finance tools and investing ideas that work for me and hopefully, some prove useful to you.
Before starting this blog, I began a YouTube Channel to document my journey. Subscribe to my channel for new videos every week!
My Family
I’ve been married to my wife Beth for over 5 years. We have two sons together. We live in Minneapolis, MN.”
Want to chat or Feature Mr. V?
Want to feature Mr. V? Reach out on our Contact Form.
Also, I’ve put together a Media Center with all of my media appearances as well as general information that you may find helpful. Check it out here: Media Center.
If you need more guidance, check out Money Geek U, my signature group coaching and accountability program, where we cover the ins and outs of getting out of debt, spending less, investing, and building wealth. Do you prefer one-on-one coaching? I got you covered there, too!
Feel free to contact me directly at mrv@mrmoneygeek.com if you have questions or need someone to listen to your situation.
Contact Me
CONTACT ME
Managing your money doesn’t need to be complicated. You have done the difficult task of earning money. Let me be your secret source of Financial Freedom. My no-nonsense approach to becoming debt-free is very straightforward: Earn More, Save More, Invest, and Build Wealth.
“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”
– Mark Twain
mrmoneygeek.com prides itself on offering a supportive learning environment to overcome Debt.
