At Christmas, My Parents Gave My Sister a New SUV—and Me Something That Changed How I Saw Everything

full of business books he’d never read.

I turned on the desk lamp and pulled out my laptop.

For the next hour, I compiled three years of bank records. Every $2,400 transfer, every month, like clockwork. January 2021 through December 2024. Thirty-six payments.

$86,400 total.

I created a simple spreadsheet. Dates. Amounts. A running total. I printed it on continue reading …