Hi. My name is Kyle Burbank and I’m a Millennial. Yes, I say this like it’s some sort of healing admission given the bad rap my generation has endured in recent years. You know — the talk about how anyone under 35 is lazy, entitled, and doesn’t even know how…
Financial Advice for a Changing World
Travel Tuesday: The Club ATL Grab & Go Pantry Lounge Review
Last week, I set off for San Francisco from my home in Springfield, Missouri. But, since I was flying Delta, I of course needed to make a stop in Atlanta before my flight back in the correct direction. Over the years, I’ve spent plenty of time at ATL, so when something new pops up, I…
4 Daily Games I Play That Somehow Make Me Feel Smart
Remember a few years ago when Wordle took the world by storm? Well, after that, it seemed that several other daily games popped up as well. Over time, the lineup of games I actually bother to play daily has evolved — but there are a few that I keep returning to. That’s probably because, even…
Hotel Vandivort Review: Springfield, Missouri's Four Diamond Boutique Hotel
When it comes to my Travel Tuesday hotel review series, I often wonder what travels might be featured in my latest installment. That’s when it hit me that: instead of looking to other cities for adventure, I could feature a property found right here in Springfield, Missouri.  Hotel Vandivort is a unique boutique hotel we’d…
I'm 40 and Finally Figured Out How to Properly Shave My Face
For a good portion of my mid to late 20s, I made my living pretending to be in high school for television. As it turns out, part of the reason why I could pass for younger is that I can’t grow a beard to save my life. Unfortunately, this lack of growth also means that,…

Product Reviews
A Quick Yale Assure Lock 2 Touch Review – Is it Worth the Cost?
In the fall of 2023, when it became clear that we were nearing our first home purchase, I highlighted three purchases we were making as soon as we closed on the house. One of those items was locks — including the possibility of purchasing a smart lock. Well, sure enough, we decided to purchase the…
Carvana Review: My Experience Buying a Used Car Online (And From a Vending Machine)
Would you ever buy a car online without even getting so much as a test drive? To some, such a proposition sounds crazy — but that’s exactly what my wife and I did five years ago. After exploring options, securing financing, and arranging a trade-in via Carvana’s website, we drove up to Kansas City to…
Dressing Like an Adult: Comparing Pants Instagram Sold Me
For most of my life, the bottom half of my body has been covered almost exclusively in denim. Specifically, except for the years when I had to wear a suit to work, I’d be seen in long jeans as I rarely ever wear shorts (although I did cave and wear some in Florida a couple…
Dry January Brew Guide: The Best (and Worst) NA Beers I've Had
Even as someone who doesn’t drink, I’ve long been interested in the craft beer scene. Specifically, I was fascinated by how many different styles of beer there were and how each could be tweaked or redefined by various brewers. Meanwhile, as far as I knew, non-alcoholic beers were akin to decaf coffee — a pale…
Go Brewing Non-Alcoholic Beer Subscription Review: The Pros and Cons
A few months ago, while visiting my wife’s family in Ohio, I came across Go Brewing in the non-alcoholic beer section of a local grocery store. Upon trying their Not Just Another Story Double IPA (Now known as simply “The Story Double IPA”), I was blown away. When I got home, I looked to see…
Audible Premium Plus Review: What it Offers and is it Worth it?
A few years ago, after hearing commercials for the service for years, I finally decided to try out an Audible subscription. Granted, I had purchased individual audiobooks from the platform in the past but hadn’t considered the membership. Cut to today and I’ve used Audible Premium Plus to download dozens of titles — including several…

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"Smart Brevity" Book Review — Can it Help Improve Your Writing?
I’m not 100% sure when it was that I first heard about the site Axios. Regardless, these days, I’m subscribed to several of their newsletters, regularly visit their website, and may or may not have already taken some inspiration from them when revamping the news style of the Disney site I write for. For those…
Solis is Launching Yet Another New Global WiFi Hotspot Model
Back in 2019, I purchased my first Solis (then known as Skyroam Solis) international hotspot device. Since then, though, the company has rolled out a number of new models — and that pace has really hastened over the past couple of years. That continued this month as preorders for their new Solis Tag device opened….
The Author Journey: Combating Headwinds
A few months ago, I resolved to finally get cracking on a book idea that had been floating around in my head for some time now. To correspond with this goal, I also decided to launch a monthly blog series taking you through the ups and downs of preparing a manuscript. Well, this particular entry…
Everything You Need to Know About Flying Allegiant Air in 2026
Updated on February 3, 2026 When my wife and I moved to Springfield, Missouri more than a decade ago, one of the selling points (or at least what kept it in the running) was that there was a nearby airport that served a decent number of destinations. Unfortunately, while it is convenient, flying out of…
Travel Tuesday: Crockfords Las Vegas (Resorts World)
You’re not going to believe this but, recently, my wife and I spent more time in Las Vegas. Having returned, it’s now time to continue my ongoing Las Vegas Content Bonanza™. Today, I’ll be taking a look at the Crockfords hotel located at the new Resorts World complex on the Strip. This luxury property happens…
Hotel Vandivort Review: Springfield, Missouri's Four Diamond Boutique Hotel
When it comes to my Travel Tuesday hotel review series, I often wonder what travels might be featured in my latest installment. That’s when it hit me that: instead of looking to other cities for adventure, I could feature a property found right here in Springfield, Missouri.  Hotel Vandivort is a unique boutique hotel we’d…
A Quick Yale Assure Lock 2 Touch Review – Is it Worth the Cost?
In the fall of 2023, when it became clear that we were nearing our first home purchase, I highlighted three purchases we were making as soon as we closed on the house. One of those items was locks — including the possibility of purchasing a smart lock. Well, sure enough, we decided to purchase the…
2025 Solis Lite WiFi Hotspot Review
As someone who regularly “workations” and relies on a solid Internet connection to be productive while traveling, it’s kind of crazy that I went without a WiFi hotspot for so long. That’s mostly because I had never come across a particular device that jumped out at me.  Well, that was until my first CES when…
Breaking Down the Costs of Buying a House (With Real Numbers!)
As of this week, my wife and I have officially (and fully) moved into our new house. Although the process was extremely quick once we got started, boy was there a lot that went into it. In turn, I learned a ton along the way — which is why I’ve been sharing a series of stories…
Do Allbirds Wool Runner Mizzles Make For a Go-To Travel Shoe?
As a semi-frequent traveler who looks to pack pretty light, I’m used to taking only one pair of shoes with me on any given trip. Thus, whatever shoes I’m taking with me need to not only be comfortable but also adapt to different situations — including the possibility of damp weather. That’s what attracted me…
Side Hustles
Travel Tuesday: Do You Have a Favorite Travel Outfit?
As is often romanticized, there once was a time when people really dressed up for air travel. These days, though, comfort is the name of the game. Whether that means donning attire that lends itself to sitting in a plane seat for hours on end or something familar and fun, many among us have go-to…
FinCon 2025 Recap: Takeaways, Successes, & Random Thoughts
Last year, I returned to in-person FinCon events after being absent for a few years. Soon after that event in Atlanta wrapped, I had purchased my badge for the 2025 conference in Portland, Oregon. When I did so, I realized pretty quickly that this was to be a big one. Not only was it the…
Black Friday Deals 2024: Offers on Products I’ve Reviewed
Last week, I looked at some of the Black Friday sales that were already underway for various products I’ve reviewed over the years. Well, while several of those deals are still in place, others have joined the party. So, with that, here are some of the discounts, special offers, and other deals available in a…
FinCon 2024 Recap: Returning to the Conference After 5 Years
It’s hard to believe but, prior to the last week, it had been five long years since I attended a FinCon event in person. After going to my first event in 2018, I attended the 2019 conference in Washington D.C. — and then, well, you know. Even though FinCon had since returned, I was unable…
FinCon 2024: The 9 Sessions I'm Most Looking Forward To
In 2018, I attended my very first FinCon when the event was hosted in Orlando, Florida. The following year, I had an even better time staying on-site in Washington D.C. and left the conference excited to attend again in 2020… Okay, as you can probably imagine, that didn’t happen. Moreover, for one reason or another,…
YouTube Shorts Are Getting Longer – Is That a Good Thing?
On the surface, the premise of YouTube Shorts is fairly simple: vertical videos that are less than 60 seconds. However, the Shorts platform largely functions as its own ecosystem despite being a part of the main YouTube app. Now, the company is making some changes that reflect that reality — including making Shorts a little…
Current Rewards (Current Music) iOS App Review
Some time ago, Instagram introduced me to an app called Current Rewards — also known as Current Music (and not to be confused with the neobanking app Current). For a time, I got pretty into it and even purchased the Mode Phone, which took the Current Rewards concept to a new level. However, after using…
#FinCon21 Recap: My Virtual Experience
And just like that, another FinCon is in the books. As I mentioned in my preview, although this year marked the return to an in-person event (taking place in Austin, Texas), I made the last-minute decision to go virtual. Of course, with approximately 20% of conference attendees choosing this option, there were plenty of tools…
#FinCon21: My 11 Most Anticipated Presentations
For weeks, today has been on my calendar as the day I was going to dive into the FinCon 21 schedule in order to prepare my annual look at the panels and presentations I was most looking forward to. Ironically, today also ended up being the day I canceled my trip to FinCon 21. Well,…
FinCon X Recap: A Different Kind of FinCon
For most people, 2020 has left little to look forward to. If you’re anything like me, the year has been one canceled plan after another. That’s why I wasn’t at all surprised when the final decision not to hold FinCon 2020 in Long Beach, California was made. Yet, another announcement that accompanied this news did…

Popular Articles
"Smart Brevity" Book Review — Can it Help Improve Your Writing?
I'm not 100% sure when it was that I first heard about the site Axios. Regardless, these days, I'm subscribed to several of their newsletters, regularly visit their website, and may or may not have already taken some inspiration from them when revamping the news style of the Disney site I write for. For those...
Solis is Launching Yet Another New Global WiFi Hotspot Model
Back in 2019, I purchased my first Solis (then known as Skyroam Solis) international hotspot device. Since then, though, the company has rolled out a number of new models — and that pace has really hastened over the past couple of years. That continued this month as preorders for their new Solis Tag device opened....
The Author Journey: Combating Headwinds
A few months ago, I resolved to finally get cracking on a book idea that had been floating around in my head for some time now. To correspond with this goal, I also decided to launch a monthly blog series taking you through the ups and downs of preparing a manuscript. Well, this particular entry...
Everything You Need to Know About Flying Allegiant Air in 2026
Updated on February 3, 2026 When my wife and I moved to Springfield, Missouri more than a decade ago, one of the selling points (or at least what kept it in the running) was that there was a nearby airport that served a decent number of destinations. Unfortunately, while it is convenient, flying out of...
Travel Tuesday: Crockfords Las Vegas (Resorts World)
You're not going to believe this but, recently, my wife and I spent more time in Las Vegas. Having returned, it's now time to continue my ongoing Las Vegas Content Bonanza™. Today, I'll be taking a look at the Crockfords hotel located at the new Resorts World complex on the Strip. This luxury property happens...