322 | Financially Bulletproof in a Pandemic

Housing Hacks

Exploring innovative college housing strategies, Dennison shares his experience as a Resident Head, a role that offers free room and board in exchange for part-time responsibilities. This unique position allows him to maintain a full-time career while providing guidance to students, bridging the gap between academia and real-world experience 1. Brad Barrett and Jonathan Mendosa2.

It's a living and residence hack, yes. It's confusing to explain to people because of the aspect of when you think of residence hall director, like, that's your job. But my job isn't residence hall director. My title is resident head, but I'm not affiliated to the university.

--- Dennison

This approach not only reduces living costs but also enriches the college experience by fostering a supportive community environment.

   

Pandemic Resilience

The COVID-19 pandemic forced Dennison to adapt his financial strategies, highlighting the importance of flexibility and resilience. Initially, he faced challenges with his massage therapy business due to social distancing measures, prompting a pivot back to engineering and eventually to a Salesforce role 3. Jonathan Mendosa4.

I had built enough runway to be able to survive for a while, because what I had to do with health and wellness was kind of ramp up in terms of hours. Like, if I didn't work, I wasn't going to get paid.

--- Dennison

This adaptability not only helped him secure a stable living situation but also enabled significant savings during a turbulent year.