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Hey Reader,

A ton of you replied to last week's newsletter with the secret code word "Curious Cat."

So consider it done! I'll be covering that topic in an upcoming newsletter.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, check near the bottom of last week's newsletter for more context.

Now that you're up to speed, let's go build some wealth.

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👀 What I'm Watching:

If you have travel plans this year and you haven't booked it yet, you might want to do that today.

Airfare prices are already up 7.1% compared to this time last year.

And it's about to get a lot worse.

What's happening?

Remember the Iran situation I talked about 2 weeks ago? Basically, Iran controls the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow strip of water that roughly 20% of the world's oil supply passes through every single day.

And for the first time in history, it's been blocked off.

This is the single biggest oil supply disruption ever recorded and countries around the world have started tapping into global emergency oil reserves.

Brent crude (the benchmark for oil prices) is now sitting at above $110 a barrel (up 40%+ since the war started) and airlines are starting to get worried.

Jet fuel is one of the single biggest expenses for airlines. When oil prices spike, airlines have exactly two choices: eat the losses, or charge you more.

And recently, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said airfare hikes from higher fuel costs would "probably start quick" (aka airlines are not eating this cost).

You are.

📝 The Breakdown:

Here's how this impacts your money and wallet:

The longer the Strait stays blocked, the more pressure builds on oil supply globally, and airlines will keep passing those costs to you.

And it's not just flights. Oil touches everything including your gas prices, delivery costs, groceries, etc.

And since we're on the topic of travel, here's one more thing:

The Senate just failed to pass a funding bill to reopen the Department of Homeland Security, which means we're still in a partial government shutdown (one that's been going on for nearly a month now).

TSA agents are about to miss their first full paycheck, which means more call-outs and longer security lines.

So not only are flights about to get more expensive... you can expect to wait even longer to get through the airport.

✍️ Your Next Move:

Here's what you need to do today:

1. Book ALL your travel for the rest of the year. I'm not talking about one trip. I mean everything. Summer getaway, Thanksgiving flights, Christmas travel home. If it's on your radar, book it now. Fare increases are going to keep climbing as the oil situation gets worse. Unfortunately, no one knows when it'll be resolved.
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2. Buy a full-fare economy ticket instead of the cheapest restricted one. Why? If prices come down or your plans change, you can cancel and rebook at the lower rate. If you get the cheapest restricted fare, you might not be able to cancel and rebook without paying a penalty. Same thing with airline miles. If you've been sitting on points, now is a great time to use them since miles are typically based on distance, not fuel prices.
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3. Give yourself extra time at security (for now). TSA is understaffed and, as of this week, working without a full paycheck. If you've got a flight in the next month, build in an extra 45 - 60 minutes. If your travel is a few months out, you're probably fine but keep an eye on it.

🗓️ Behind The Scenes:

Here's a quick recap of what I was up to this past week:

• My fridge started leaking this week, so I had to bust out my handyman tools. Turns out the drain valve was frozen, so I had to defrost it and then also cleared out all the dust near the vents and fans in the back. All it took was 20 minutes looking on YouTube to find the issue and saved myself 300 bucks because I didn't have to call a handyman to come
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• I don't know why, but for those longest time I thought my puppy was 4 weeks old but now looking back at the adoption documentation he's actually 4 months old. And now looking at him, it's pretty clear that he is not 4 weeks old... Not sure what I was thinking.

✅ Cool Things From This Week:

• Money Tip of the Week: Why being frugal is secretly costing you more​
• ​Plumbers are starting to outearn lawyers. Here’s why it matters for your career.​
• ​Gas prices just hit $3+ in every US state. How does yours compare?​