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We’ve Been Everywhere This Year... But Now It’s Time to Hunker Down

As nurses, we worked under 20 hours a week, earned over $200K, and probably spent too much this year. Was it worth it?

Author

Jason Nunez
October 26, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes

Hey nurse,

This year’s been wild.

We’ve probably spent more time on planes than we did in scrubs.

In January, Monica and I were in the Philippines for three weeks.
Then we were in New York and Toronto for another three weeks in May and June.
In June again, we went down to Georgia for a week.
Then Curacao and New York in August.
Back to New York in October for two more weeks.
And to close out the year, we’re heading to Whistler to snowboard in December.

Yeah… it’s been a lot. Amazing, but a lot.

And now, it’s time to slow the hell down.

We Spent a Lot — and Worked Way Less

When I looked at the numbers, it honestly made me laugh and cringe at the same time.
We spent $60,286.11 on travel this year — flights, hotels, food, everything.

And that’s while barely working.

According to our Kaiser pay records:

  • I worked 699 hours this year and made $100,720 — about 17 hours a week.

  • Monica worked 743 hours and made $115,560 — roughly 18 hours a week.

Together, that’s around $216K earned while working less than 20 hours a week each… and spending over $60K just exploring the world.

It’s been a year of freedom — but it’s also a reminder that freedom isn’t free.

The Plan for 2026

Starting in January, we’re locking in.
We’re listing our house this spring and moving back to New York City next August.

Our Home

The plan is to live off about two-thirds of the home equity for a couple years while we go all in on Map My Pay — the business we’ve been building to help nurses figure out what their paychecks are really worth and where they’ll actually come out ahead.

We’re still all in — just with fewer flights and more focus.

For the People Who’ve Been Asking About Investing

We’ve had a few folks reach out asking how they can support what we’re building.
So here’s the proper way to say it (and stay legal):

We’re preparing a private offering for accredited investors interested in supporting Map My Pay.
If that’s you, email [email protected] for verification details.

That’s it. No promises, no public calls, no “DM me.” Just a heads up for the right people who qualify.

The Biggest Lesson From This Year

Freedom isn’t free.
Every trip, every week off, every slow morning — it all costs something.

But being able to live on our own terms?
That’s priceless.

We’re closing out 2025 grateful as hell. For the community, for the nurses who’ve joined the Accelerator, for everyone who’s supported Map My Pay, and for everyone who’s been following our journey from broke and burnt out to building something that actually matters.

Next year’s all about focus — saving, scaling, and staying grounded.

Appreciate you for being part of it.
See you in 2026.

— Jason

Do you want to make more as a nurse?

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  • Secure a high-paying hospital job (we’re talking $200K+ a year)

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  • Work fewer hours—without sacrificing income

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I’ll even show you how to compare hospitals, filter by pay and shift type, and fast-track your move so you’re not spinning your wheels for another year.

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