This story is part of CNBC Make It’s Millennial Money series, which details how people around the world earn, spend and save their money.

At just 30 and 27 years old, Quinn and Brittney Sturgis, a married couple serving in the Air Force, are on track to retire in their early 40s — if they choose to.

“We’re not necessarily focused on trying to hit a certain number by a certain age to completely retire,” says Quinn, an Air Force pilot. But financial independence “is a major goal of ours — to be able to not work if we don’t have to.”

Both officers are stationed at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, California, earning just over $263,000 in combined salary and paid military benefits. Roughly a quarter of their income is automatically stashed in investment accounts.

By taking advantage of paid scholarships and training offered by the Air Force during college, as well as housing and food allowances and other military perks, they’ve built up $473,000 in savings. That, combined with a lifelong pension paying 40% of their salaries after 20 years of service, puts them on track for retirement in their early 40s.

“We’re super grateful for the opportunity the military has given us,” says Brittney, a Medical Service Corps officer who helps oversee a hospital of 2,500 personnel at the base. Unlike many college graduates, “we’ve been able to pursue a lot of different things without having to worry about debt,” she says.

Of course, military service comes with trade-offs. “Sometimes your life is going to be dictated by things that are out of your control,” Quinn says. One of those is frequent moves — commonly every three or four years — for new assignments.

So far, they’ve been able to stay in one place since having their 1-year-old son, Theo, which has made life easier as they adjust to parenthood.

But, “if we got orders to move, we’d be excited,” Brittney says. “The opportunity to experience new places is one of the things we love most about this life.”

Born in Agoura Hills, just outside Los Angeles, Quinn admits he lacked direction after high school. “I didn’t really know what I wanted to do with my life,” he says.

Looking for a fresh start, he moved to Texas in 2012 to live with his uncle, a civilian pilot, who encouraged him to explore aviation. Taking his advice, Quinn visited a flight school and took his first flight with an instructor.

While working a part-time job at a fast food restaurant and attending community college, he joined the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps, a program that prepares college students to become military officers. After a year and a half, in 2014, he transferred to the University of Texas at Austin to complete his degree in economics while continuing his military training.

It was there that he met Brittney, a public health major who was also in the Air Force ROTC program, which requires at least four years of service after graduating. Born and raised in Ewa Beach, Hawaii, Brittney grew up in a military family — her parents are Army reservists and her grandfather, a Filipino immigrant, earned his U.S. citizenship through service in the Navy.

A self-described “nerd,” Brittney excelled in both academics and athletics in high school, earning a spot in the National Honor Society while “getting familiar with the military lifestyle” through Junior ROTC.

Brittney and Quinn bonded through ROTC in college and married in 2019, after graduating and commissioning as officers.

For Quinn and Brittney, the Air Force provides stability and financial support that allows them to focus on their demanding careers and growing family.

One huge benefit is that they each receive untaxed housing and food allowances, which significantly help with household expenses. In fact, about a third of Quinn and Brittney’s gross income comes from these benefits.

Their combined housing allowances — adjusted based on location — total $6,732 per month, easily covering the $4,220 mortgage payment for their three-bedroom home, purchased with no money down using a Veterans Affairs loan for around $620,000 in 2022.

They also receive $317 each per month for food, and Quinn earns an additional taxable $700 per month in pilot pay, an incentive for the demands of aviation training and operations.

Both receive full health-care benefits, which proved to be vital in 2021, when Brittney was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. “I never thought I’d face something like this so young,” she says.

The Air Force’s health-care system covered all her treatment — from surgery to radiation — allowing her to focus on recovery. Today, she is healthy and continues to receive ongoing care as needed.

Education is another benefit they’ve maximized through the Air Force’s tuition assistance program. It covered much of their college costs, and earlier this year, both Brittney and Quinn earned master’s degrees — hers in public health and his in business administration — while studying part-time.

Child care is another major perk. Theo attends the on-base daycare, which costs just under $1,000 per month. Comparable daycare in the area can cost “upwards of $2,000” per month, says Quinn. Plus, having Theo on-base “makes balancing work and family so much easier,” says Brittney.

Here’s how Quinn and Brittney spent their money in October 2024.

• Savings and investments: $5,854 toward retirement accounts and a 529 college savings plan for Theo
• Housing and utilities: $4,521 includes their mortgage, property taxes, Wi-Fi, water, electricity, gas and trash service
• Discretionary: $2,620 on charitable donations, clothes, pet supplies, household items and a new vacuum
• Travel: $2,371 on trips to Disneyland and Alaska
• Food: $2,217 on groceries and dining out
• Transportation: $1,668 for car payments
• Child care: $971 on daycare for Theo
• Insurance: $373 for auto, home and life insurance
• Subscriptions and memberships: $178 on car washes, cloud storage, wine subscriptions, Roku, Spotify, Disney+, YouTube Premium and Amazon Prime
• Phones: $104

When it comes to savings, “we always pay ourselves first,” says Quinn. Nearly $6,000 is automatically contributed to various retirement accounts each month.

This includes about $700 into each of their respective Thrift Savings Plans, the military’s version of a 401(k). The Air Force matches up to 5% of their base pay under the military’s Blended Retirement System, providing an additional boost to their savings.

The rest of their contributions are split between individual Roth IRA accounts, a taxable brokerage account and a 529 college savings plan. As of October 2024, they had accumulated just over $473,000 in retirement savings.

Quinn and Brittney use 15 credit cards to maximize rewards points and travel discounts, but pay off their balances in full every month. As members of the military, they have benefited from perks like waived annual fees for premium cards, allowing them to enjoy travel benefits and other rewards at no additional cost.

While achieving financial independence is a goal, the couple is OK with “spending extravagantly on the things you love — as long as you cut costs on the things you don’t,” says Quinn. For them, that means splurging on experiences like Michelin-starred meals or trips to Disneyland with Theo.

Quinn and Brittney view financial independence as a way to create flexibility for whatever they want to do later in life.

For Quinn, the path ahead could include transitioning to a civilian aviation career. “Flying for a commercial airline is a very common path for military pilots,” he says. While it could be lucrative, he values the freedom to step away if it doesn’t work for his family.

Brittney could see herself pursuing non-profit work in the public health sector. “Being done with the military doesn’t mean stopping work entirely,” she says. “It’s about finding something fulfilling without the financial pressure to earn.”

Ultimately, they want to keep their options open. By saving and investing now, Quinn and Brittney are setting themselves up for the freedom to choose what comes next — whether that’s continuing to serve, trying out new careers or traveling with Theo.

What’s your budget breakdown? Share your story with us for a chance to be featured in a future installment.

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Small business owners are often responsible for every component of their business, including content creation. Many build audiences by posting on social media and writing newsletters, for example. It’s a lot of work to do alone.

“The volume of content that people are creating and pushing out into the world today is insane,” says Angelique Rewers, CEO of small business consulting firm BoldHaus. That’s why many solopreneurs will find ways to cut costs and time, like buying customizable graphic templates for their various material instead of hiring a graphic designer or trying to build the graphics themselves.

“I utilize those kinds of services anytime I need to build something quickly,” says Nicaila Okome, host of the “Side Hustle Pro” podcast.

If you have a knack for graphic design and are keen to build a side hustle that can provide some passive income, here’s how to dive in.

You can create templates for a variety of platforms, “like Instagram, social media, websites, e-books, e-learning courses,” says Rewers, or for blogs, LinkedIn posts — even for physical products.

Some designers create packaging templates customers can print out and use. You can make templates for people launching their “own line of skincare,” for example, says Rewers.

Many creators use Canva to design the templates, as the site lets you send each buyer a unique link with a set which they can then customize for their needs.

Do some research on sites like Canva, Etsy and Creative Market to see what kinds of templates people sell, how they sell them — individually or in packages, for example — and how much they sell them for.

One social media set with 20 templates goes for $5.67 on Etsy, for example. Another set with 120 Instagram templates goes for $165 on Creative Market.

When you’re ready to start selling, keep in mind that each site has its own fees and stipulations.

Etsy charges 20 cents for every item listed on its site, for example, as well as a 6.5% fee per sale based on the price of your item. Creative Market charges a 50% fee on each sale. On Canva, designers’ work must be registered and accepted by the site. Designers then earn royalties every time their design is used.

However you decide to dive in, know demand for these types of templates is “definitely going to grow,” says Okome.

Want to make extra money outside of your day job? Sign up for CNBC’s online course How to Earn Passive Income Online to learn about common passive income streams, tips to get started and real-life success stories.

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Dungeons and Dragons has come a long way since making its debut 50 years ago.

After decades spent as the pinnacle of nerd culture, the popular tabletop game has broken into the mainstream thanks in part to the success of Netflix’s mega-hit show “Stranger Things” and the best-selling videogame “Baldur’s Gate 3.”

Indeed, D&D publisher Wizards of the Coast has seen its annual revenue grow from $761 million in 2019 to $1.17 billion as of October 2024. The company estimates that 85 million people have played the game since it was first introduced in 1974 — a figure equivalent to the population of Germany.

“If you would have told me that number when I was younger, I would have laughed,” Jess Lanzillo, who heads the game’s design and development, tells CNBC Make It. “My mind would have been blown.”

But Wizards of the Coast isn’t the only business that has benefitted from D&D’s newfound mainstream success. Brooklyn game shop The Last Place on Earth raked in nearly $110,000 in 2024 from hosting D&D nights.

The popularity of the in-person events helped turn around the fortunes of a business that struggled thanks in part to opening right before Covid lockdowns began. About 50% of the shop’s revenue comes from D&D.

“Dungeons and Dragons has really saved the business,” owner Whitney Wolfe says.

The game’s popularity has been helped by a cottage industry of streaming shows and podcasts where people play D&D campaigns in real time. One of the shows, “Critical Role,” has made millions in tips and ad revenue.

It’s become so popular, in fact, that it was able to raise over $11 million on Kickstarter to fund an animated TV pilot. That show, “The Legend of Vox Machina,” will soon be in its fourth season on Amazon Prime.

Another show, “Dimension 20,” sold out the iconic Madison Square Garden, with fans shelling out an average of $119 to watch comedians play the game onstage.

“What really gives [D&D] legs,” says Auburn University professor Dr. Emily Friedman, “is the intellectual property that’s generated outside of the Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro ecosystem.”

For the full story of how Dungeons and Dragons became global phenomenon, check out CNBC Make It’s video.

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Even with high mortgage rates discouraging buyers, home prices climbed in most major U.S. cities in 2024.

In the 50 largest U.S. cities, median home prices are up 5.8% through November, compared with all of 2023, according to Redfin data shared with CNBC Make It.

Anaheim, California, saw the most growth, with home prices up 12.5%. Like other fast-growing markets, it’s close to a major city — Los Angeles — where expensive homes are pushing buyers into surrounding areas. Similar trends can be seen in other metro areas near major cities, such as Newark and Nassau County near New York.

Here are the 15 metro areas with the fastest home price growth so far in 2024, according to Redfin:

1. Anaheim, California: 12.5%
2. Newark, New Jersey: 11.3%
3. New Brunswick, New Jersey: 10.8%
4. Nassau County, New York: 9.9%
5. Providence, Rhode Island: 9.8%
6. West Palm Beach, Florida: 8.6%
7. Chicago: 8.6%
8. Detroit: 8.5%
9. San Jose, California: 8.5%
10. Fort Lauderdale, Florida: 8.3%
11. Milwaukee, Wisconsin: 8.1%
12. Seattle: 8.1%
13. Miami: 7.9%
14. Cleveland: 7.5%
15. Warren, Michigan: 7.5%

Anaheim’s housing prices have steadily risen in recent years due to a persistent shortage of homes, with a growing population expected to further strain availability over time. Developers have also been building homes for above-moderate-income families, widening the gap and leaving many residents without affordable options, according to local outlet Voice of OC.

Limited housing is also driving up prices in the Northeast, particularly in Newark, New Brunswick and Nassau County near New York City. Remote work and high living costs are encouraging buyers to seek more affordable, commuter-friendly suburbs.

While home prices are rising in most major cities, San Antonio and Austin, Texas, stand out as exceptions, with prices remaining relatively flat. In contrast, Rust Belt cities like Milwaukee, Detroit and Cleveland — long known for their affordability — are seeing increased demand as buyers look for lower-cost alternatives outside more expensive markets.

The bottom line: Even with 30-year fixed mortgage rates hovering between 6% and 7% throughout much of 2024, demand — especially from wealthier buyers — has outpaced limited housing supply, pushing prices higher despite slower sales. This trend is especially pronounced in large cities, home to many of the nation’s wealthiest residents.

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As the end of the year approaches, everyone’s minds are on the same things: family, togetherness, taxes, peace on Earth and resolutions for the new year.

Wait, how did taxes get in there?

No one wants to think about taxes at the end of the year, but remember: Even though you don’t have to file until April, your taxes are calculated based on what you did between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31 of this year. So if you want to make any moves to trim your bill, you have until next Tuesday to do it.

There are plenty of steps you can take now to make life a little easier come tax time. And they’re not just for the sort of people who have to make sizeable charitable contributions to offset their millions in income.

Here are three popular moves you shouldn’t overlook, regardless of your income level.

You have until Dec. 31 to make 2024 contributions to a workplace retirement account, such as a 401(k). (If you have an individual retirement account, don’t sweat it — you can contribute retroactively up until April 15.)

Money you contribute to traditional (i.e. not Roth) plans is shielded from income tax in the year you make the contribution. That means you can subtract any money you put in between now and the end of the year from your 2024 income. This year, you can stash up to $23,000 in a 401(k), plus an additional $7,500 if you’re 50 or older.

A wide variety of investments have done well this year, and if you sell any that you own in a taxable account — such as a brokerage account — you’ll owe capital gains tax on your profit.

But maybe you had some losers, too. If you sell an investment at a loss, the IRS allows you to use that loss to offset gains and income in a strategy known as tax-loss harvesting.

The rules can get a little tricky, so it pays to talk to a professional. But in general, you start by using losses to offset “like” gains (anything you’ve held for less than a year is a short-term gain or loss; anything else is long-term). After that, excess losses can be used to offset the opposite kind of gain.

Then, if your losses still exceed your gains, you can use up to $3,000 of your net loss to negate ordinary taxable income. Any additional negative money you have left can be rolled over into the following tax year.

It’s a sound strategy if you have a specific gain you want to offset, says Robert Dietz, national director of tax research at Bernstein Private Wealth Management. But don’t sell a lagging investment just to get the tax break.

“The key message is you shouldn’t just be tax-loss harvesting to tax-loss harvest,” he says. “Unless I have a need for that loss, either this year or in the very near future, you’re really not gaining any immediate benefit, and in fact, I’m kind of limiting my options going forward.”

If you’re already planning to make some major purchases around this time of year, don’t overlook tax credits associated with certain items, such as a new car or home renovation.

If you make energy efficient home improvements, for example, you can qualify for a tax credit of up to 30% of qualified expenses, including home energy audits, exterior doors, windows and skylights, and various types of HVAC equipment. Certain monetary limits apply to different types of expenses.

Or, say you’re one of those people who surprises their spouse with a car on Christmas — big bow on it in the driveway and everything. Remember, there’s a tax credit for buying a qualified electric vehicle — up to $7,500 for new EVs and $4,000 for used ones.

But as is the case with tax-loss harvesting, you shouldn’t go out of your way to buy something just to claim a credit on your taxes, says Ryan Losi, a certified public accountant and executive vice president with Piascik.

“Buy something because you wanted to buy it anyway, and the credit makes it a better deal,” he says. “I’m not going to do a repair or an install just because there is a credit. That’s not a very economical way to look at things. But if someone would still want to do it regardless? Great.”

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