🔥 I Didn’t Want to Be Rich… I Just Wanted to Breathe Again

I remember the exact moment I hit my breaking point.

I was in the parking lot of a Dollar General, staring at a crumpled receipt like it had personally offended me.

🧾 Total: $43.17.

It wasn’t the number that got me. It was the feeling. The sinking realization that this simple grocery run had me mentally calculating which bills I could push back another week. I wasn’t broke-broke, but I was surviving on fumes — physically, mentally, and financially.

I sat there in silence, engine off, bags on the passenger seat, wondering how the hell I got here.

Because I followed the rules. I worked. I showed up. I played the game — just like they told me to.

And yet here I was — midlife, mid-debt, mid-burnout — staring at a bag of off-brand groceries like it was a cruel joke.

🧠 The Night I Googled My Way Into a Whole New Life

I went home. Sat on the couch. Opened my laptop. And typed the words that launched a thousand scams:

“How to make money online.”

I know. Cringe.

Within seconds, I was knee-deep in YouTube videos promising $10K/month with zero experience. Guys in rented Lambos, standing in front of whiteboards with formulas that made no sense…

“Just buy my course.” “Join my team.” “Click here to change your life.”

I nearly closed the tab. But something kept me digging. I wasn’t chasing a Ferrari — I just wanted some room to breathe. A way to stop feeling like my life was owned by my bills.

And then… I found it.

Affiliate marketing.

No, not the sleazy kind that gets you blocked on Facebook.

The real kind. The kind where you recommend products you trust to people who need them — and you get paid when they buy.

Simple. Not easy. But possible.

🔥 What Sparked the First Rant

The more I learned, the more I saw the same scammy patterns. Flashy screenshots. Fake testimonials. “Systems” with no support.

I got mad. Not just for me — for all the other regular people out there getting burned.

That’s when Richard’s Rants was born.

This blog is my middle finger to the guru factory. It’s where I call out the BS, break down what actually works, and show people how to build online income without losing their shirt — or their sanity.

No fluff. No filters. Just the truth — even if it stings.

💬 What You’ll Learn Here (That You Won’t Hear Anywhere Else)

  • ✅ Affiliate marketing strategies that are actually beginner-friendly — no tech wizardry required
  • 🧰 Toolkits and step-by-step systems I’ve used to go from zero to steady income
  • 📈 Side hustle blueprints for people who want to start small and scale smart
  • 🧨 Weekly rants that call out nonsense and give you the inside track

I’m not here to be your guru. I’m here to be your guide — the one I wish I’d had when I started.

If you’re tired of pretending you’re fine when you’re drowning inside… welcome home.

🚫 Who This Blog Is NOT For

  • ❌ If you think you’ll make $5K by next week with zero effort
  • ❌ If you’re addicted to shiny objects and never finish anything
  • ❌ If you expect someone else to do the work for you

This blog is for people who still believe in doing the work, learning the skills, and building something real.

It’s for doers — not dabblers.

👥 Who This Is For

You don’t need a business degree. You don’t need to be 25 with a TikTok following. You don’t even need to know what SEO stands for (yet).

You just need three things:

  1. 🔥 Hunger — to do more, earn more, be more
  2. 📶 Internet — if you’re reading this, you’ve got that covered
  3. 📚 The willingness to learn and take imperfect action

If that’s you? You’re going to love it here.

📌 My Promise to You

I’m not going to sugarcoat anything.

This won’t always be easy. There will be frustration. There will be mistakes.

But you’ll also get wins. You’ll get clarity. You’ll build momentum.

And eventually, you’ll wake up one day, check your email, and see that you made money while you were sleeping.

Not because of luck. But because you took the time to build something real.

That’s what this blog is about.

🛠️ What to Do Next

If anything I’ve said punched you in the gut (in a good way)… don’t just nod your head and click away. Take action.

Here’s your next move:

You don’t need to be perfect. You don’t need to have it all figured out.

You just need to start.

Click one link. Read one article. Take one small step.

That’s how everything changes.

⚡ Final Thought

There’s a version of you out there — not some imaginary 10-years-younger version — but you right now — who learns these skills, applies them, and starts stacking wins that build a whole new life.

That version of you is waiting.

This blog is how you get there.

Let’s get started.

— Richard