As of now, OppenFolio is running just above $20,000 in deployed capital. The system is live, steady, and doing its job: generating monthly income with precision and control. It’s already exceeding most income strategies I’ve come across, and we’re only getting started.
We’re on track to scale to $50K over the next few market dips. That number wasn’t picked at random. It answers the question that launched this whole experiment:
“How can I earn $1,000 a month with the smallest possible capital outlay, the least time commitment, and the highest liquidity on the original money?”
At $50K, this machine reliably clears $1K/month in gross income, even factoring in decay, drawdowns, and the occasional dud. That’s not a throwaway number. That’s $12,000 a year from a $50K pool, fully liquid, entirely self-managed, and backed by a system designed to adapt.
This is about real income, not business-owner cosplay. I’ve written before about why I don’t want to run a vending machine, and this is the system I built instead.
And if you’re wondering how this stacks up against rental property math, I’ve already run the numbers — OppenFolio beats real estate too.
The Plan: Three More Allocations
The remaining $30K will be added in three $10K tranches, spaced out over time and ideally deployed into red days. Not to time the bottom, that’s a myth, but to avoid chasing tops in assets built to decay.
Each $10K entry passes through the same script that’s already proven itself: filtering by YES score, respecting skip conditions, and staying within our Core/Shell structure.
No changes to the system. Just more fuel.
Why We Scale Slowly
This project has always been part experiment. Each new allocation is a checkpoint:
- Is the machine still working?
- Could it be better?
That mindset started with the very first $25 test buy in early April 2025. A month later came the first real move, a $10K allocation at the beginning of May. That step showed us what scaling looked like in practice. We monitored it. Adjusted. And recently, we added IWMY and QQQY to the Core, a direct outcome of that evaluation.
We’ll do the same after the next $10K, and again after that. And even after we hit $50K, we’ll keep watching. Not constantly, but carefully. This isn’t a fire-and-forget system, that would be reckless with this class of ETFs. It’s a living tool. We scale it with intention and we maintain it with respect.
Why $50K Is the Right Ceiling
There’s nothing magic about the number, but it’s not arbitrary either. It’s a ceiling, not a milestone. Once OppenFolio hits $50K:
- All dividends are withdrawn monthly
- Rebalancing continues
- No new capital is added
- No more growth, just income
This keeps the system light, liquid, and appropriately sized. Many Core assets we use are lightly traded. At $50K, we’re nimble. At $100K, we start to matter, and not in a good way. This isn’t a fund. It’s a personal machine built for a specific purpose.
Evolving the Core
Until now, the Core has been driven almost entirely by YieldMax-style ETFs, selected using the framework outlined here, NAV-decaying, income-rich instruments optimized for short-term extraction. They’ve worked exactly as intended. But growth invites risk. And the best way to preserve a functioning system is to improve it before it breaks.
That’s why we’re introducing IWMY and QQQY.
Why We’re Adding IWMY and QQQY
-
They’re not leveraged
Unlike many YieldMax products, these use straightforward call-write overlays, no swaps, no synthetics, no hidden bombs. -
They reduce single-ticker concentration
Even a modest 2% target can balloon into thousands of dollars. Broadening the Core keeps any one decaying asset from becoming critical. -
They diversify the underlying bet
IWMY tracks the Russell 2000. QQQY follows the NASDAQ. Together they stretch our exposure beyond the usual suspects. -
They meet the Core criteria
Regular payers. High yield-to-decay efficiency. Clean fit with the current allocation strategy.
Adding them dilutes the Core just enough, slightly lower yield, far lower volatility. If the Core used to be nothing but hot sauce, this rounds it out: still fire, just with a bit of vinegar and garlic for depth.
The Bigger Picture
OppenFolio isn’t about chasing alpha. It’s not a hedge. It’s not a retirement plan. All of that is handled elsewhere.
This is about turning $50K into $1,000/month, reliably, flexibly, and without locking up capital. No leverage. No lockups. No passive-aggressive fund manager emails.
Just deposits.
When it hits $50K, the experiment ends.
The harvest begins.
You can always reach me at [email protected] if you want to go deeper.
Disclaimer: This post is for informational purposes only and reflects personal opinions, not financial advice. OppenFolio is not an investment advisory service. See site disclaimer for full details.