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Money Mayhem And Mishaps: Money Lessons From Adventures In Babysitting

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I have never been much of a babysitter. Looking back, I think it all started with seeing the sensational film called Adventures in Babysitting.

The film was released in theaters on July 3, 1987. I remember consonantly watching this movie on cable in the 90’s while growing up. Adventures in Babysitting (also known as A Night on the Town in certain countries) is a 1987 American comedy film written by David Simkins, directed by Chris Columbus (in his directorial debut), and starring Elisabeth Shue, Maia Brewton, Keith Coogan, Anthony Rapp, Penelope Ann Miller, Bradley Whitford, and brief cameos by blues singer/guitarist Albert Collins and singer-songwriter Southside Johnny Lyon.

Tonight we will talk about 5 lessons from the film that has stuck with me.

Why do I love this movie so much?

The sheer adrenaline rush of one long night of misadventures, a Thor reference, and nonstop chaos are what good 80’s movies are all about!

So put down that tub of Haagen Dazs ice cream and slice of pizza because I am about to take you on the babysitting ride and night of your life!!

FINANCE LESSON ONE: DATE NIGHT ON A BUDGET

Ah yes, the proverbial date night is a time-honored tradition that starts in puberty and goes all the way through the ages and well into marriage.

The movie starts when seventeen-year-old Chris Parker (Elisabeth Shue from The Karate Kid) get a call from her boyfriend (Bradley Whitford) that he has to cancel their date on their anniversary. What type of guy cancels on a girl on their anniversary? You will have to watch the movie to find out. Sorry no spoilers for that part here.

Opening credits

Speaking of date night, please do not get suckered into thinking you must impress the person you are with by picking up your date in a $50,000 BMW convertible, taking her to an expensive restaurant and buying equally expensive flowers.

For the right guy, I would settle for movie and a pizza. Just a small tip: Frugal couples tend to be the happiest couples. 😉

See my post Beamers, Benz, And Bentleys Or A GMC Truck?

Fun Fact: I got to meet the cast of The Karate Kid at AwesomeCon in DC this past April 2019. They were exactly as you would expect: Fabulous. Totally cool, easy to talk to, upbeat, and just decent human beings. I even got a photo taken with William Zabka and got Ralph Macchio to sign my photo of My Cousin Vinny! Are you sure about that 5 minutes?! 🤣

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As sure as I am that this post has 5 lessons!!

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Keep reading and find out! 😉

Instead of hanging out with her best friend Brenda (Penelope Ann Miller) her mother convinces her to babysit the Andersons’ daughter, 8-year-old Sara (Maia Brewton), while they attend a party in downtown Chicago.

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To which Chris replies, “I’m too old to babysit.” Honey, you ain’t seen nothing yet! 🤣

This was the worst babysitting gig on the planet. But Chris pulled through like a champ. Let’s see if you can keep up with the plot details.

Chris is set to babysit Sara. Her older brother, Fifteen-year-old Brad Anderson (Keith Coogan), has a massive crush on Chris. His friend Daryl (Anthony Rapp) comes by carrying his dad’s Playboy with a woman in it that looks just like Chris. Her best friend Brenda, who ran away to the bus station downtown because she just can’t take it anymore at home, calls her frantically from inside a phone booth (which doubles as a homeless man’s home) to come pick her up from downtown. They are in a race against time to get downtown before Brad and Sara’s parents get back.

And did I mention that on the way they get a flat tire, get a ride from a one-hooked truck driver whose wife is cheating on him so he pulls a gun on the guy while they’re in the car. And a car thief steals the Cadillac they are hiding in while they are still in it! All this is happening while she needs to get her mom’s station wagon towed and fixed. Oops, I meant to say her mom’s car! 🤣

She says that line throughout the entire film with suck shock and dismay that I laugh every time!

Hi-jinks ensue when you are the babysitter in this tale. So if anyone every recommends babysitting to me as a side hustle, no thanks. I’ll pass.

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FINANCE LESSON TWO: A FRIEND IN NEED

Once Chris gets that phone call from Brenda, that’s when all hell breaks loose!!!

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Her mom’s car gets a flat, they are taken to a chop shop in a stolen car, escape from car thieves and then they enter a blues club where the band on stage won’t let them leave until they sing the blues.

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Daryl starts talking t a streetwalker but that gets cut short as they are being chased by the car thieves because they know where they are located so they hop on the Chicago L train and get put into the middle of a gang fight. One of the best scenes of the movie happens right here. Don’t F#*k with the babysitter! 🤣

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The list goes on and on. All the while Brenda is still stuck downtown having her own adventures.

Let’s start with the fact that Chris would not have had these issues had Brenda not chose to run away. This caused her mom’s car to get a flat on the freeway, her windshield to get shot out, and that would cost her $50 bucks!

They end up running into a fraternity party where Chris befriends a guy there played by actor George Newbern (voice of Ren in Pirates of Dark Water). Hearing of her plight he offers to donate $45 to her cause.

See my post Money and Life Lessons From The Pirates Of Dark Water

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Now that’s a real stand-up guy.

Sometimes you just got to be a pal.

This is truly where the term a friend in need is a friend in deed applies. He decided to help her out with no hesitation and asked for nothing in return.

This is the part in the film where I’m like “Ferris Bueller you’re my hero!” 🤣

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One of my favorite parts was when she said I will just use the money I have in my account to pay for everything, but when she looks at her checkbook she sees she doesn’t have enough.

So let this be a life lesson for you all out there; never leave home without cash and a credit card.

I learned this lesson from Arnold Schwarzenegger as he says he never leaves home without a credit card and at least $1,000 in cash just in case.

See my post on How Arnold Schwarzenegger Totally Recalls making $20 Million-Dollar Paychecks

FINANCE LESSON THREE: A DAY LATE AND A $5 DOLLARS SHORT

Dan, the fraternity guy, drops the gang off at the garage.

She explains to the owner, a Thor look alike, much to the delight of Sara, she is $5 short. He refuses to give them the car until Sara offers up her Thor helmet as a peace offering and selfless gift. He then gives them their car.

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There are times when despite our best efforts we come up short.

However, like in the song Izzo (H.O.V.A.), JayZ said, “Plus if they was short with cheese I would work with them.”

Sometime you just got to help a brother out! Or in this case, a babysitter.

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FINANCE LESSON FOUR: DO WHAT YOU GOT TO DO

After getting the car back, Chris spots her boyfriend in a restaurant with another girl. The gang goes in and confronts him.

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While the shenanigans with Mike ensues, Sara slips away and while looking at toys in a display window gets spotted by the car thieves.

Come on, Chris! You should have some sort of plan in case you and the kids get separated.

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She then runs to her parents building and scales the side while trying to get away from the thieves. Chris goes after her by climbing down the side of the building herself. Talk about going the extra mile!

From personal experience, I know how hard it is out here. You have to make a dollar out of fifteen cents!

But I am here to tell you, “Dearly beloved, we have gathered here today To get through this thing called life” and if the elevator tries to bring you down GO crazy!!! haha Thank you Prince for those inspiring words.

Because I thought Chris was insane for scaling a building, but hey, you do what you’ve got to do out here. Like Prince said in the song Let’s Go Crazy, “In this life, you’re on your own.”

In my own experience, I had to work at a gas station to pay the bills.

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It didn’t matter if I had to scrub toilets, sell hot dogs, or sell home security systems door-to-door (yes I did that too), I did what I had to do to survive.

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Wasn’t nothing going on but the rent and it’s due on the first!

You are too good for nothing when it comes to your family and finances.

You have to put food on the table.

Go get two jobs if you have too!!!

But you take care of your obligations.

My father always told me responsibilities first, fun later.

I also cold-called jobs to see about getting gigs.

That is how I ended up getting one selling cell phones. In addition, I met people that would end up becoming life long friends.

Doing what you have to do, rolling up your sleeves, and putting in the work always gets rewards.

FINANCE LESSON FIVE: A RACE AGAINST TIME

They get Sara and the kids retrieve Brenda from the bus station and rush home, narrowly avoiding the Andersons on Interstate 290.

And Chris has everything taken care of right before Sara and Brad’s parents walk through the door.

As Chris says goodnight to the kids, Brad tells her he understands about her not returning his crush and that if they see each other at school the next day, it’s okay if she ignores him. But Chris smiles and tells him she doesn’t ignore her friends. Damn straight!!

As Chris is leaving, Dan arrives with one of Sara’s missing skates. He says he needs a babysitter and is disappointed when Chris says she is retired; he confesses the babysitter was for him. Chris decides that retirement can wait and gladly agrees to babysit Dan. Sara was delighted to see here missing skate and tells Chris to reward him with a kiss. With Sara’s encouragement, Chris and Dan kiss outside as Brad closes the blinds giving them some privacy.

Inadvertently, Chris got that kiss she wanted in the beginning of the film as the song was saying in the opening credits, but from another man instead of that jerk she dated.

The last lesson of the night; focus on your retirement.

Much like Chris came out of babysitting retirement, you too must not call it quits until you have made sure everything you need and want is in place.

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You are in a race against time my friends to get out of the rat race sooner rather than later and that can only happen if you plan ahead.

I used an online calculator and found that if you start at $0 and invest $8,500 for 30 years at an 8% return, you will have $1,039,939.88. That’s right, you will be a millionaire!

If you can save $20,000 a year, this includes an employer match as does the previous retirement example, you hit the seven-figure milestone in 20 years! You would be free to be you.

Now this is an adventure worth taking.

The retire early adventure.

Inputs
Current Principal: $
0.00
Annual Addition: $
8,500.00
Years to grow:
30
Interest Rate:
8%
Compound interest
1 time(s) annually
Make additions at start end of each compounding period

Results
Future Value: $ 1,039,939.88

Fictional characters Cartoons and Money, Financial Freedom, Financial Independence, Retirement, Television Shows and Money, Wealth

Life Lessons I Learned From A Goofy Movie

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If you grew up in the era of after school cartoons, then prepare to be nostalgic. This time I’m going back to 1995. Let’s get goofy… as in A Goofy Movie that is.

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A Goofy Movie was released theatrically on April 7, 1995, by Walt Disney Pictures, and made $35 million at the box office.

A Goofy Movie is a 1995 animated musical comedy film produced by Disney MovieToons and Walt Disney Television Animation and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. The film is based on The Disney Afternoon television series Goof Troop created by Robert Taylor and Michael Peraza Jr. and acts as a follow-up to the show. It features the voices of Jason Marsden, Bill Farmer, Jim Cummings, Kellie Martin, Pauly Shore, Jenna von Oÿ, and Wallace Shawn.

Taking place a few years after the events of Goof Troop, A Goofy Movie follows Goofy and his son, Max, who is now in high school, and revolves around the father-son relationship between the two as Goofy takes Max on a fishing trip out of fear that Max is drifting away from him, unintentionally interfering with Max’s social life, particularly his relationship with Roxanne, his high school crush and dream girl. This movie also featured 2 songs by R&B singer and superstar Tevin Campbell.

The film was so much fun, uplifting, and family oriented that I had to give it some love her on my website. The movie just melts my heart 💖But first…What is Goof Troop?

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Goof Troop bears similarity to several early-1950s Goofy cartoon shorts which depicted Goofy as a father to a mischievous red-haired son. Goofy, a single father, moves back to his hometown of Spoonerville with his son, Max. Their next door to Goofy’s high school friend: Pete and his family. His son P.J. (Pete Jr.) befriends Max. Max and P.J. become best friends and do practically everything together. A large portion of humor comes from the relatively normal Max’s personality sharply contrasting with his father.

And love the theme song by Phil Perry.

H-h-h-h-hit it!
Like father, like son
You’re always number one
Best buddies, best pals (Yeah!)
You always seem to work things out

Can’t you see you’re two of a kind?
Looking for a real good time(Real good time)
Report to the Goof Troop
And we’ll always stick together
(Yeah!) We’re the Goof Troop
Best of friends forever

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Now let’s talk about A Goofy Movie!

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DREAMS ARE A WISH YOUR HEART MAKES AND ARE MEANT TO BE FULFILLED I love how the movie starts. Max ( Jason Marsden) is dreaming of his high school crush Roxanne ( Kellie Martin).

However, before his dream can come true he wakes up!

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Fun Fact: A dream is a wish your heart makes is a song that’s in another Disney Film: Cinderella, which is from 1955. And I love Cinderella stories! See my post Money And Life Lessons I Learned From CBS Storybreak’s Yeh-Shen (A Chinese Cinderella Story)

I am all too familiar with having a dream.

Most people do not know this, but since I was a little girl I always had a dream to be rich. I just always knew that I did not want to worry more about money than helping people. Therefore, I figured out ways to live on less so that I could find ways to earn and save more.

First, I wrote down a plan. Second, I knew getting a good education was key so I went to an in-state, affordable college to lessen debt. Lastly, I refused to buy expensive or big ticket items i.e. $800,000 home, $70,000 vehicles, and $5,000 annual vacations.

I knew I needed my money to go to work for me. I needed to invest. So what’s it gonna be? 🤔 Real Estate? Stocks? Bonds? Mutual Funds? Art? Since stocks are more bang for my buck , as high-quality, dividend-paying stocks have proven to be the best way to make money over any twenty-year stretch of time or longer, I put my money in stocks.

My mission: To invest $100,000 in the stock market. Challenge accepted! Like Max, I had my work cut out for me.

MAKE A PLAN In the film, Max decides he’s tired of being looked over and makes a plan to change his fate. After today he sangs, things will be different.

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Pete, Max and Pauly Shore, err um I mean Bob, in An Extremely Goofy Movie picture image.

You got that right! Max dons the costume of his favorite popstar, Powerline (Tevin Campbell), and proceeds to perform the song “Stand Out” live in the school auditorium in front of the entire school. Talk about GUTS and going for the GLORY!

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Me and Max are very similar indeed.

Back in 2016, after years of reading other bloggers and dreaming of becoming one myself, I decided to change my fate and destiny forever.

After reading a post by Financial Samuari on how to start a blog, I decide to throw my hat in the ring. And here I am today. After today I thought, my life will never be the same!

Reading so many books and blogs about money, I learned how to save and invest more and spend less. In order to reach my goal of $100,000, I cut back spending. I went from saving 13-15% of my income to about 41% of my income going towards savings and investments! Remember this: NO GUTS, NO GLORY!!!

Back to Max, he now has gotten the attention of his dream girl. And the attention of the entire school including an older high school girl, that Roxanne’s best friend Stacy ( Jenna von Oÿ) tells her to do what The All American Rejects says to do Move Along. I know that’s right!!!😂

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See this, like me, Disney does fun facts too! 😉👍
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As soon as he finds a way to make his dream a reality, his dad, Goofy (Bill Farmer), decides they are drifting apart and need to go on a fishing trip to bond (and teach his son the perfect cast like his father taught him). After all that work Max just put in, he did what any teenage boy on an adrenaline high would do… he fainted.

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Fun Fact: Walt Disney is known for making animated films or shows as single-parent households in which the mother is missing. Think The Little Mermaid, Cinderella, Ducktales, and A Goofy Movie. There was always a close bond between the father and his children. This reminds us how important it is for a father to be involved in his child’s life.

See my posts Money Lessons I Learned From Scrooge McDuck and A Christmas Carol: Lessons in Finance, Business, And Life

SECRETS AND LIES OR LOANS Max decided to lie to his father in order to fulfill yet another lie that he told his friends about going to go see the Powerline concert live. This deeply hurts his father.

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In regards to loans, here’s a tip; do not invest borrowed funds. Invest cash only. Debt creates more debt. Cash creates more cash. It is just that simple.

FORTUNES FAVOR THE BOLD Max eventually comes clean to his dad and they agree together as a family to go to the concert. Father and son rocked it out!!!

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This all happened because Max finally had the guts to tell his father the truth. He also comes clean to Roxanne and she rewards him with a kiss. Max no longer being ashamed or embarrassed by his father introduces him to his dream girl Roxanne. Max took a chance and a huge risk, but it paid off in the end.

So remember this: Don’t do the boring thing, do the exciting thing.

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As for me, after I decided to start investing like crazy, I did hit my goal: $100,000!

Why $100,000 you ask?

Well, it’s like this. I did some research and found out how to build generational wealth over the long term. Investing is a long game. It takes decades to earn significant sums of interest.

Over 30 year time intervals, this is what can happen to money that is invested that earns 8% return.

Basically, invest and then do not add another penny to $10,000.

The First 30 years: $10,000 can turn into $100,000.

The Second 30 years: $100,000 turns into $1 million.

The Third 30 years: $1 million turns into 10 million.

The Fourth 30 years: $10 million turns into $104 million!

Therefore, you can turn small sums into vast fortunes over time.

That $100,000 is the golden ticket to prosperity my friends. Once you hit this milestone, your money starts to accumulate pretty fast.

That $100,00 can move mountains and turn small money pebbles into big money boulders! You just have to be bold enough to make a plan and execute it.

A dream may be a wish your heart makes, but a goal is a carefully crafted plan that is written down. So when in doubt, BE BOLD!

Automobiles, Bankruptcy, Financial Independence, Retirement, Saving

Range Rovers And Foreclosures

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Here I am back again talking all things on four wheels. I’m talking about cars of course!

So I will say to you what they always like to say in Welcome Back Kotter’s theme song, “Welcome back!”

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And less like Agent Smith in The Matrix saying Welcome back.

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However, we did miss you.

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After my last post on on the price of luxury cars, it is time to bring you the sequel! Just like The Matrix Reloaded. This posts sequel is all about cars so Buckle Up!!!

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See my post Beamers, Benz, and Bentleys Or A GMC Truck

Why another post about cars you ask? Because apparently folks out here are still lining up at the dealership every summer ready to take on these 5, 6, 7, now 8 year car loans!

You read that right. Lenders are now allowing borrowers to repay car loans for 8 friggin’ years!

That is enough time to do the following:

1. Graduate from college twice, including graduate school

2. Get married

3. Watch all 14 seasons of Supernatural on Netflix

4. Have the President of the United States finish two-terms

5. Write the next great American novel (hey it’s possible as it took J.R.R. Tolkien 12 years to pen The Lord of the Rings) 😉

I am here to remind folks that cars will not make you look, feel, or be rich.

Hey, don’t get mad a t me. I am just the messenger. Like Loreali Gilmore, I am A Messenger, Nothing More. Please just take the letter Dean or in this case, just read this post. 😁🙏

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MAKE PEACE NOT CAR PAYMENTS You must make peace with your finances. It is the only way to come to terms with reality and set your sights on the bigger picture. You must choose a path. Rich or Broke. Never poor because poor is eternal.

All things are temporary. However, life is not short, it is long. And like Chris Rock said, “life is long especially, if you make the wrong decisions.”

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Therefore, I want you to make good financial decisions from the starting gate. Paying 8 year car payments is like going to war with your bank account. And you know here at Greenbacks Magnet, we are all about the love. So make peace not war. So I am here to tell you: BACK AWAY FROM THE CAR PAYMENTS SLOWLY, TURN AROUND, AND RUN AWAY!!! You need to stand on firm financial ground. Your financial footing has to be so good that not even the Big Bad Wolf could huff and puff and blow your finances over!

When you constantly have to worry about how to make the mortgage payments or paying for the Range, then you have a serious problem. No car is worth going into foreclosure over. Should the home get foreclosed are you prepared to live in that Range Rover? A car that luxurious should be parked in a driveway and not on a freeway off ramp. Paying a $700 car note is outrageous. Then again, so is paying a $6,000 mortgage. Both of these high fixed expenses could leave you in the poor house.

Tons of bankruptcy filings include not only credit card debt, but high mortgage payments and out-of-control luxury car notes! People, people please don’t forget what Ferris Bueller said about priorities!

A man with priorities so far out of whack doesn't deserve such a fine automobile.

RANGE ROVERS ARE OVER RED ROVER Why discuss and name my post about Range Rovers? Let me tell you a story and paint this picture for you. In the illustrious words of Sophia from Golden Girls, “picture this.” 🤣

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I have heard several separate stories about Range Rovers and the cost of ownership.

In one story, the owner had the car in the shop for an entire year because he could not pay the repair bill. That’s right. A car that you are still paying the payment for, including auto insurance is sitting in a repair shop.

Now how are you gonna be a number one stunna, if you can’t ride around in your car to impress all the people out there, while only having $100 in the bank? It’s like Birdaman said, “Ride Bentley’s ’round the city on buttons.” “I’m the # 1 stunna!”

Oh and why only $100 in the bank? because it took almost every dollar in your paycheck just to keep the car on the road. And speaking of keeping the car on the road…let’s talk about maintenance and repairs on a Range Rover.

If you didn’t already know, then let me be the first to tell you. Luxury cars are more expensive to repair. Why you ask? It’s simple. Luxury comes at a premium. You have to pay the cost to be the boss.

See my post Lipstick Confessions: Confessions Of A Teenage Waitress

Repairs will also cost you more for luxury models. The parts are more expensive and not easy to find and replace like American made cars, as repairs and upkeep are cheaper on these models. Why even buy a Range? That is because nobody wants to wear platinum Rolexes and canary diamonds while pushing a Honda!

However, if you drive that Honda for a decade and invest that $40,000 you spent on the Range, then you could have a million more in retirement in 35 years. That Range will be long gone by then. But you know what? If you have money to burn, then play on player or should I say drive on driver!

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In another story, I heard that a mechanic left a stable transit authority job with excellent benefits to go repair cars for the Range Rover dealership. When asked why he did it, he replied, “because I can make more money fixing Range Rovers because those cars are always in the shop.” What the F*ck!!! You spend enough to put a kid through college to get that car only to have it in the shop! Unbelievable. You would think with all the dough you had to drop to get that ride it would at least hold up better than a Rav-4 or Honda CRV.

SITTING PRETTY WITH MONEY IN THE BANK OR WITH YOUR CAR ON BRICKS I will end this post with some news I have heard from around the water-cooler and then some.

One lady told me that she didn’t know what her husband was going to do because his BMW was in the shop and he couldn’t afford the $8,000 to get it out! Holy crap! So you want luxury but you cannot actually afford luxury. Then it’s simple: Sell the car. Take the $15,000 check that Carmax will cut you for the trade-in, get you a Ford or Toyota for $6,000 and put the rest of that money to work in the stock market. That is how I turned my $450 car payment into over $100,000!

It is far more important to have money in the bank than a Range in the driveway or the repair shop. Put your money where your values are. Far more people are impressed by those than can afford to buy Range Rovers, but actually don’t. The most important thing you can do with your money after you earn it is to actually have and keep some of it in the bank.

Automobiles, Credit Cards, Financial Independence

Beamers, Benz, And Bentleys Or A GMC Truck?

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When it comes to cars, people can blow more money than a newly signed NBA player or first round pick of the NFL draft.

It was recently reported that Americans are spending $18,000 a year on non-essentials. Which makes it pretty hard to stack those Benjamins; and even harder to be saying stuff like Drake and Lil Baby : Got M’s in the bank, like: “Yes, indeed.”

I have found that either you can be rich or act rich; you cannot be both.

However, don’t feel bad. Lots of people take years to learn that lesson. That is why this latest post is going to be a two-parter. 😉

See my post Catwalking To Get Paid: Modeling Is Risky Business

So don’t drop that top just yet playboy or playgirl, cause we’re equal opportunity like that here, because we’ll be right back later with part two of this post.

As soon as Springtime hits, more people are lining up at the convertible dealership faster than Punxsutawney Phil can make his prediction and see his shadow.

People are blowing major dough on their rides. If you are old enough to remember the MTV show Pimp My Ride, then you know its serious out here in these streets. $5,000 rims? You know it. Got to have that tint too? No problem. $2,000. Custom sound system? It will only set you back $8,000. And have to be like Three-Six Mafia and Stay Fly in the new whip by dropping $2,500 for a new pair of tennis shoes, $250 for Illesteva sunglasses, and $700 for new gear.

A new BMW can run you $40,000 and fully loaded could cost you over $100,000! Why not invest that money you say? The problem with investing in stocks and bonds is they’re boring as hell. A boss turns their garage into a Bentley dealership, stockpiles platinum Rolex watches, collects houses like chess pieces, turns their closets into a fashion house, collects $500 shoes like monopoly pieces, and opens up nightclubs. Got it, nerd? So light a Cuban cigar with a hundred dollar bill, pour your most expensive champagne in that crystal glass and put your feet up on a diamond-encrusted ottoman as Greenbacks Magnet presents Beamers, Benz, and Bentleys or a GMC Truck?

See my posts on Shoe Game Is Not For The Frugal At Heart and Introducing The $100,000 Bottle Of Water

THE PRICE OF LUXURY All things come with a price tag. Food. Water. Houses. But when it comes to cars, people are willing to drop some serious coin. I’m talking enough to put down a 10-20 percent down payment on a half a million-dollar home.

Remember cars are now coming more high-tech; like Lil Baby says, “Brand new whip got no keys.”

So what is the price of all this luxury?

Let’s take a peek.

For goodness’ sake, a GMC truck will run you $20,000-$30,000. Buy a decent quality car one-time and you’re done for like a decade!

When you have to start putting gas and groceries on plastic, then you are in some serious trouble.

If you can drop $75,000 on a new S-Class Mercedes-Benz, but your credit card gets denied while in the drive thru for a double-cheeseburger, then you need to check your priorities at the door of the Range Rover dealership.

Mercedes-Benz, Car, Amg Gt, Transport

If you are only able to make the minimum payments on $55,000 of credit card debt, then at that rate it would take you over half a century to get back in the black. No one should stay in the red that long!

TURNING HEADS LIVING LARGE AND TAKING CHARGE If your theme song starts off like this, “rain drops drop top,” then you may be in trouble.

Sports Car, Automobile, Vehicle, Auto

Trying to impress people with stuff usually leads you down to a life of misery and penury.

Personally, I have seen too many people get taken to the cleaners trying to impress family, friends, and acquaintances at stop lights for 20 seconds. That is a quick way to end up in bankruptcy court. Don’t believe me. Check out the NBA or NFL player’s union, stating that over half of NBA players are broke within five years of their retirement and even less for NFL ballers (there’s is three years).  

I even read an article discussing how men that drive fancy sports cars are less likely to want long-term relationships! Is that why so many pro athletes owe millions in alimony and child support! Then show up in court crying and telling the judge they can’t afford payments like T.O. After making more M’s than the M&M’s can put on its candy, it’s hard to feel sorry for you. But we hear you out there. It’s hard out here for a pimp.

FINANCIAL DISASTER ON FOUR WHEELS I guess I don’t have to tell you that overspending on cars is dangerous. What I do not get is when I see people not bat an eye at paying $50,000 for a new car, but then loss their minds if they get overcharged $0.50 for an ice cream sundae (um, what?)

Mercedes-Benz, Car, Auto, Transport

Pinching pennies on small items and dropping G’s on blackjack tables and designer car seats. That makes no sense.

You want to keep your fixed expenses low. That includes mortgages and cars. Why? So you can save and invest of course.

In order to try and retire early, it usually takes most folks saving 50% or more of their income.

Tough to do if you have to spend $3,000 every 3 months on repair bills at the BMW dealer. But because you are unwilling to negotiate at the farmers market or wait in line at Target or Costco, you spend like your life is made up of 75 hours instead of 75 years.

In order to avoid this fate myself, I paid off my car in 2009 and have not had another car note since!   I then went from saving $1 a day to over $1,100 per month! I calculated that if I could save $13,333 a year, then I would have over $100,000 of cold hard cash within 8 years! And I would be that much closer to saying “Got M’s in the bank, Yes indeed!”

Film Reviews, Financial Freedom, Financial Independence

Are You Afraid Of Overdue Bills? Then Welcome to Fright Night

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Are you scared to open your bills?

Are you worried about your finances?

Well you are not alone.

Millions of Americans are worried about their finances.

However, you must push through your fears and find a way to draw up the courage to face your fears.

This one movie always comes to mind when I think of a person that decided to be brave and stand up to their fears. You may have heard of it; it’s called Fright Night.

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I remember this movie vividly because it is the only film I have ever seen where every frame seemed to be carefully crafted for maximum effect. And it worked. The music, dialogue, and acting were top notch in my opinion.

Even this scene with a cameo by 1981 Playboy Playmate Heidi Sorenson. It’s affect was profound. She was..magnetic. And you know I like magnetism. 😉You knew something was coming. You could feel it. It was potent. The emotions were so raw and real. Feelings so intense they felt palpable. That is how every scene in this film made you feel. I have yet to find a movie to match this level of high anticipation and sense of urgency in a protagonist at least not like this. I thought it was an incredibly acted film.

Even the music was creepy and like credit cards…seductive.

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And the film had one of the hands down creepiest movie posters I have ever seen.

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The tagline reads: There are some very good reasons to be afraid of the dark. If you love being scared, it’ll be the night of your life.

Well I told you last month, I was going back to the 80’s.

This time I’m going to the year 1985.

Welcome to Fright Night.

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Fun Fact: I got to meet the one and only Chris Sarandon at Awesome Con in DC. He signed this photo for me. I love this 8×10 glossy of him as Jerry Dandridge.

The photo reads: To Miriam, Welcome to Fright Night…For Real. Jerry Dandridge. He is still so cool and suave!! And love the hair! 😉

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FACE YOUR FEARS

The film starred a high school kid named Charley Brewster (William Ragsdale), his creepy neighbor Jerry Dandridge (Chris Sarandon), and his vampire killing hero Mr. Vincent (Roddy McDowall).

Basically, Charley learns his neighbor is a vampire. I know, crazy right? However, in this movie that assumption is real. Charley finds himself face-to-face with a demon of the night. Instead of running for cover, Charley fights. And that is what you must do when it comes to your money. YOU MUST FIGHT FOR YOUR MONEY.

See my post America Is The Land Of Subscriptions

In one scene of the movie, Charley goes to see Jerry with his pal and the police. When Mr. Vincent learns vampires are real he runs and hides. Jerry is a bully. However, Charley stands up to him anyway.

That is what you too must do. Have courage. Be willing and able to look whatever it is in the eye and say do your worst for I will do mine.

See my post 5 Wealthy Nuggets Of Wisdom From The Count Of Monte Cristo

Do not let anyone peer pressure you into doing ANYTHING; especially, with your money. You fight and then you fight some more. NEVER GIVE UP. NEVER SURRENDER. Your money is too important to part with out of fear. Research anything and anyone who asks for your money. What is their background? Where do they work? Who do they work for? Do not go gentle into that good night. You must rage against the dying of the light. Thank you Dylan Thomas for that inspirational poem.

I hang up on telemarketers, I block numbers that I do not know or from anyone who is contacting me rudely, and I avoid signing up for most contests.

I will never forget when some slick talking salesman tried to recruit me to hear a 6-hour timeshare pitch. He was nice when I met him and told me it was only a 90 minute presentation on visiting the resort, but my Spidey senses were tingling so I googled his company and found out IT WAS A LIE!!!

So look out for the con men!!!

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I decided not to go and blocked his phone calls. I do not want to buy a timeshare. Let me repeat that again for the cheap seats in the back: I DO NOT WANT TO BUT A TIMESHARE. Not only are they expensive, but they tend to go up in price over time.

Why not just buy a home or rental property? Then you own the thing once you finish the payments and can rent it all and pocket all the profits.

HELP YOUR FRIENDS

In the movie, Charley has a girlfriend named Amy (Amanda Bearse) who gets taken by Jerry.

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One of the best scenes in the film was when Jerry says to Mr. Peter Vincent, “you have to have faith.”

These are listed in the comments section from this scene that were posted online that represent my sentiments exactly.

That was the same expression I had too when I opened my last month’s power bill.

“Haaauauaaghghg…” priceless.

“You have to have faith,for that to work on me.” -_- Note to ALL VILLAINS,don’t tell your enemies how to destroy you!

Chris Sarandon’s moan and look of horror were terrifying. He did more by acting than most 100 million dollar budgets can pull off.

You bet you do. You have to have faith in yourself and anything you do. If you truly believe it is good and true, then fight until your blue in the face. Give anything you do in this life everything you’ve got because it takes no less than that.

I was recently asked if I could “loan” someone $800. My answer: No.

First, of all, “borrow” is a loose term. People tend to forget what they owe you, but not when you owe them. If you truly cannot afford to loan someone money or let them have it, then just don’t do it. I had previously gave the same individual money “to have” a few years ago. Maybe they asked me again because I gave it to them the first time. I do not like to create patterns that are not sustaining.

I have learned if you say yes so much, that eventually when you do say no people tend to get upset. I say just stop it before it starts.

However, when someone truly needs you and you feel it in your heart to help, then help them. It’s always your call. It is always your decision to help and don’t let ANYONE take that anyway from you.

STEP INTO THE LIGHT

When Charley gets a chance to stop Jerry he takes it. Once a decision is made, then you forge ahead. However, always TRUST YOUR GUT.

I remember being scared to open bills. I would sit in my car for an hour just to calm myself down. You see I was in the habit of paying my bills first and then myself last. Now I do the opposite. I pay myself first.

That is why I now pay all my bills as soon as they arrive because I have already set aside my money for saving and investments. The $13,000 I decided set aside a year is separate from the money I invest.

For my birthday, I like to but shares of stocks or index funds. I own at least 5 individual shares of Amazon and up to 100 or more of some others. At $1,897.13 a share, I own about $9,485.65 of just one stock! And I own thousands of shares of stocks! This is a long way from where I started with $300 to invest.

I always like to look back and evaluate my present situation to see how far I’ve come. It allows you to take notice and recognize what you have done and see that you are not standing still.

I went from taking out $150 and $300 payday loans to saving more than that amount of money per week. It took me years to do all of that.

My advice is to open up those bills, contact your creditors, negotiate lower interest rates, and seek out 0% deals.

Prince Charming isn’t coming.

See my post on Money And Life Lessons I Learned From CBS Storybreak’s Yeh-Shen It’s a Cinderella story from China 😉

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That is why I decided to start saving a minimum of $5,000 cash a year. That way no matter what, in 10 years I have $50,000 cash in my bank account! You must ALWAYS have cash reserves for an emergency!

You are your last line of defense.

No one is coming to save you.

You cannot phone in a life line.

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Who wants to be a millionaire?

Therefore, you have to figure out what can you do right here, right now.

Step up to the plate. Rage against the night. And step into the light of financial independence.

I promise you will not regret it.

Budgeting, Financial Independence, Investing

3 Financial Lessons From Eating Ketchup

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3 Financial Lessons From Eating Ketchup

Full Disclosure: This post is hot off the presses and written by fellow blogger Dr. Breathe Easy Finance This is Part 1 of a 2-part collaborative post with yours truly 😉

This post is on a lighter note but don’t skim over it, I put my heart and soul into it. Kidding. But I tried to make it exciting.

Origin of this post – My beef against ketchup and fries

The human habit and interest never ceased to amaze me. I posted an article that I thought would be very helpful for people on how to budget their money to live the life they want.

It was a well-researched post with multiple points and topics covered. We covered a lot of ground in that one article  – 10 reasons to budget, 8 steps to create a successful budget, 5 risks of not managing your money, 4 tools to manage your money including our free budget template and to cap it off, we discussed the money habits of millionaires.

I tweeted the post, what happened?  Crickets. 2 likes after 24 hours.

That same day, I saw a post about fries and ketchup. Literally, some guy eating few fries with a huge amount of ketchup.

What happened? 23,000 retweets (well including me), not even counting the likes and comments.

Well I retweeted to point out that entertainment sells much more than finance tips that actually helps people.

But then, my own tweet took a life of its own and got lots of comments and retweets. So I gave up.

Not really, my friend Miriam (from Greenbacks Magnet) and I decided to write a blog post about ketchup and fries. She picked fries, I picked ketchup.

I think a simple approach to life is best. If ketchup and fries is what people want to see, we will give it to them.

To better prepare you for this post, check out this very scientific video about why ketchup is so hard to pour. 

Seriously though, the ketchup bottle has bested even the strongest men and women of this world.

Literally, 1.7 million views on this 3 minutes video. See what I am saying?

I originally promised a 12 financial lessons from eating ketchup, but I decreased it to 3 just for you my readers, to spare you the agony. You came here for the ketchup anyways, not financial advice right. 

3 Financial Lessons From Eating Ketchup

1. There is a sweet spot for everyone in personal finance – Find yours

Based on your goal in life and your philosophy, there is a sweet spot that you are comfortable with. Stick to it and don’t let people try to knock you off your financial mission statement.

If you feel like 30% bonds is where you are comfortable with and you have done your due diligence and researched, then stick to it.

Since I don’t do half jobs, I dived deep into every article I write. I came across an article about the Heinz ketchup bottle and how it could be a nightmare getting the ketchup out when it gets clogged.

I am not much of a ketchup guy, so this was news to me. You do not understand how many forums are discussing this and how frustrated people get.

Don’t even bother asking how many curse words and punching, kicking has occurred because of this phenomenon.

Finally, a spokesman from Heinz revealed the secret. It was almost like Heinz intentionally made people struggle first and after a few years, they felt bad about it and finally said – you have been doing it wrong for years. Imagine that!

A Heinz spokesman said: “To release ketchup faster from a glass bottle, here is a little secret from Heinz.

“The sweet spot to tap on the Heinz bottle is the 57 on the neck. All you need to do is apply a firm tap where the bottle narrows, and the ketchup will come out easier.”

It turns out that all the years of frustration that people experienced, banging the bottom of the bottle, cursing, yelling, throwing the bottle across the room, punching and kicking the bottle and getting nowhere – the answer was simple and it’s been there in front of us all this time. New York Post even wrote about it.

You already have your financial mission statement, why don’t you reread it and reassure yourself. Stick to your sweet spot, it will save you a lot of head banging, kicking and screaming. 

2. Ketchup cannot make up its mind whether its solid or liquid – Keep your finances simple.

This one is even more fun. Who knew lots of scientist’s study ketchup.  I mean, I would not be surprised if ketchup is being researched more than some diseases. Osler–Weber–Rendu syndrome for example.

Keep your finances simple. This is what I do. Instead of using 72 different funds in my portfolio, I started with the 3 funds portfolio.  Also that’s why I wrote about my 12 toddler steps to personal finance. I agree, it’s not perfect, but it gives me the general guideline to follow.

Throughout my fellowship training and first 6 months of my real job, I focused mainly on paying off my loans. Simple enough, that I paid the loan off faster than I expected.

There is an Australian researcher, Anthony Stickland, who made it his life mission to solve the ketchup flow problem.

Dr. Stickland, a senior lecturer at the department of chemical and biomolecular engineering at the University of Melbourne in Australia, literally developed step-by-step instructions that should help your ketchup flow much nicely.  In that instruction, there are lots of physics theories involved.

3. Don’t just jump into investments because an authority figure recommends it – The ketchup cure

I learned this from my short encounter with cryptocurrency investing. So I watched some YouTube video and also followed some big names on twitter at the time.

Many times, they promote a coin for people to buy – for example, John McAfee will tweet about coins, and then people rush to buy it, artificially inflate the price of the coin.

Then a pattern started to emerge, few hours after, there would be a huge dump in the coin. It turned out he got paid to promote those coins. I also believed he bought the coin right before, then dump the coin after people buy up and he would benefit from the promotion.

This might not apply to other investments as bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are not regulated.  However, you get the point. 

Ok as promised, the story of the ketchup cure –

Apparently, ketchup used to be a medicine around 1835 and it was sold as tomato pills. A genius doctor at the time spearheaded the project. Dr. John Cook Bennett, the medical department president at Willoughby University in Ohio.  The pill was sold as cure for illness ranging from diarrhea, jaundice, indigestion to rheumatism.

Conclusion 

While this might have been a funny or unfunny version of my venting, there are some things I felt need to be addressed.

  1. Human nature loves entertainment than something serious, even if it will improve our lives. 
  2. You can relate finance to anything, just gotta be creative
  3. There is a sweet spot for everyone in finance – just like the 57 spots for ketchup bottle
  4. Keep your finance simple – don’t be hot or cold. Pick a strategy and stay the course
  5. Don’t jump into any investment without doing your due diligence – Ketchup cure did not work – no magic formula for investing. 

Part 2 will be released later today by Miriam. Will be adding it later.