Category Archives: Financial Independence

financial freedom

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.

3 Financial Lessons From Eating Ketchup

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.

Financial Lessons from asking, Do You Want Fries With That?

Fast Food, Food, French Fries, Fries

Full Disclosure: This is Part 2 in a 2-part collaborative post with fellow blogger Dr. Breathe Easy Finance This Part 2 is written by yours truly 😉

All artists collaborate sometimes.

I’ll give you some examples.

Drake and Lil Wayne.

Marvel Comics The Avengers. It destroyed the box office this past weekend. It just made 1.2 billion at the global box office. So you see, amazing things happen when people collaborate.

Linkin Park and Jay Z.

Jay Z and Beyoncé .

See my post on How Beyoncé And Jay Z Became A $1 billion couple

Well guess what?

Personal Finance Bloggers collaborate too!

Your girl Greenbacks Magnet and Dr. Breathe Easy Finance are tag teaming it!

You read his post on 3 Financial Financial Lessons From Eating Ketchup.

Now he has passed the baton over to me and I gladly accept like we are team USA . Like Usain Bolt just handed over the baton. I hear the shouts coming from the stands. Screaming U.S.A..U.S.A!!!! 🤣

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We are Personal Finance Bloggers. We will not be overshadowed by some french fires and ketchup! You know why? Because financial literacy is too important. The cream not ketchup rises to the top! Like those bullies said in Race For Your Life Charlie Brown, We’re #1!!!! We are out here to help people improve the quality of their financial lives. See my post of Life Lessons From Race For Your Life Charlie Brown

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So we got together and decided to tag team it like Macho Man Randy Savage and The Ultimate Warrior.

So without further ado. Here it is for your reading pleasure. I give you Financial Lessons from asking, Do You Want Fries With That?!!

I know what you’re thinking? What type of article title is this? But just stay with me.

Another personal finance blogger, like myself, saw a post online of a video of someone eating a French fry. It got 23,000 views. He shared his thoughts about it on Twitter.

He said in the finance community we get nowhere near as many views. His response to that, was that his next post would be titled, “12 Financial Lessons from Eating Ketchup.”

I replied to that tweet, in response to his, that I would complement his post and call mine “Financial Lessons from asking, Do You Want Fries With That?

He thought I was joking. Surely, you jest!

I was oh so serious. As you see, when it comes to money, I don’t joke.

In the illustrious words of Miss Piggy, “Moi,” that’s (“me”) in French, Moi means business. Sorry, had to throw in a French word since we are talking about French fries.

Miss Piggy @MissPiggy New Year New Moi? HA!! As if. If it aint broke dont fix it sweetie

You see that, I just gave you an origin story. Similar to how Marvel Studios gave you X-Men Origins Wolverine.

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I will be slicing through the mysteries of money faster than the Wolverine can bring out those claws and the same way Michonne uses that Ninja sword on the Walking Dead.

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This blog talks money, but we also like to have fun. We about to have as much fun up in here as if we were going to a U2 concert!

Now that you know how this post got its origins, let’s dive right in!

Financial Lesson One: Hard work builds character

You will find no arrogance here.

I like to live a simple life. More Tom Welling in Smallville less Paris Hilton in The Simple Life.

Fun Fact: I got to meet and take a selfie with Tom Welling at Awesome Con in DC. He was a down-to-earth guy. More on my adventures at Awesome Con to come later in another post 😉

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I am no better than anyone else, but I am always just as good.

I have said before in various blog posts, that I am not too good for anything. I am always willing to work. I’ve been a cashier, waitress, and an operator. I prefer to work two jobs if I can. I would spend and live off of one and bank the other. See my post Lipstick Confessions: Confessions Of A Teenage Waitress

Which one should you bank?

The larger paycheck of course.

See my posts

Money Lessons I Learned From Jay Leno

Money Advice I Got From John Legend

Your work ethic and habits determines your financial fate more than just about anything else.

My habit of saving allowed me to stop living paycheck-to-paycheck.

Within one year’s time, I went from saving $3500 a year to $13,333 a year.

See my post on Why Halle Berry And I Continue To Save So Much

Habits can make you RICH!

Financial Lesson Two: There is a psychology to dealing with people

People require FINESSE!

If you work in a field where you have to have constant direct contact with customers, you have to mentally prepare yourself.

Clean uniform. Check. Good attitude. Check. Smile on my face. Check.

Serving food is a hard job. Very stressful. I had to find ways to decompress.

It really helped counting my tips at the end of the night.

Read books, practice gratitude, exercise, or meditate.

You do whatever you have to do to make it through your day and SAVE MONEY!!!

Financial Lesson Three: Have an exit strategy

If you do not want to be slinging hash all day as your career, then you need to have an end game in mind.

While I was working as a food server, I was still applying to other jobs. I kept an up-to-date resume at all times!

I even had a date that I planned to leave. BE SPECIFIC. And write it down.

You tend to achieve goals when you put it on paper.

My biggest lesson from asking, Do You Want Fries With That? The same lesson they teach you on day one when becoming a waitress: WRITE. IT. DOWN.

Just Winging It: Heavenly Money Advice From The Heavenly Kid

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The idea is not to live forever, it is to create something that will. – Andy Warhol

I’m back with another blast from the past. This time I’m taking you back to 1985 with The Heavenly Kid.

The movie poster image says: In Life & Love, We’re All Just Winging It.

However, in the real world “WINGING IT” isn’t going to cut it.

Anything you want, you are going to have to work for and pursue it. You must devise a plan, write it down, determine a strategy, chart a course, set sail, and execute that plan until you reach the finish line.

See my post on Nike founder Phil Knight

One of my favorite films from the 80’s was this gem. The movie had a kick ass soundtrack too!

What I really loved about The Heavenly Kid (THK) is that in the end what mattered most was people and not things.

Take a walk with memory down memory lane. You will not be sorry you came along.

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Pinky promise.?

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I pinky promise you.

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The synopsis is as follows: A hip guardian angel named Bobby Fantana, who died in a car race in the 60s, reluctantly agrees to watch over lonely 80s high schooler Lenny Barnes who needs guidance on how to become cool.

This is how it all went down.

A young greaser-type rebel, challenges Joe Barnes (Mark Metcalf) to a game of chicken for making a pass at his girlfriend Emily (Jane Kaczmarek). Bobby wins the race easily when Joe dives out of his car, but Bobby is unable to get out of the car in time due to his bracelet getting caught on the gearshift. He dies as his car plummets over the cliff into a fiery wreck.

I know this is some sad sh*t, but it does get better.

Although, Bobby is no longer with us there is still some good he can do.

He wakes up aboard a speeding train, which stops at a station housing a huge escalator going up into a bright white light, which one of the attendants refers to as “Uptown”. Bobby is denied entry, and Rafferty (Richard Mulligan) appears and explains that he isn’t considered ready yet and needs to carry out an assignment in order to earn his ticket Uptown.

That train is hilarious. Basically, it is like some form of purgatory, but without any maliciousness. After what seemed like an eternity and many years in limbo, Bobby is finally given his assignment: he is to return to Earth and act as a guardian angel and friend for Lenny Barnes (Jason Gedrick), a promising high school student who is constantly picked on in school, particularly by school bullies Fred Gallo (Stephen Gregory) and Bill McIntyre (Beau Dremann).

The one and only Jason Gedrick.

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Iron Eagle 1986 young hero
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However, Bobby is instructed that he is only allowed to reveal himself to Lenny and nobody else.

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Ooh, plot thickens.

Basically, Bobby is not allowed to enter heaven but has to stay in one of the lower levels or downtown until he has worked enough as an guardian angel in order to deserve paradise. Like all good things, you have to earn it first.

Get out the popcorn, it’s going to be a good read.

WINGED ADVICE #1: CONFIDENCE IS KEY

When Bobby meets Lenny he is for lack of a better word; a nerd.

Just for flare. I am providing one of my favorite meet and greet handshakes of all time. By my favorite WWE wrestler Mach Man Randy Savage with Hulk Hogan. Now he had style and oozed confidence!

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And not the Steve Urkel type, but a kid that just has no confidence. Bobby is about to help him change that.

The first time he sees Lenny he is being picked on by a bunch of jerks from his high school. He notices that the “kid has no confidence cause he’s got no style.” Truer words had not been spoken.

I will not ever forget being teased in school. It only made me stronger. I remember thinking this is bull$#%t! I’m only here to get an education. I’m not here for you or your approval!

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All people cared about were looks and popularity. I was like there has to be more to life than they way you LOOK!

I decided to ignore them and hit the books and the gym. I found an upperclassman that was willing to do my hair anytime I wanted, then I worked on having impeccably flawless hygiene and appearance.

I felt this. Just like Regine Hunter (Kim Fields) in Living Single.

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I was like Beyonce in that b*tch! I WOKE UP LIKE THIS!

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All the bullying and teasing stopped REAL QUICK.

That is why I focus so much on my health, education, and building wealth. And it paid off in spades. I own a home, have multiple retirement accounts, I have over $100,000 in just 1 index fund and I own a bunch of those! Thanks Jack Bogle for creating the first index fund in 1975 with Vanguard.

I’m not the only one that has been teased in school. Lots of folks have. I recently saw an interview with William Zabka (Johnny from The Karate Kid) while he was promoting Cobra Kai with Ralph Macchio.

When asked about bullying he said he hates it. There are 3 core people involved in bullying: the bully, the one being bullied, and the witness. Go tell an adult or someone you trust what is going on. Speak up. No one knows unless you tell them. Don’t be afraid to stand up, say something or defend yourself. Remember that bullying is only a season; it is not your whole life. This too shall pass. It is not permanent; it is only temporary. At the time, it seems like your whole world because in that moment it is, but you will grow up an this will end. Yes, he said all of that. He played the bully in a movie. That is fiction. In real life (IRL), he is anti-bullying.

In addition, I remember hearing Jillian Michael tell her story. She was chubby and overweight. The kids were relentless in their teasing. Once she started training in martial arts she said the teasing dried up like prunes and stopped real quick. Therefore, if you want to do anything in this life, the first thing you have to do after making sure you are safe, dry, and feed is to build up some confidence. It can change your life faster than just about anything.

How do you get it? Create a safe place and space for yourself to be who you are, but also to have a clean and neat appearance.

Coco Chanel once said the fastest way to change your appearance is to never underestimate the value of fresh-shaped eyebrows, clean glowing skin and a good haircut.

Basically, focus on hair, teeth, and skin.

You do this by drinking water, exercising, and eating well.

The End.

As far as clothing goes, just do the basics. You are in high school for goodness sakes! All you need are jeans, t-shirts, sweaters, and sneakers.

For the ladies, some fitted tops, jeans, skirts, dresses and heels. A nice blazer and black leather jacket are staples along with nude heels and black pumps. A little black dress is always great to have.

And most important, nothing too TRENDY! Styles change quick. They change so fast that styles have already changed while I was typing this sentence on this post!

Stick to regular staples and basic solid colors and you will never go wrong. Remember that red is the color of confidence.

Also, that you are your biggest cheerleader. You have to believe in yourself or otherwise no one else will. Find a way to build up your confidence and you will go a lot further along in your life.

That’s just my $0.02 cents. Smooches 💋

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WINGED ADVICE #2: CRUSHES DON’T LAST FOREVER AND NEITHER DOES BEING BROKE

Lenny has a crush on a girl named Sharon who is the most beautiful and popular girl of the class. He was totally obsessed.

But she does not even notice him until Bobby helps Lenny change his image and boosts his confidence. By doing this Bobby dresses Lenny up making him a playboy and tough guy so that he gets what he wants although Bobby knows that this is not the best. 

Lenny spent so much time obsessing over Sharon that the girl that really liked him wasn’t even in his eyesight, but was right in front of him in his friend Melissa (Nancy Valen).

Look we have all been there. Young love. Sometimes it goes unrequited. You will love again. I promise you. Like a friend told Romeo, during the infamous feud between the Montague’s and the Capulets), he must move on from Juliet, there are other beauties.

Shakespeare had that right. Nothing lasts forever. You must be willing to move on once you have done all you can. Did you do your best? Alright then, move on. Time heals all wounds and this includes a broken heart.

Now let’s talk money.

Don’t sped money like a drunken sailor.

Once you start earning some income, put some money aside. Even if it is only $5 dollars a week! This will get you in the habit of saving.

They say the niches are in riches. If that is so, then saving is the niche to building lasting wealth.

I started with nothing and slowly built what I have. First, I was saving $1 a day. Then it was $50 a month. I slowly started bumping it up every chance I got. Got a raise. Save it. Got a windfall. Save it. Can’t just let that money sit. Money can’t be idle.

See my post Money Lessons I Learned from Scrooge McDuck

Money must be invested and it has to keep circulating. Spend on what you need. If there is excess, then you can buy luxuries, but not before you have earned the money first. Learn it. Live it. Love it.

I finally started doing $150 a month and then doubled that. I started reading more on saving and figured “What the heck?” just cut out the crap, stop spending and save.

That is when I leap frogged from saving $3,600 a year to $5,000, $8,000, $10,000 and then $13,333. I sold, stop buying, or earned more and saved. From sacrifice comes great things. Get it. Got it. Good.

WINGED ADVICE #3: SHOPPING FOR A PURPOSE

One of my favorite scenes in the film was the shopping scene. Bobby takes Lenny shopping for new clothes. This boosts his confidence.

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In addition, he builds Lenny a car. Now that he has a new set of wheels and fancy clothes, he is ready to take on the world.

I am all for new clothes and buying things you need. Lenny needed to burn those clothes he had or donate them (waste not want not). They made him sad and lonely. He went from geek to chic. And his attitude along with it. However, they only got what he needed. No $5,000 Rolex, or $700 sneakers. Enough for the kid to get by and feel good.

See my post Shoe Game Is Not For The Frugal At Heart

That is what I do. That is how I was able to save thousands in annual clothing expenses and bank that money.

He was also economical in how he got a car. They went to a junkyard and put it together from all the spare parts lying around. No $500 car note there, which is the average that Americans are paying. Stop trying to impress people with your fancy gadgets.

Take a note from 50 Cent’s playbook. When in doubt: sell. Here is a cautionary tale.

Curtis 50 Cent Jackson recently sold his Connecticut mansion for $2.9 million. That is an 84% loss as he paid $4.1 million for the place in 2003. The reason he sold: money The place was a money pit. It cost a whopping $70,000 a month to maintain the property!

Therefore, he is paying $840,000 a year for his manse. He hasn’t even eaten yet! No gas was put in the Hummer (fill in any fancy car name here) and no food was put in the fridge. And don’t forget health insurance. That’s all got to be paid. In 9 years, 50 Cent will have paid over $7.5 million just to do nothing but sit on the sofa in his house! This 19 bedroom manse had no purpose other than to impress people. No one NEEDS 19 bedrooms unless they are running a bed and breakfast. Matter of fact, having a 10,000 or more square ft home is like having a small hotel. I’ll pass.

WINGED ADVICE #4: FOR THE LOVE OF MONEY OR FAMILY

Bobby later finds out that Lenny’s mother is his former girlfriend who has married another guy. Although not being allowed he makes himself visible to her…

and after some additional situations take place Lenny is challenged to a chicken race at the local quarry by Fred, Sharon’s former boyfriend. Having been told by Rafferty that Lenny will die just as Bobby did earlier, Bobby offers to trade his own chance to move Uptown (essentially, his own immortal soul) to save Lenny’s life.  He vows to give up his soul. A selfless act indeed.  

This unknowingly earns Bobby a trip to Heaven or “uptown” as the movie refers to it. Rafferty explains to Bobby that he had learned to love and value someone more than himself, and that is how one earned a ticket Uptown.

There are going to be times in this life when you will have to chose what matters most to you. What do you value? I remember hearing the Osmonds father (yes, those Osmonds of Donnie and Marie fame) tell his children: faith, family, then career.

I pick my investments based on what I value most: freedom. The freedom to choose what I do with my life and my time.

Money is infinite, but time is not. Once it’s gone, it is gone forever.

That is why I only do what excites me. You only get one life. One shot. One chance. I suggest we all do what Eminem says, ” You better lose yourself in the music, the moment You own it, you better never let it go You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow This opportunity comes once in a lifetime.” I agree wholeheartedly.

If you like this post, then check out the film The Heavenly Kid. Because life and you money are too important to “just wing it.”




Lipstick Confessions: Confessions Of A Teenage Waitress

Lips, Taboo, Secret, Silence, Mouth

You read that right.

Like Usher, these are my confessions.

Lipstick Confessions that is. 💋

Not Confessions of a Teenage DRAMA QUEEN. Even though I was a teenager, but of a TEENAGE WAITRESS!

Being a waitress was a humbling experience.

After reading about Financial Samurai working for $3.50 an hour at McDonald’s, I was inspired to share my story of making $2.39 an hour + tips while waiting tables at Shoney’s.

It was early experiences like that that shaped my attitudes toward money and work today.

It is also a reason why I try to tip well.

I believe in being a good tipper because that is how people make their living. My father always says tip well enough for people to feel it. I concur.

A waitress is a pretty grueling job.

You are on your feet for hours on end. You must constantly be moving and taking orders or picking up food. Then there’s the nonstop cleaning, folding of napkins, packaging silverware, putting ketchup, salt and pepper and other condiments out and etc.

That early job experience was enough to make me want to work and study so hard while I was young, so that I would not have to when I was older.

This job and other hardships are what drove me to dig my way out of debt and start saving over 40% of my after-tax income.

I have always been thrifty and a saver.

It is because of that, I knew I could not marry someone that is fiscally irresponsible and stay married to them. It just wouldn’t work.

See my post on Why I and Halle Berry Save Soo Much

I have never had the urge to go rent a Mercedes-Benz, drive down to Vegas, buy lottery tickets at every 7-eleven along the way, buy a $4,000 Cartier wrist watch just cause you know bosses gotta be on time, visit a psychic who says my lucky numbers are 4,5, and 6, and then bet it all on black.

Nope. I have not given any of that any thought at all.

Except maybe that the color of the S-Class Mercedes with a 3-layer fabric top is impeccably crafted for coupelike comfort, sleekness and outward views when it’s up, or vanishes in under 20 seconds, even as you accelerate to 30 mph should be silver.

Other than that, no thoughts whatsoever!

See my posts

Finance Lessons From Flipping Vegas

Mega Millions Win Or Bust

At age 17, I was a teenage waitress.

It would be six years before I began my career working in finance, banking, and loans.  

And a full decade after that waitressing job, before I got hired to work at a top-tier private university with excellent benefits.

But first I had to pay my dues.

SLINGING HASH TO MAKE A BUCK

I looked down at my bank receipt.

I had about $10 bucks in my bank account. I was BROKE!

I needed a job.

Being only 17 didn’t provide me with too many options, but as they say, “beggars can’t be choosers.”

I heard the local Shoney’s was hiring wait staff. To my surprise, I applied and got the job.

We went in for training at around 9 am the next week after being hired.

My uniform was black pants, white button shirt, sneakers, a small bow-tie and a black apron.

I only worked there for one summer.

That was long enough to realize I did not want to make my career in the food service.

I knew this was going to be the first, last, and only job I ever took that dealt with serving or making food.

See my post Fast Food Nation

After reading the book Nickel and Dimed, I felt that the author expressed my views on how she and I observed the treatment of low-wage workers was pretty spot on!

Image result for nickel and dimed

The job: take orders, greet customers, keep the restaurant clean, and serve food.

Sounds simple right. Wrong.

We had a busy body manager. Chaotic shifts. And lulls in customers.

Shoney’s was an eat-in restaurant (mostly was a buffet place) that started in Tennessee, but had restaurants in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Image result for shoneys
Related image

So many people opted for the breakfast mostly leaving afternoons and dinner times pretty sparse inside. 

That means little to no tips!

Not something I was told upon being hired.

Some of the food on the menu looked better than it actually was in-person, but all the food was at least good.

And no matter how hard I worked, it never felt good enough to our nitpicking manager who was always so concerned about how she looked in the eyes of the suits at corporate.

She was too busy kissing their a$$ to worry about us lower employees on the totem poll.

Little good it did her.

She was a ball of constant worry and stress, a chain smoker, and overweight. This was our manager. Our fearless leader?

Is this what management is supposed to look like in America or was this just her issue?

There has to be better ways for her to almost be eligible for food stamps and make a buck, but what do I know.

My lunch break was the only thing I looked forward to because it was the one-time no one could give you any orders and you could get off your feet and rest.

I usually ate a Philly cheesesteak because it was just so good. Calories be damned!

Even some of the cooks seemed disgruntled. They liked to flirt with waitresses and I think one was dating one of them! Whatever.

I just needed the cooks to be happy so that I could get food out piping hot and fast so I could make this money.

I need those tips!

After calculating the $2.39 an hour, working 40 hours a week would only get me $95.60! And that’s gross not net! 

Anyway, I now had to deal with the situation.

The goal was to have spending money to hang out with my friends and buy all the cool stuff I always wanted but could never afford.

To be so young and naïve. If I would have been thinking, I should have started tucking money into a Roth IRA. I would probably have had less anxiety when I got my first REAL job!

If I would have saved just $2,000 a year from ages 16-26, without adding another penny, in 40 years that money could have turned into $1,586,894.95 at a 10% return with compound interest! That would have required me to only stash away $22,000!

Just some food for thought right there. Start investing young!

WELCOME TO THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF TIPPING

Like the first episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, “Welcome to the Hellmouth,” I was welcomed to how cheap people really are.

Related image

Tipping is the holy grail of waitressing and bartending.

See my post on Money Tips From Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Make that money honey.

I had a wide range of tips, as anyone who works for tips can tell you.

My range was this: $0 to $27.

The highlight of my night was always counting up my tips when I got home. I think the highest I ever got was $100 bucks in one day!

I know that may not sound like a lot, but to a high school kid in the 90’s that was good money.

Things were also cheaper back then as well.

You bought the item, like a pair of shoes or video game, and then the transaction was over.

Not like subscription mania that has now swept across the nation.

See my post America is the land of subscriptions

One of the smallest tips I ever got was from 2 girls I went to high school with. We were not friends but I didn’t expect to only get a $1.17 tip! That was basically the change from the meal they just ate and paid for. Maybe they should have put in an application to work here too!

I remember one time in college when I got a ride home from a weekend class I was taking (I was doing 6 classes that semester), telling me she worked at her brother’s restaurant and she made sure to be on point in order to get that $20 tip!

My days at Shoney’s was long gone by then, but I remember thinking it is far better to work at a higher end restaurant like her because you can make more money.

Lesson Learned: Focus working or catering to high-end clientele that can afford to pay for your services.

SAVE LIKE YOU WILL LIVE FOREVER

Have you ever heard the saying “Live like tomorrow is your last day on earth?”

Well, I like to save like I am going to live forever.

I learned this lesson, like James Brown said, you have to Pay the Cost to be the Boss.

That song and The Payback made me want to get my act together.

I put a plan into action. I was going to save money out of every paycheck.

It took years to make happen, but I went from saving nothing to putting aside 9% of my income. Then from saving $1 a day to $13,000 a year!

The plan had been to stop living paycheck-to-paycheck. 

That was okay, but I needed a goal. Something to aim at.

So I picked a number. $13,333 was that number.

I chose it for a few reasons: 1) The number 3 is my favorite number; 2) I saw that another blogger was saving that amount per month so I aimed to duplicate that, but started smaller; and 3) I did the math and discovered I could have over $100,000 cash if I did this for about 7.5 years.

I also knew it was possible that if I invested $100k in the stock market that after 30 years without adding another dime, I could have $1 million shored up for retirement.

Considering that about 20% of Americans have $0 saved for retirement, I knew that I better prepare because tomorrow does come.

The future is going to happen.

If I was going to bet on anything, I would bet on that. Forget Vegas. You can bet the farm the future is coming. And it’s coming fast!

Remember that 9% I mentioned earlier. Well that small sum turned into a small nest egg of $25,000!

And most of that sum is invested in just a few stocks!  

The power of compound interest baby!

Pro Blogger IRA # 1 of 3 (Personal Finance)
Traffic Estimate: 50,000 pageviews
Pinterest Estimate: 48,000 monthly viewers
Stock Price Stock Quantity Current Balance
AAPL $201.35 37.256 $7,501.50
AMZN $1866.86 5.000 $9,334.30
Total
    $16,835.80

Source: GreenbacksMagnet.com

I hope this post inspires people to understand the value of a dollar and that paying off debt and saving are far better than blowing all your money on things. 

Invest and watch your money grow!

The Skeleton Key Of Personal Finance

Time, Watch, Key, Old, Antique

To follow, without halt, one aim: There’s the secret of success. – Anna Pavlova

To save, without stopping, one goal: There’s the secret of building wealth. – Miriam Joy, Founder of Greenbacks Magnet

You are about to receive a gift.

From me to you.

I am going to give you the secret to untold riches beyond your wildest dreams and I will give it to you for free.

You will learn how to amass a fortune so great that no man can measure its vastness.

I’ve got a secret. Shhh. But I’ll tell you. Come closer.

I’ll give you the secret to how I became a savings wildcat.

I pick a number, say $10k, divide it by 12, and save that amount monthly.

How you ask? I automate it.

The End.

Smooches 💋

What will this secret cost you? Nothing. Therefore, you will not have to sell your soul to get access to it.

What am I talking about? Saving money.

That is the Skelton key of building wealth. You save a portion of every dollar you earn. Then you invest it.

Investing is the equivalent of being paid royalties as an actor, musician, or author.

HERE. WE. GO.

WHAT IS A SKELTON KEY?

Skeleton Key, Antique, Old World, Wood

A skeleton key is a type of master key in which it is designed in a way so that it can fit and open numerous locks.

The term derives from the fact that the key has been reduced to its essential parts.

Saving money unlocks all the doors to everything you have ever wanted.

Have you ever wanted anything, but could not find a way to get it?

Saving money will solve that problem for you.

See my post How Millennial Money Inspired Me To Start Saving $13,333.06 A Year

My recommendation is this:

Women save $0.50 of every dollar you earn.

Men save $0.40 of every dollar you earn.

Why the difference? Because women earn on average $0.80 for every dollar a man earns.

Therefore, men have to save less and women have to save more in order to reach the same goal of fill in the blank $ dollar amount here.

WHY IS SAVING SO CRUCIAL?

No one can arrive from being talented alone, work transforms talent into genius. – Anna Pavlov

All wealth building starts with saving.

Don’t let anyone tell you any different.

Sure you may have to invest and diversify your money such as investing in stocks, real estate, and bonds, but you have to save money FIRST before you can buy or invest in anything.

If you have ever read a Jane Austen or Charles Dickens novel, then you know the theme always comes around to money.

See my post A Christmas Carol: Lessons In Finance, Business, And Life

Considering that Jane Austen never married and Charles Dickens grew up in a poor house, it is not surprising that the authors chose to hone in on this topic.

The sorted topic of coin. Both authors are British and in that society they have a class system.

You are either born into wealth and inherit it or you must work for many years and earn your fortune.

Many of the landed gentry lived off of their land. Profits that were made from owning land was how they made a living.

That monthly sum could be the difference between prosperity and being locked away in poor houses, which were a form of jail for the poor.

Here in America, we do not have a class system of royalty, nobility, tradesmen, shop keepers and owners, or farmers.

However, we do have a social ranking and social class. Those are the haves and the have nots.

If you want to find yourself in the realm of having, then you best start saving money for your future today.

Many years ago, I was laughed at for my paltry savings amount of 9% per year.

Now I am saving over 40% of my income.

No one laughs at me now.  

HOW SAVING MONEY CAN MAKE YOU HEALTHIER

They say wealth equals health. And that is an understatement if I ever heard one.

Having money allows you to pay for all of your needs.

This includes doctor visits, healthy food, and medicine.

See my post Why America Doesn’t Have Free Universal Healthcare And A Look At Those Who Do

Even something so simple as reading glasses can get pricey. I once saw a pair of Oakley glasses for $300.

You want organic fruit and meat? Well that costs.

Eating well not only affects your waistline, but also your brain functions.

It is said that children that do not get the proper rest, nutrition or eat breakfast before school perform lower on tests and have harder times concentrating.

See my posts Wealth Really Does Equal Health

HOW SAVING MONEY CAN MAKE YOU HAPPIER

Success depends in a very large measure upon individual initiative and exertion, and cannot be achieved except by a dint of hard work. – Anna Pavlov, Prima Ballerina

When you have the means to pay your bills, eat, and work in good health; then you are fortunate indeed to be able to pay your own way.

Being able to afford your monthly nut just makes you happier overall.

You are protected from the pitfalls of many of life’s hiccups.

Money offers protection.

See my posts

Dwayne Johnson: The Rock Solid Way And The Fast And The Furious Way To Make Millions

5 Wealthy Nuggets Of Wisdom From The Count Of Monte Cristo

Halle Berry On Success And Failure: Why She And I Continue To Save So Much

The One-Tweet Financial Plan  

Money Lessons I Learned From Jay Leno

Money Advice I Got From John Legend

Money And Greek Myths: Lessons From Clash of The Titans

You can get just as much pleasure saving as you can from spending.

I seem just as happy being able to have the ability to afford items than am to actually purchase them.

It is a great feeling to payoff debt. Every check you write frees you from obligation to lenders. Then your money can stop serving THEM and start serving YOU.

Make a goal to write down evet single bill you have and person you owe.

I started doing this and tackling every debt I had one by one.

Once I paid of my car, I owed $30,000 and my personal loan, I owed $20,000, then things started really taking off from there.

I was able to take these monthly payments, $450 and $333 respectively, and start investing that money. Now that money works for me in the stock market.

Here is one stock I recommend: VFINX or VFIAX. (You can also invest in the VTSAX or any equivalent)

Portfolio composition of VFIAX

Month-end 10 largest holdings
(22.40% of total net assets) as of 03/31/2019 

1Microsoft Corp.
2Apple Inc.
3Amazon.com Inc.
4Alphabet Inc.
5Facebook Inc.
6Berkshire Hathaway Inc.
7Johnson & Johnson
8Exxon Mobil Corp.
9JPMorgan Chase & Co.
10Visa Inc.

Whatever you do just make sure you not just SPEND money but SAVE money.