You get what you give. What you put into things is what you get out of them. – Jennifer Lopez
I took this picture while I was waiting to get in to the concert.
I have learned to choose experiences over things. You put those pair of expensive jeans on a credit card and 10 years later those $80 jeans could really cost you $300 with 25 percent interest attached. That wasn’t on the price tag! Those jeans will be long gone by then, but that time you went camping with your family and friends will be great memories that last a lifetime.
In the last several years, I have decided to spend money more on experiences. After seeing that episode of Gilmore Girls Concert Interruptus, I knew one day I would go to a concert so I could be as happy as Loreali and Sookie was to go see their favorite band. Those great feelings you get from actually doing something and paying for it with cash are priceless.
That is exactly what I did on July 17, 2019. I went to see Jennifer Lopez in concert. And I loved every minute of it!
Went to the JLo concert. It was awesome.@JLo says: You can be anything you want to be with hard work.
Took this short video on my phone while at the concert.
She stopped by DC and performed at Capital One Arena after doing her make-up concert in Madison Square Garden in NY after the blackout on Saturday July 13. What a professional.
And let me tell you. I looked into what it takes to do concerts and JLo’s setlist and tour dates. Performing is grueling work.
Jennifer Lopez – It’s My Party – The Forum – Inglewood, California – June 7 2019 – setlist
Want to help celebrate JLO’s birthday with her! See remaining tour dates below. Jennifer Lopez – It’s My Party Tour dates: June 10 – San Diego, CA – Pechanga Arena June 12 – Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center June 13 – San Jose, CA – SAP Center June 15 – Las Vegas, NV – T-Mobile Arena June 16 – Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Arena June 19 – Denver, CO – Pepsi Center June 21 – San Antonio, TX – AT&T Center June 22 – Edinburg, TX – Bert Ogden Arena June 24 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center June 25 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center June 28 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center June 29 – Chicago, IL – United Center July 3 – Milwaukee, WI – Summerfest July 5 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesar’s Arena July 7 – Toronto, ON, CA – Scotiabank Arena July 10 – Montreal, QC, CA – Centre Ball July 12 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden July 16 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center July 17 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena July 19 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Arena July 20 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center July 22 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena July 23 – Orlando, FL – Amway Center July 25 – Miami, FL – American Airlines Arena
Instead of spending a fortune and being close enough to the stage to reach out and touch the artist and see the white of their eyes, I selected a seat that just fine to see how different my experience would be. My seat cost $49.95 and I have a blast!
You do not have to go in debt or sell your belongings on Craigslist or drive for Uber or Lyft just to spend $500 on concert tickets. The jumbo screens show you all the action just fine in my book.
This was also her first tour since ending her Las Vegas Residency which made like $100 million in ticket sales!
For a night out on the town it cost me about $100 bucks!
So if you want to paint the tow red, I suggest you stay in the black and pay cash and not go in the red and use credit. Cause you know your girl Greenbacks Magnet is all about saving a dollar!
If you read my tweets then you know I can’t stand debt. I would stop doing just about everything in order to save up huge chunks of money to pay off debt. I once saved up $15,000 to pay off $14,745 worth of debt! Paying debt off in chunks feels awesome.
I learned to pay off my credit card and other debt in lump sums from reading about how Grammy award-winning artist John Legend doing it after he got his first big paycheck. Smart!
Just hearing about another pro athlete going broke is enough for me to change my free willing money spending ways.
Breaking News: Adrian Peterson is in debt after making $100 million in earnings in the NFL. This is my version of Scared Straight. Scared Debt Straight that is. Is he not reading my blog?!!!
I encourage you all out there to stop what you are doing and find a way to start saving 5 percent of your income.
Start with just $500 in the bank and work your way up to one month of expenses. That Is how I went from $25 in the bank to $5,000. Save for the things you want. Paying with cash is freedom.
It’s like JLo says, “you get what you give.” You have to work for what you want. She says she gets nothing for free. And that she has to pay for everything.
The harder you work, the more you get. I’m taking my money earning and saving cues from Jlo. I like to study the self-made. And Jenny from the Bronx is as self-made as they come. So happy birthday JLo. Make a wish. I’ll tell you mine. It’s simple really. I want to always spend less than I earn. Your turn.
My two biggest influences are Archie comics and Dennis the Menace.- Gilberto Hernandez Guerrero
I have always been a huge fan of Archie Comics.
Archie Comics is a owned by Archie Comic Publications, Inc. is an American comic book publisher headquartered in Pelham, New York. The company’s many titles feature the fictional teenagers Archie Andrews, Jughead Jones, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Reggie Mantle, Sabrina Spellman, and Josie and the Pussycats.
Growing up an Archie comics fan or Archiekins fan, as I like to call it, was a lot of fun. Loved the stories. The comedy was top notch. The drawings were colorful. The stories were insightful. And even though the star was Archie Andrews, my favorites were best friends and worst enemies – Betty Cooper and Veronica Lodge. Their love triangle and rivalry over Archie goes back over 70 years! Since about 1942. They been fighting over this red-headed punk since the 50’s! Call it what you want. Madness or chaos or for better or worse, Betty & Veronica are in it to the very end to fight over the affections of Mr. Andrews.
The comics are still popular. So much so that The CW show Riverdale was created for television.
“Don’t underestimate her and don’t bet against her.” – Archie Andrews, KJ Apa in Riverdale
However, this post is going to focus on their financial lives. Here are 3 money tips I learned from Betty & Veronica!
MONEY TIP ONE: SPENDING LOTS OF MONEY WILL NOT EVER LEAVE YOU SATISFIED
You think blowing tons of dough on shopping sprees will make you happier? Then think again.
If you have ever seen Uninterrupted Kenading Dough, pun intended, then you know even millionaire NBA players are watching their finances. In an episode with Draymond John, The Golden State Warrior talks his first big check, how he learned how to manage his finances and more.
He is trying to create generational wealth for his family. Mighty important in my money playbook! In addition, that he wants to be a billionaire by age 40. That is not a typo. I did not stutter. He said billionaire with a B and not millionaire with an M.
How is that possible? Well, if you invest instead of spend, you can make your wildest dreams come true.
Think of it like this. If you have a $1,000,000 invested with an 8 percent return over 40 years, it would net you $10 million. So imagine if you have that $10 million from the start. You could have over $200 million in that same 40 year time period by just letting it ride.
Therefore, when you think of life, money, saving, and investing: Think Bigger!
MONEY TIP TWO: ONLY HIRE A PROFESSIONAL IF YOU DO NOT THINK YOU CAN DO IT YOURSELF
Some of you may not know it out there, but where you invest your money matters. One of the reasons many bloggers like myself prefer Vanguard are the fees.
Many other brokerages may charge anywhere from 1 percent or higher. Vanguard typically charges less that 1% for all of its funds. It’s admiral funds are among the cheapest!
Saving 1% in fees can mean the difference of having an additional 10 years of retirement income.
Therefore, my suggestion is that you focus on limiting the amount of fees you pay for your investments, if you want to get and stay rich; pay less in fees.
Betty was always the rational, cool and level-headed one of the trio. She was good-natured and down to earth compared to the glamorous vamp Veronica.
Mature beyond her years and nice, Betty, was the calm in the otherwise hectic dating storm that was between the girls and Archie.
Veronica was rich and spoiled, but Betty was middle-income and demure. If you want to live lavish, then be my guest.
However, if you are unprepared when the credit card bills arrive, then you are in trouble. Being sued by your land lord because you spent all your money at the mall looking cute is just plain idiotic.
Worse yet, living in your parents basement with maxed out credit cards while you pay $0 in rent!
Focus on keeping your housing, transportation, and food bills low so you can keep your savings high.
It was a great feeling when I was able to start saving and investing over $10,000 a year. My goal was financial independence.
That would mean I saved and invested $100,000 in 10 years! That does not include any earned interest. With compound interest, I was able to save, invest and earn $50,000 in only 2 additional years!
Forget spending and shopping. Keep your eye on the prize.
Forget Vegas baby! It’s all about Financial Freedom baby!
So those are my 3 tips from Betty & Veronica. I’m signing off now.
For those of you out there that grew up in the in the 90’s, then you may remember a video game by the name of Maniac Mansion.
It was released on October 5, 1987 on multiple platforms such as Apple II, Atari and Nintendo to much fanfare and critical acclaim and was developed by the man who created Luke Skywalker and the Star Wars franchise, George Lucas, through Lucasfilm Games.
This was long before the iphone was released to worldwide sensation back in 2007, which was developed by another pioneer, Steve Jobs of Apple.
What I absolutely loved about this game was the character development. They were so much fun. Interacting with Weird Ed and Edna and the tentacles was a riot!
Even how the characters spoke to each other was hilarious. Let me provide you with this example.
However, as with anything, you have to look below the surface and take a deeper look. Therefore, I wrote this post focusing on the financial aspects of this game in regards to how you can relate money to the world around you. Even a video game.
And do not even get me started on the price of games today! Growing up we thought $60 a pop for one game was outrageous! Boy, were we wrong.
Today, you can spend $80 or more for a subscription to play your Playstation or Xbox console. Another subscription! Come off it marketing departments across America! You know people can’t afford to barely buy toilet paper out here, let alone video game subscriptions!
Don’t believe me?
When the longest government shutdown in United Sates history, it lasted 35 days, happened people were in line at soup kitchens!
Missing one check caused people absolute panic. And I don’t mean at the disco! One lady said that she was down to $1.26 in her checking account; that was all the money she had and she didn’t know what she was going to do.
You see back in the good old days, you would go to the store, buy an item, do the transaction one time, and like Cinderella’s fairy Godmother’s would say, “bibbidi-bobbidi-boo” and you owed the thing free and clear as the transaction was done, over, finito.
This post will show you how to save money, get rich, and maybe decide to put a down payment on some property, but it doesn’t have to be a mansion. So here we go.
5 Money and Life Lessons from Maniac Mansion
But first… What is Maniac Mansion?
Maniac Mansion is a 1987 graphic adventure video game developed and published by Lucasfilm Games.
It follows teenage protagonist Dave Miller as he attempts to rescue his girlfriend from a mad scientist, whose mind has been enslaved by a sentient meteor. The player uses a point-and-click interface to guide Dave and two of his six playable friends through the scientist’s mansion while solving puzzles and avoiding dangers. Gameplay is non-linear, and the game must be completed in different ways based on the player’s choice of characters.
MONEY AND LIFE LESSON ONE: MANSIONS COST MONEY
It has been over twenty years since a mysterious purple meteor came hurtling out of the sky and made a large crater in the front lawn of a large Victorian mansion belonging to the Edison family. Dr. Fred, his wife Nurse Edna, and their son Weird Ed were reclusive people who left the house very rarely, but the meteor’s arrival brought about a strange change in Dr. Fred. Now, a local cheerleader has vanished without a trace. Dave, her boyfriend, has gathered a few of his close comrades on a mission to invade the mansion and save Sandy!
However, if we just focus on the part about the mansion…basically, big homes costs big bucks! For fun, I looked up the cost of Victorian homes.
The Main House at Skywalker Ranch inspired the design of Maniac Mansion‘s setting, which is reported to have cost self-made millionaire George Lucas around $100 million dollars.
The Skywalker Ranch
So unless you are onstage with your two friends Kelly and Michelle or creating the next new franchise, you may want to stick with buying a home you can afford.
Let’s not forget that property taxes are forever! If you can’t pay your taxes, you can still lose your home, even if you own it free and clear.
Taxes are an ongoing expense to owning a home.
Let us not forget that even celebrities have to sell homes for unforeseen reasons and sometimes at a loss.
It was reported that Johnny Depp was suing his management company for $25 million and in the court filing it detailed his spending at at $2 million- a-month! He had considerable property holdings and it was also reported that he was advised to sell a family home located in Paris, France or something along those lines and possibly at a loss at that!
Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson was also recently in the news as his Connecticut manse was costing him $70,000-a-month to maintain. That basically is the cost of running a small boutique hotel or miniature bed-and-breakfast. He ended up selling the property at a loss, he paid $4.1 million and sold at $2.3 million, to stop paying the exorbitant cost of owning the place.
Lastly, Mary J. Blige was reported to own a couple mansion-style properties in New Jersey that were unable to be rented. You read that right. She is paying for properties that are uninhabitable, costing her money every single month night and day, and collecting no rent on the properties. In her divorce filing, she was reported to make over $300,000 a month so it is unclear why exactly these properties are unable to be renovated and sold without a closer look at her financial records and proper accounting.
The reason I refuse to buy a big home is because they along with cars can be wealth suckers.
Doing the math, if you buy a $350,000 at a 5% interest rate and take 30 years to pay it off it will cost you around $700,000! Or a $500,000 home could cost you $1,000,000. Yes, twice what you bought the home for.
And most people are working to pay for this behemoth, fancy vacations, and expensive nights on the town with bottle service meaning they are not even home enough to enjoy paying double the cost of it!
All good things come in time. Building wealth is no exception to the rule.
I started out with a toothbrush, a bag of clothes, and some books.
Now I have a home, paid off vehicle, stocks, investments, and even more books. The point I’m trying to make here is that you accumulate money and things over time. You may not have everything you want right now, but keep working.
Never let yesterday use up too much of today. – Will Rogers
If you are working towards something, the don’t stop or quit for anything. I turned a $450 car payment into $100,000. It took like a decade.
Come to think of it, it usually takes people 10 years or more to perfect whatever it is their doing so you may as well chill out.
The humorist Will Rogers (1879-1935) once told a young John Wayne some sound and simple advice. I will share it with you here.
After John Wayne (1907-1979) complained for a full 10-15 minutes of why he wasn’t being paid more to act on film, he asked Will Rogers what he should do? Will Rogers replied, “Well kid, are you working?” To which, John Wayne replied, “yes.” Then Will Rogers says, “keep working.” And then proceeds to walk away.
So my reply to anyone who wants something NOW, “have patience.” This is me NOW moving on to the next paragraph and lesson in this post, which is my equivalent to Will Rogers walking away. I have given you all the advice you need on that topic. Moving on.
MONEY AND LIFE LESSON THREE: MAKE FRIENDS NOT ENEMIES
One of the best things about the game are the characters. Each have different looks, mannerisms, ways of speaking, talents and abilities. This is part of what makes the game so much fun.
Dave is on a mission. To save his girlfriend Sandy. But he can’t do it alone. He brings along his friends to help him out and watch his back.
This is also sound advice if you want to build a fortune and an empire. Nobody does it alone. Eventually you will need to work with bankers, lawyers, businesses, investment professional, and tax attorneys.
It is always best to make friends than enemies as you never know when it is the next time you will see someone again.
When you are climbing that corporate ladder, those same people you tried to step on on the way up, you may see them again on the way down.
Hopefully, you offered them a piece of the pie instead of one to the face.
Mark Cuban said some great business advice in that if you start a company, then make sure your employees have some stock options invested in it as part of their compensation. That way if the company is successful and gets sold then the employees make money too.
This does two things: 1) eliminates wealth inequality (many of Mark Cuban’s former employees, 300 out of 330, became millions); and 2) encourages people to pay it forward through philanthropy and spend money that gets circulated back into the economy.
MONEY AND LIFE LESSON FOUR: RESCUE THE GIRL OR GUY FROM FINANCIALDUNGEONS
In the game, if you get caught snooping around the mansion, then you are sen t to the dungeon.
The game is notorious for constantly getting you thrown in the dungeon by almost every member of the household if you are seen.
Fortunately, the game has a cheat in which you can get the dungeon key and let yourself and others that have been captured out of the dungeon. Without this trick in the game, you are toast.
Speaking of toast, avocado toast is not causing millennial’s to be broke. It is the ever escalating cost of education, housing, and healthcare that makes it harder to save.
All wealth building starts with saving. Period. A good cash reserves is a must. Here is a tip for you. Pros have cash. Amateurs do not. Pros are not under any kind of financial pressure. They remove the pressure and make rational decisions because they have money in the bank. Only amateurs allow pressure to get to them. Remove much of the pressure in your life by having cash reserves.
I recommend that being $10,000 or more in savings. That is how you are able to rescue yourself from being trapped in a financial dungeon. Just have cash.
MONEY AND LIFE LESSON FIVE: ALWAYS HAVE A BACKUP PLAN
The video game Maniac Mansion has 5 possible endings. Depending on what players you chose to play and what actions you take.
The game allows you to have 3 characters for game play out of about 6. These are the people that have your back in case things should go wrong.
In addition, their different talents and unique abilities allow each kid to be an asset to the team. You must too do this in life. You must have back up…plans that is.
For example, I try to keep a minimum of 2-3 months or more of savings in the bank at ALL TIMES! Then I ramped it up to a goal of $10,000.
In addition, if you can save $233,000 in your 401(k), then you do not have to add another cent! After 20 years, with a return rate of 8 percent, you will have $1,001,857.35 in your retirement account. That’s Plan A. Cant’t envision making that happen? Then go to plan B. Save $168,000 in your 401(k), then do not add another penny. After 25 years, with a return rate of 8 percent, you will have $1,001,358.03 in your retirement account.
Are you starting to get the idea?
You can move the finish line and change your actions according to what is happening in your life, but keep the goal. If necessary, you can have a Plan A, B, C, D, etc. The point is to make it so that you are always moving forward by planning ahead.
Just like you have to do when playing Maniac Mansion.
So let’s get out there, have some fun, and start saving!
Have you ever heard of a hedge fund? If not, I will explain here for you.
A hedge fund is an investment pool with a limited partnership of investors that uses high risk methods, such as investing with borrowed money, in hopes of realizing large capital gains.
A simple hedge fund definition is: a hedge fund is an alternative investment that is designed to protect investment portfolios from market uncertainty, while generating positive returns in both up and down markets. Throughout time investors have looked for ways to maximize profits while minimizing risk.
Hedge funds got their name from investors in funds holding both long and short stocks, to make sure they made money despite market fluctuations (called “hedging”).
According to Jim Cramer’s thestreet.com, because of their nature, hedge funds are typically only open to qualified (read: well off) investors, although not exclusively.
Simply put, a hedge fund, like a hedgehog, has a narrow focus and does one thing really well, which is to make money no matter what. However, in life it is usually the person who has much knowledge, as Rory Gilmore of Gilmore Girls would always say, that tends to do better in life.
Knowing a lot about one thing (like a hedgehog) is great, but knowing a little about a lot of things (like a fox) can be even better.
Truth be told, I just want to collect my compound interest and dividends the same way Sonic the Hedgehog collects those rings.
Sonic, the protagonist, is an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog with supersonic speed. Typically, Sonic must stop antagonist Doctor Eggman’s plans for world domination, often helped by his friends, such as Tails, Amy, and Knuckles.
The game was released in 1991 and is still one of my favorite Sega Genesis games. Solving puzzles, saving his fellow animals, and the world is all part of Sonic’s charm.
The Greek poet Archilochus wrote, “the fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.” So which are you? Are you the hedgehog or the fox when it comes to investing?
IT ALL COMES DOWN TO RISK How risky are you?
Do you dive right in or do you take calculated risks?
In my experience, you should know your limits and then stop right there. Especially, when it comes to your money.
If you cannot afford to lose more than $100, then that is your risk level. If you cannot lose more than $5, then that is your risk level.
Once you decide to cross that mark, then you are in uncharted territory my friend. You do not have to push yourself to the limits.
Unlike Archer, the world’s greatest spy, you do not have a private detective or any other type of agency that will bankroll or bail you out in case of an emergency.
You must provide your own safety net by hedging your bets and always having an emergency fund.
SAVING FOR A RAINY DAY OR A MONSOON, WHICHEVER COMES FIRST You must hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.
Remember prince charming or princess moneybags is not coming. You are ON YOUR OWN!
Once I learned this lesson, I took steps to change my financial life. First, I set a goal. Second, I wrote it down. Third, I executed. Lastly, I watched my bank balance go up. As will you, if you follow this plan.
You need to set a goal. Mine is $100,000 USD in savings. Then you must write it down, as a goal that is only in your head is a wish. Then you make a plan and get to action. Mine was setting a savings goal per year and went like this: Year 1: $600 saved Year 2: $1,200 saved Year 3: $3,500 saved Year 4: $13,333 saved Year 5: 14,000 saved Year 6: $15,000 saved Year 7: $17,000 saved Year 8: $18,000 saved Year 9: $20,000 saved Year 10: $25,000 saved
If you add these yearly amounts, you will see that by year 9 I will have saved $102,633.
My goal will have been met after almost a decade of diligent saving. You are no longer living paycheck-to-paycheck and can handle any emergency that comes your way.
SLY AS A FOX BUT THE FOCUS OF A HEDGEHOG I say why not take attributes from both.
Be agile and cunning when it comes to investing and staying away from actively managed funds in favor of passively managed index funds.
Your laser-like focus will be on index funds just as a hedgehog is good at that one thing, you will be at focusing on one index fund: VTSAX.
This fund is all inclusive as it holds the entire stock market in its hands. You will see that over time the price has gone up. Therefore, as an investor, you must play the long game. When stocks go down, you buy. Basically, whenever there is a recession. When they go up, you hold.
This is solid advice. I need you to listen. Please don’t go. DON’T HANG UP!!! WAIT!! BUT…BUT…
If you want to place your bet on this course of action, I will bet you the same amount as Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd did in Trading Places, $1!!! As that is my risk level, in this instance.
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. 😉
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?! 🤣
As sure as I am that this post has 5 lessons!!
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.
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.
FINANCE LESSON TWO: A FRIEND IN NEED
Once Chris gets that phone call from Brenda, that’s when all hell breaks loose!!!
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.
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! 🤣
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.
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!” 🤣
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 GOcrazy!!! 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.
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.
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.
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
“Simply put, unsustainable debt is helping to keep too many poor countries and poor people in poverty.” -Bill Clinton
I can’t stand debt. In any way, shape, or form.
It robs you (and your future self) of prosperity.
Every time I think of buying an item, I always think what would the future lost investment gains be.
For instance, buying a $40,000 car could end up costing you over $400,000 in future wealth! Pray tell. How can this be? It’s simple math.
Basically, if you invest that same amount and not a penny more, you could grow your wealth over 30 years to $402,506.28 with an 8 percent rate of return. Crazy right? Giving up mediocre present pleasures for incredible future comfort warrants astounding things.
Harry Houdini himself couldn’t concoct a magic trick so ingenious as the magic of compound interest.
Speaking of magic, let’s look at saving money as a magic trick the same way a magician would. Marvelous to behold, but truly done by meticulous planning and practice because as we know practice makes perfect. Isn’t that right Mr. Potter? 😂
MONEY SAVING MAGIC TRICK #1: SPEND LESS
By no means is it rocket science. Much unlike that hilarious scene in Robocop 3 when that guy walks in a donut shop and tries to rob it even though the donut shop is within 7 blocks of a police department. And then the guy behind the counter asks him this, Donut Jerk: “What’s it like being a rocket scientist?” 🤣
Get serious. A donut shop that close to a precinct has to be one of the safest places in America. It might even have double-duty; 1) as a donut shop by day and 2) as a safe house by night.
Who tries holding up a donut shop full of cops?
That is the same way I want you to feel every time you whip out your credit card. Who wants to pay interest on a pair of jeans or table from IKEA for the next 10 years?! Nobody wants that! You must find ways to spend less.
The three biggest expenses for families are: food, transportation and housing. The first trick is to cook more and eat out less.
However, if you can get invited to more dinner invitations, wine tastings, restaurant openings, annual stock meetings, cookouts and other shindigs; well then, you can take doggie bags and stockpile Tupperware with food for days.
Too good for Tupperware and leftovers?
Then please pick a career as a hedge fund manager or petroleum engineer or rocket scientist *cough cough* and start earning $200,000 a year and hire a chef or eat out, as you can afford it.
Need a car to get around? Look for a used $4,000 Ford Focus to pay cash for and then be on your way.
Too good to drive a Ford Focus?
Please reread the top of this article and rethink your priorities.
If you can Airbnb your way to a fortune, good for you. Otherwise, you will need to find a home in a place whose zip code has not been featured as the title of a television show.
That’s right. Does your dream zip code end in 90210? You can’t live there. Why not? When your neighbors are parked cars and moving vans filled with Facebook and Uber engineers, then you may want to really think about where you lay your hat.
If engineers making $175,00-$250,000 a year can’t find affordable housing, then that is a red flag that this neighborhood is probably not for you.
Remember this, if you want to build wealth, find the cheapest and safest place you can to live and save a fortune. Cause you know, it’s all about location, location, location.
Also, no long term house guests that are not paying! Why you ask? Did you ever see that movie Madhouse. Here’s the premise: The luxurious villa of Mark and Jessie Bannister, a yuppie couple, is overrun by loads of uninvited guests who turn the house up side down.
Even if it is a family member or friend, they should pay something.
Even if it is just groceries. Everyone has got to chip in and foot the bill. There is no free lunch or rent! This is my motto: If you can’t pay to stay, then you need to find another place to lay your head cause it’s not going to be on my pillow!
MONEY SAVING MAGIC TRICK #3 THE HAT TRICK: MAX OUT A ROTH IRA
You must invest if you want to one day retire. You do not want to end up a bankruptcy court candidate due to lack of planning and saving.
The easiest way to ensure this is to do the following: 1) Invest enough to get the company match in your 401(k), 2) Then fund a Roth IRA to the Max. And that’s about it.
But wait…there’s one more thing.
You must also invest that money somewhere. You can invest in a 500 index fund with your brokerage.
For example, the S&P 500 index or VFIAX with Vanguard. In addition, if you are looking for total stock market exposure, then you can go for the VTSAX with Vanguard.
Thank you for your time.
After all of that writing and helping the masses, I am exhausted. Please pass me (this non-rocket scientist) a donut.
