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Financial Freedom

Name Brand Labels or Fat Stacks? You decide

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Porsche. There is no substitute. – Tom Cruise, Risky Business

When I was growing up, I don’t remember caring about labels. It wasn’t about getting or giving expensive gifts. It was about being safe and warm.

Maybe, that is why to this day I still keep things until they fall apart because of the memories attached to them. Not to mention it’s cheaper.

Today, I have noticed a shift in kids. They are so focused on what’s on the outside that I feel that may begin to forget that it’s what’s on the inside that counts.

I know it’s cliché, but I do not want the next generation growing up thinking that they are less than because they don’t have on the expensive pair of shoes or have the hot new cell phone.  

In my opinion, the best gift you can give your kids is to not be a financial burden to them.

That means saying no to pricey things today, so that you can have the money necessary to live and enjoy life tomorrow.

MONEY DOES NOT FIX ALL THINGS

Prada and Gucci and Dior, Oh My!

That sounds like something Carrie Bradshaw would say on Sex and the City.

See my post It’s a Suit, Tie, and High Heel City for more on Sex and the City

Following the diamond bricked road can be dangerous.

However, I hear more young people taking about incredibly expensive name brands and labels than in any other point in my life.

I, myself, am a little more like Rory from Gilmore Girls.

Things are not that important to me. I am perfectly fine with a good book. My parents did not spoil us.

In fact, we were encouraged to work and be thrifty. Our parents just were not buying it. It wasn’t really about the money; it was just not needed so our parents said no.

My father would always say that you have to learn to accept no just like you accept yes.

From him, I learned not to be spoiled or to spoil children.

Spoiled kids turn into rotten adults.

When you never hear the word no, you can get very upset.

Teaching young people today to be thankful and grateful for what they have is something that will be good for them to know and use throughout the rest of their lives.

Spending money does not always equate to happiness. It can make things easier, but it does not solve every problem. And in some ways, money can cause more problems.

See my post More money more everything including problems

CHRISTMAS STOCKINGS STUFFED WITH LABELS

I had a friend recently tell me she knew someone who had a kid that asked for Gucci boots for Christmas.

How do they even know about that?

And they want the real stuff.

Got some diamonds round my neck no fugazi – Future lyrics off the Streetz Calling album

Fugazi is just another word for fake.

I looked up the price of Gucci boots. The lowest price I found was $980. I have gone on vacations for less. After tax, you are paying $1,000 for one pair of boots! Absurd.

The only teenager that deserves a $1,000 pair of Gucci boots is on stage with her two friends Kelly and Michelle.

That money could be used for books for college or starting a fund for tuition.

You have to use your dollars wisely today or you may not have them when you need them tomorrow.

DIAMONDS OR STOCKS

You could buy designer purses or expensive vacations. But those things are fleeting.

Especially, if you come back home to a stack of unopened and unpaid bills.

You are right back in the same situation before you left or bought that designer handbag. What sense does that make?

Who cares if you own a Tiffany bracelet if your rent check is late or worse yet, bounces!

Diamonds around your neck or wrist won’t keep you warm at night.

Things will not feed you, make you happy, or pay your rent.

However, having a passive income stream can.

Money that is working on your behalf is like the gift that keeps on giving.

A stock can be like a goose that lays a golden egg.

If you own a mutual fund comprised of hundreds of stocks, then you can receive dividends and interest on the money you invested.

With a return rate of 7 percent over 30 years, the following can happen to your invested money:

  • $1,000 can turn into $7,5000
  • $10,000 can turn into $75,000
  • $100,000 can turn into $750,000

And that is without adding another dime to your initial investment.

Think of how your money could grow if you added money annually.

If we add an additional $3,000 (that’s $250 a month) every year, we get the following:

  • $1,000 can turn into $300,000
  • $10,000 can turn into $400,000
  • $100,000 can turn into $1,000,000

You read that right. Start with an initial investment of $1,000. That pair of Gucci boots.

Putting away an additional $250 per month for 30 years can net you $1,000,000!

FAT STACKS ARE FAR BETTER THAN THINGS

Basically, if you could forgo pricey labels, you could save and invest your way to a fortune.

For me, that is far more exciting than having some diamonds on my wrist.

While a diamond bracelet is nice to look at and pretty to hold, a stock is something that never gets old.

I tell people all the time to get the money first, then you can buy whatever you want.

Money in the bank or sitting in a brokerage account is far more valuable that getting the latest hot gadget.

Once the novelty wears off, all you are left with is another trinket or item that sits in your house and collects dust.

I know there is no substitute for quality.

What I ask you to really consider is opportunity cost? If this item will bring you long lasting happiness and prosperity?

If not, then you should focus on doing the things that will.

I am just a blogger.

I can only advise you.

It is up to you to decide.

Budgeting, Financial Freedom, Saving

It’s a Suit, Tie and High Heel City

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Concrete jungle where dreams are made of there’s nothin’ you can’t do. – Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys Empire State of Mind


Women and high heels.


It is a love affair that has been raging on for 500 years. Since about the 15th or 16th century.


Those 3-inch spiked heels and peep-toe pumps can really turn heads.


“It is better to be looked over than overlooked.” – Mae West


However, is that what you really want? Or is it something more to it than that?


Here are some women in pop culture that regularly work, dance, sing, wear, perform, and even workout in high heels.


Let’s take a look.


Nicole Scherzinger – estimated net worth $8 million (she was known to run on the treadmill in heels)

Shakira – estimated net worth over $80 million (she is known for her belly-dancing skills)


Victoria Beckham – estimated net worth over $100M (Posh Spice loves her some heels)


Beyoncé – estimated net worth over $350 million (performs in high heels while doing intense dance choreography)


From what I gather, the high heel is all about power.


In what way you ask?


Keep reading and find out.


WHERE THE HEELS HAVE A NAME

And the Clackers just worship her. They call them Clackers, the sound that their stilettos make in the marble lobby. It’s like, “Clack, clack, clack”. – Anne Hathaway in The Devil Wears Prada


Clackers are characters in The Devil Wears Prada. They are known for the clacking noise their stiletto heels make against the marble floors of the fictional Elias-Clark.


One of the biggest cities in the world, Manhattan, in New York is known as much for its power lunches and business suits as it is for women decked out in sky-high heels.


A business and fashion capitol of the world. It is also known as a concrete jungle. And the Empire state.


However, you have to pay the cost to be the boss.

A custom made bespoke business suit can cost anywhere from the low thousand-dollar range on up to $5,000. Regardless, if you are in New York buying a Tom Ford three-piece suit, or across the pond in England buying from Henry Poole & Co on Savile Row.


And women’s shoes are no exception.


When a Manhattanite was asked why women wear heels, she says the power is everything. The reason why women wear shoes that hurt their feet is about POWER.


I read online that a Manhattan woman was quoted in the New York Times saying “Low shoes are for those who give up. If a woman cannot wear heels, can she really take over the world?”


“Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world.” – Marilyn Monroe

You saw how crazy in love women can get with their heels on Sex and the City.


At one point, Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) was regularly dropping some serious coin on the likes of Jimmy Choo, Manolo Blahnik, Christian Dior and Christian Louboutin. Anywhere from $300 to $1,000 a pair!


If these boots were made for walking, then she was usually in heels.
Remember this iconic newspaper dress. Well, those shoes are Louboutins.


WHY SO HIGH?


That’s a great question.


I actually read a book about finance and in the book it discussed women wearing heels while working as cocktail waitresses. Particularly in casinos. When asked why they wore heels that obviously hurt their feet and back, they replied, “bigger tips.”

The higher the heels, the better the pay.

Even with this fact, statistics say at least 40% of women have given heels up.

So, basically it’s all about money. As a study reported, taller people or at least those that look taller make more money. Like $800 or more per year. Go figure.


WHAT DOES IT COST TO LOOK THIS GOOD?


“I like my money where I can see it – hanging in my closet.” – Carrie Bradshaw


Glad you asked.


As an extreme example, we will use a reference by Carrie Bradshaw.


Remember that episode where her building was going co-op. She had to come up with a down payment or lose her home. An apartment in a great location.


She told her friends Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte (Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon, and Kirsten Davis) that she didn’t have the money.


When prompted why she didn’t she stated she wasn’t sure where her money was going.


They tallied up her shoe addition.


Those Jimmy Choo’s ain’t cheap after all.


At $500 bucks a pop, she owned maybe 30 pairs. She then gasps, and clutching her chest she says, “I spent $15,000 on shoes!


That is a down payment on a home or rental property.


Using the rule of 72, with a 12 percent interest rate she could have doubled her money every 6 years! In 18 years, that $15k is worth $120,000! In 48 years, that’s $3,840,000!


Come on, Carrie. I need you to spend more wisely. And follow your own advice.


“Beauty is fleeting, but a rent-controlled apartment overlooking the park is forever.” – Carrie Bradshaw


BUT DOES IT SCALE?


Buying all those shoes I mean.


Scaling can mean a lot of things, but in this case I mean making best possible use of the resources we have and amassing wealth. Can we also do better things with our money ethically?


If she was a costume designer, and she got paid to shop and was paid in shoes and money. Then yes.


However, since someone else isn’t footing the bill, that money is coming out of your pocket. Gone forever.


According to philosopher Kant, there is no greater good to come from this.


If buying shoes was a hobby she turned into a business, like taking all those heels and putting them all in one marketplace online for resell with an upsell. Then using that money for a better purpose.


That’s money in your pocket. More is coming in than going out.

Saving equals success.


WHERE CAN ALL THOSE SAVINGS GO?


Another great question!


I’ll tell you.


But first…


A few questions for you.


• What interests you?
• Do you want to earn money?
• What do you like to do with your time?


Once you have a starting place, you can go from there.


Therefore, if remodeling, decorating, scrapbooking, sports, or the ballet interest you, then maybe you should consider putting your money into those things.


You could place your money in REIT’s (real estate investment trusts).
These mutual fund stocks allow you to invest in real estate without doing all the work of managing a property or paying property taxes on it.


Like to play sports?


How about investing in sports teams.


You may not be an owner like Jerry Jones, but you can certainly buy stocks in sporting equipment or businesses that own sports teams. For instance, owning shares in a publicly traded team like the New York Knicks.


You can also buy sporting goods stores who sell retail merchandise and apparel. Like Dick’s Sporting Goods, Foot Locker, or Nike and Adidas. On the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), the Nike shoe brand is listed as NKE.


Are you interested in the arts?


You can donate to charities like libraries, hospitals, and museums.
For example, the Metropolitan Museum of Art or “The Met” in New York City.


Founded in 1870, its statement reads: The Met “collects, studies, conserves, and presents significant works of art across all times and cultures in order to connect people to creativity, knowledge, and ideas.” The art and library is accessible to anyone and you can make any donation you wish. Anything will do.


You can also donate to your local library or other places that are close to your values because the best thing you can do with your money is put it where your values are.