When I think of 15 items or less it always reminds me of being in line at grocery store. However, it has more meaning to it than that for me. It is not just a line at the grocery store.

That number represents the amount of ingredients I prefer to have in my food or any meals I prepare, the amount of items in my Amazon cart I like to have, and the number of stocks I like to have in my portfolio.

Many financial experts will tell you that you need no more than 20 individual stocks in your retirement and investment accounts to build wealth. Personally, I am an index investor. I put my money in these funds because a single stock can go bust and you could lose every penny.

An index fund can’t go to zero because it is made up of hundreds or thousands of stocks and if one business goes belly up, then it is replaced with another one that is in good standing. Thereby, making sure your investment never goes to zero.

One of the reasons I stick to a budget and adhere to strict investing rules is because I know money is not always so easy to come by. Even though you can earn more money and not time, money is still an important commodity that cannot be overstated.

During COVID-19 lockdown, I got to see up close and personal just how important it is to keep your head down and stay focused on your money goals.

After losing my job during the Great Recession in 2009, I do not take anything for granted. I always try to keep a 3-6 month emergency fund, money in savings and brokerage accounts just in case. At the very least, I try to keep $5,000-$10,000 cash for a rainy day.

Imagine my surprise when the pandemic hit and I was yet again shown numerous cautionary tales of why it is important to have these things in place.

Living on a budget can help save you from going hungry when times are lean. This always gives me perspective. Stay disciplined, save and keep your feet firmly planted in reality and on the ground. Plan for the long term.

Your personal savings account is your own version of having Geico insurance; it is there just in case something bad happens.

These stories reminded me why I save so much. I don’t ever want to be caught out in the rain or a heavy storm without an umbrella.

I’m going to share with you just a few of the things I heard while standing in lines to buy food and other shopping items over the last few months.

The following are some of the things I overheard while millions had lost their jobs and income in 2020:

Cashier: “That will be $8.64.” Customer: Exasperatingly said, “There goes all the money.”

Customer in line on the phone that looked 50ish: “Hopefully, my mother will be able to pay my car payment this month for me.”

Woman shopping for furniture: “I just bought a house at 64. I hope they can finance this for cheap.”

Cashier gives customer total to pay. Grocery store customer to cashier: “I don’t have any money.” The cashier then decides to pay for the customer’s groceries herself out of her own pocket.

A landlord calling a tenant: “Can you pay your rent a little earlier because I need to pay the property taxes on the 31st?”

Why not just have the property taxes wrapped up in the mortgage? Just a thought, but okay, I digress.

A gentlemen speaking with his coworkers: “I’m trying to buy a home. It will cost about $900,000.” His coworkers reply: “But you’re in your 50’s. Why not stay where you are and leave some money to your kids.” His reply to that: “They have to struggle like I did and fend for themselves. This is for me. It’s time to shine.”

Woman talking to her folks : “Private school costs like $1,200 a month. It’s expensive and I have a lot of student loan debt, but I want the best for my kid.”

Workers discussing an overpayment they received from their employer: “If they are going to take back the money they just gave us by accident on our next check, they got to give us a payment plan right?”

A payment plan for a lump sum payment they just got. Why not just set the funds aside that they received by accident? You would only want a payment plan if you already spent the money.

All these stories tell me that these folks are broke and living on the financial edge. I knew I did not want to ever be on the side of a financial cliff ever again. Therefore, I had to get my fiscal act together.

I cut my living expenses to the bare necessities; got my housing costs to under $1,000 a month, paid off my car and got rid of my $450 car payment, and started tracking my net worth.

I felt like Smokey the Bear would always say, “Only you can prevent forest fires.” In my case, it was financial fires that would burn up all my money and leave you broke. I didn’t want that.

I know times are hard, but I hope as I did all those years ago, that people learn some very important lessons from all this tragedy. And that is, the government is not going to save you. No one is coming to save you. We are all on our own out here. You must fend for yourself or be broke.

If you know you would rather be rich, then keep reading the blog posts on this page to stay motivated to leave the rat race sooner rather than later.

You will do it by attracting one dollar at a time and then investing it to turn it into two.

Happy reading and good luck on your road to wealth.