Category Archives: Financial Freedom

how control over finances help you gain financial independence

Life Lessons I Learned From A Goofy Movie

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

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

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

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

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

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

And love the theme song by Phil Perry.

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

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

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Now let’s talk about A Goofy Movie!

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

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

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

I am all too familiar with having a dream.

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

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

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

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

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

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Popular girl who ignores max.
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Pete, Max and Pauly Shore, err um I mean Bob, in An Extremely Goofy Movie picture image.

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

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Me and Max are very similar indeed.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Why $100,000 you ask?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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!

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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.

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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.

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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.

Money And Greek Myths: Lessons From Clash Of The Titans

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Attitude is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than what people do or say. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. – W. C. Fields

That quote from W.C. Fields could not more accurately describe this film. The Gods of Olympus rule the world of man. And those who disobey or hurt others are punished.

I have learned that my attitude dictates everything around me including my ability to build wealth. A positive attitude can move mountains.

See my post Money and Life Lessons I Learned from CBS Srorybreak’s Yeh-Shen

This mythical tale of Perseus, son of Zeus, and his quest for the ‘fair’ Andromeda,  Clash of the Titans was released on June 12, 1981.

Why is Greek mythology important?

Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the ancient Greeks. These stories concern the origin and the nature of the world, the lives and activities of deities, heroes, and mythological creatures, and the origins and significance of the ancient Greeks‘ own cult and ritual practices.

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Clash of the Titans is a 1981 British-American heroic fantasy adventure film directed by Desmond Davis and written by Beverley Cross which retells the Greek mythological story of Perseus. It stars Harry Hamlin, Judi Bowker, Burgess Meredith, Maggie Smith and Laurence Olivier. The film features the final work of stop motion visual effects artist Ray Harryhausen.

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Review for the film with an excellent synopsis from IMBD # 8 from 2004. 

In the Mount Olympus, Zeus (Laurence Olivier) destroyed the city Argus with the Titan Kraken to punish King Acrisius (Donald Houston) that sentenced his daughter Danae (Vida Taylor) and her son with Zeus Perseus to death in the sea. Zeus orders Poseidon to save them and Perseus grows up in a paradisiacal island with his mother.

Years later, Zeus punishes Calibos (Neil McCarthy), the evil son of the goddess Thetis (Maggie Smith) and fiancé of Princess Andromeda (Judi Bowker), turning him into a monster doomed to live in the swamps.

The vindictive Thetis curses Andromeda with a spell and every suitor should solve a riddle; otherwise he would be sentenced to the bonfire. Further, she brings Perseus (Harry Hamlin) while sleeping half-naked to the City of Jopa but Zeus gives magical helmet, shield and sword to his son for self-protection.

When Perseus sees Andromeda, he falls in love with her and uses the magic outfits and Pegasus to discover the answer of the riddle with Calibos.

But Thetis dooms Andromeda to be sacrificed to the Kraken otherwise the City of Jopa and the inhabitants will be destroyed by the Titan. Perseus now has to defeat Medusa and the Kraken to save his beloved princess.

The saga of Perseus, the mortal son of Zeus, and the intrigue among the Gods of Olympus, is brilliant presented in this magnificent film. The delightful story is supported by an outstanding international cast, with names such as Laurence Olivier, Burgess Meredith, Maggie Smith and Ursula Andress, and by fantastic special effects, considering this is a 1981 movie. The golden mechanical owl Buba is hilarious and responsible for some of the best moments in this film. This epic is a wonderful and highly recommended entertainment for the whole family. I do not recall how many times I have had the pleasure of watching this film.

WEALTH IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR HUMILITY

Zeus watches over everyone in Mount Olympus. Especially, that of his children and those of the other Gods, many of whom have children with mortals.

It has become known that Thetis’ son Calibos, who has been spoiled and given every advantage in life, is cold and callous. He abuses and hurts others. For this, Zeus punishes him. His son Perseus, who was given none of those advantages or indulgences of Calibos, is punished by Thetis in retaliation and dropped in the middle of their war between each other.

I found it very interesting that Zeus was willing to punish Calibos for being inhumane and uncivilized. He let the punishment fit the crime.

This is a reminder that life is not fair and no deed goes unnoticed, good or bad.

You should live your life like it will hit the front page of every newspaper. Best to eat humble pie than be served a dish that is best served cold.

WITH MONEY COMES POWER AND WEALTH BRINGS PROTECTION

Being in power means you can make things happen. If you read the stories of Napoleon Bonaparte, The War of the Roses, Winston Churchill, or any leader or influencer you will find a theme.

Success leaves clues.

Regardless, of whether or not you are born into wealth, it is your job to manage all that you have. This is done by controlling your thoughts and actions.

Did you know that most generational wealth is gone within three generations?

According to MarketWatch, about seven in 10 wealthy families lose their fortune by the second generation, according to a study of more than 3,200 high-net worth families by the Williams Group wealth consultancy. By the third generation that number has jumped to 90%.

That means the parents and grandparents make the money, and the children and grandchildren spend it.

After doing some more research, I discovered the following:

  • If you earn more than $34,000 per year, you are in the top 1 percent globally.
  • Most wealth is not inherited. You have to work for your meal. There is no FREE LUNCH.
  • According to the book The Millionaire Next Door, most millionaires are worth between $1 million to $5 million.

See my post the Top 1% of income worldwide

In the film, Zeus provides Perseus with incredible weapons that are magical to protect him. This would not have been possible if his father did not have access to those things.

The reason you want to have financial independence is because you can protect yourself and your loved ones.

FIND YOUR PASSION AND CREATE YOUR FINANCIAL DESTINY

Perseus gets sent to Jopa where Calibos ex-fiance is cursed by his mother Thetis. He decides to find out the answer to the riddle so that he may marry the princess Andromeda.

One of my favorite parts of the film right here. Perseus was smart in the way he found the answer. This is what you are supposed to do in life. Find a goal. Make a plan. Execute. Same rules apply to personal finance.

I set a goal of saving first 10% of my income. Then it kept growing from there. I set the following savings goals:

  • Save 15% of my income
  • Save 20% of my income
  • Save 25% of my income
  • Save 30% of my income
  • Save 35% of my income
  • Save 40% of my income
  • Save 45% of my income
  • Save 50% of my income ➡this is my next goal 💰😉

WE ONLY WANT JUSTICE

If you cannot be a good winner, there is no way you can be a good loser. – Halle Berry

See my post on Halle Berry and success

After Perseus defeats Calibos, he spares his life only if he lifts the cure on Andromeda and he agrees.

He then goes to demand his mother seek out vengeance on Perseus. This is wrong. Perseus won in a fair fight with hand-to-hand combat. However, his mother does what he asks. Thereby putting Perseus on another quest to yet again save Andromeda and risking his life in the process although he committed no crime. He must now face Medusa.

Justice or Revenge

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the Gorgon Medusa

NEEDS VS WANTS

Knowing what your needs versus wants are is how you will achieve your goals.

Perseus must face Medusa in order to save Andromeda.

Who is Medusa?

In Greek mythology, Medusa was a monster, a Gorgon, generally described as a winged human female with living venomous snakes in place of hair. Those who gazed upon her face would turn to stone.

What is the legend of Medusa? In later myths (mainly in Ovid) Medusa was the only Gorgon to possess snake locks, because they were a punishment from Athena. In a late version of the Medusa myth, related by the Roman poet Ovid (Metamorphoses 4.770), Medusa was originally a ravishingly beautiful maiden, “the jealous aspiration of many suitors.” Accordingly, Ovid relates that the once beautiful mortal was punished by Athena with a hideous appearance and loathsome snakes for hair for having been in Athena’s temple and being pursued by Poseidon.

Simply put, she was punished for being too beautiful.

In the film, Perseus only did what is absolutely necessary. Veering off course, even just a little could spell disaster. Same goes for wealth building.

TRIUMPHANT AND SUCCESS AT LAST

Perseus wins.

Zeus declares:

No more trials against Perseus for he has confronted them and he has won.

The gods predict that Perseus and Andromeda will live happily, rule wisely, and produce children, and Zeus forbids the other gods to pursue vengeance against them. Zeus commands, “I forbid any revenge against Perseus.” He has triumphed and he shall be rewarded.

The constellations of Perseus, Andromeda, Pegasus, and Cassiopeia are created in their honor.

I feel that like Perseus, I have been underestimated.

It took many years to achieve the goals I had set for myself. Some of which I am still working towards. And as one is crossed off the list, others are added. However, as I once told my sister, I had my back against the wall and was down but not out.

It took every ounce of energy and willpower I had, but I started taking control of my financial life and never looked back.

All those times of wondering how I would pay the bills, get to the end of the month before getting through the end of the money, and living check to check was no more.

I had prevailed against every obstacle, trial and tribulation, and test that had come up against me. There would be no more trials of continuing to go into debt against me. For I had triumphed and I had won!

I hope you enjoyed this post. I had to travel all the way back to 1981, but you have to admit that it is a great story and a spectacular adventure.

Well Greenbacks Magnets, that wraps up another post. Until next time.

Sounding the Financial Alarm: An Interview with Financially Alert

Time Is Money, The Eleventh Hour

Let’s all welcome Michael of Financially Alert. Michael is a FIRE (financial independence retire early) blogger. He retired early after accumulating over a cool million from hard work and sacrifice while building a business. Or was it two million? Can’t remember. Doesn’t matter cause he’s here sharing part of his story with us! He graciously accepted my invitation for an interview. Well Michael you have officially been Greenback’d. 🤣

Just some quick background information.

I was introduced to Michael’s blog from a Google search I did for last years FinCon, where media meets money conference.

I was unsure if I should go or what to expect.

His website kept popping up on advice when attending a conference including FinCon. It was so thorough that I decided to do what he said and I reached out to him via email to ask if we could meet at the conference. And to my surprise he said yes!

I wrote a post all about it.

See my post FinCon 18: The Recap From Your Friendly Neighborhood Greenbacks Magnet

Meeting Michael and others at FinCon

I was so nervous, but…

movies kirsten dunst *gif Elizabethtown claire colburn

While in line to get my badge, I met Michael.

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He was pleasant, laid back, and super down to earth. He was even kind enough to send me an email and asked me to lunch! This is what it’s like meeting Michael. We ended up hanging out for a pretty good chunk of the 2nd day of the conference.

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I met so many people that I couldn’t even count! So I introduced Michael to a lot of them. We could barely keep track of so many new faces.

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Michael even introduced me to the founder of FinCon, PT Money.

After the conference ended, I took his advice and reached out to people to be on the blog and send invitations. And here we are today.

Let’s go!

MEET MICHAEL AND LEARN HOW TO BECOME FINANCIALLY ALERT

Time Is Money, Currency, Euro, Clock

Starting A Financially Alert Money Blog

  1. What prompted you to start a blog about money?

I started my blog as a way to share good money habits and knowledge with those of us who weren’t given the exposure to sound financial principles. Becoming financially alert is less about a number, and more about developing a smart and practical mindset around money.  If you have the right money mindset, the mechanics are easy and your money will keep growing. I also want people to realize money is simply a tool.  It can be used for good things, and likewise bad things.  However, in my experience, those who feel in abundance are more likely to share with others who do not.

Why blog?

2. Any favorite finance books? How come?

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Ahh… there are so many.  But, in terms of impact, Rich Dad Poor Dad really breaks things down into simple digestible concepts.  I love his cash flow quadrant which speaks to the different ways people earn money.

GBM Miriam: I am providing a copy of The Rich Dada Poor Dad Quadrant for inquiring minds!

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Let’s break it down.

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Once you understand cash flow, you can really begin to grow your money with intention.


3. What are you reading right now? What’s on your night stand? 

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Most recently I read How to Quit Your Job with Rental Properties: Expanded and Updated – A Step-by-Step Guide to Retire Early with Real Estate Investing and Passive Income

Dustin thoroughly guides you through the real estate investing process.

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GBM Miriam: And I too love to read. I am reading several books about money right now!!!

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GBM Miriam: That reminds me of the real estate website Bigger Pockets. I read their book on How to Invest in Real Estate: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Getting Started. And I did a post on it.

See my post How to Get Bigger Pockets

How to Invest in Real Estate: The Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Getting Started by [Turner, Brandon, Dorkin, Joshua]


4. One thing people may not know about you?

I grew up wanting to working the movies as a special effects guy.  So, when I sold my business, I took some time to myself to attend a special fx class.  It was pretty fun to blow up a car – don’t try that at home kids!

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Just FYI: Greenbacks Magnet does her research. I found this interview that Michael did with Physician on FIRE (POF) in 2018. It’s awesome. An excellent and informative interview.

In that interview, I read that you would like to travel to island with the amazing animals, it’s called Galápagos Islands. I’ve always wanted to go since I saw that video about it at the Virginia Aquarium. It looks so cool. And watching stuff blow up is right up my alley! No wonder we got along so well at FinCon18. This was a really good post. Thanks for sharing so much about yourself. I too noticed that PoF was everywhere. I had to step my game up because of him. 😉

I also found your post from 2016 called Opportunities in the Bag! The Fill-the-Bucket-List which discussed you watching of a professional blowing up of a car! I also saw that you attended a Date with Destiny, Tony’s 5 day seminar.

And yes ladies and gentleman, that Tony is motivational guru and New York Times best-selling author Tony Robbins! Here is the photo Michael posted on his website. Awesome right?

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See Michael’s posts on his Tony Robbins seminars a Date with Destiny and Life and Wealth Mastery

How My Date with Destiny Found Me (Part 1 of 2)

Exploring Tony Robbin’s Life and Wealth Mastery – Part 1

In the second post link, you will get to see Michael swinging from a trapeze in an attempt to face down his fear, which is so Tony Robbins!!!

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Fun Fact: Trapeze is a piece of equipment which is used in acrobatics. It is considered to be one of the most demanding aerial arts.  History. The art of trapeze performance was developed by Jules Léotard, a young French acrobat and aerialist, in Toulouse in the mid-1800s. He invented the flying trapeze, practising over his father’s swimming pool. A trapeze is a short horizontal bar hung by ropes or metal straps from a support. It can also be known as a aerial hoop, or fabric known as an aerial silk. 

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And Michael is still inspired by Tony Robbins all these years later. Check out one of his recent tweets 🙏😉

5. What’s in your wallet? How did you start building wealth? 

  • $83 cash
  • 4 credit cards
  • 1 debit card
  • fishing license
  • insurance card
  • coupon for bare naked granola
  • drivers license
  • AA card

FINALRT Michael: I started building wealth the old fashioned way… saving! As soon as I got my first job, I started paying myself 20% automatically into my savings account.  Over time it grew, and then evolved to other asset classes like stocks/bonds, and real estate.

GBM Miriam: That’s what I’m taking about!!! Take control over your finances. Control your finances, control your life. 👍

The lazy way to build a fortune: automate your savings and investments.

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You can build great things when you work on things over time. Just like Voltron. 🤣I just love when things come together. Don’t you?

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I personally like focusing on starting salary. Negotiating a good starting salary can set you up to be even better down the line. Kind of reminds me of that scene in Clueless 🤔 starring Alicia Silverstone and Avengers Endgame Ant-man Paul Rudd.

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Financial makeover. Who here wouldn’t do things differently if they knew then what they know now?

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It’s like Cher (the real one not the one from the movie Clueless) said, “If I could turn back time.”

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Speaking of Clueless…

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I love makeovers!!!! So I wrote a post about having a financial facelift. 😉

See my post A Financial Nip/Tuck

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Whatever you do, financially or otherwise…Own it!!!

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I made it out of living paycheck-to-paycheck woohoo!!! I appreciate all the support from the personal finance blogger community. 💖Especially in doing interviews like this one. 😉 xoxo 💋 I feel the love. I felt just like Mulan. The finance community definitely made a man I mean blogger out of me. 🤣

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Bonus Questions (pick any of the questions from the top or below that you want to answer) 


6. Any life or money lessons from a favorite movie or TV show you would like to share?


TV loves to glamorize our consumer culture. While it’s fun to watch shows like Million Dollar Listing, the reality is that happiness is controlled by us individually and doesn’t required luxury items. 

How can you use your money to make the biggest positive impact on your family and friends? 

Well said Michael. 👏 And excellent question.

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Embarrassment of riches book portrait of Scrooge McDuck and his nephews.

See my post Money Lessons I Learned From Scrooge McDuck

GBM Miriam: I have learned to not focus on having privilege, but on doing things that help myself, my family and my community. A lesson Cher (Alicia Silverstone) started to learn as the film Clueless progressed.

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While shopping with her friend Dionne (Stacey Dash), she started feeling like there was more to life than shopping, like helping others. 😉

7. If you found a lottery ticket that ends up winning $2.5 million. What would you do?

After giving a chunk to charity, I’d buy a McDonald’s franchise!  Who wouldn’t want a french fry cash machine??

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16. What was your best MacGyver moment?

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I recently was doing a video and couldn’t ad-lib the content to save my life.  So, I started researching ways to help me create a better video.  I stumbled upon teleprompters and was like, OMG that’s it!The problem though is that teleprompters start at $200 and go up from there.  I didn’t feel like making that kind of investment for a single video, so I put on my MacGyver hat and built my own.  I used an 8×10 frame from Walmart, a cheap 3 ring binder, some cork-board from Dollar Tree, and electric tape from Home Depot… total costs to build it – $12.84.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with MacGyver, here is some background info.

Angus “Mac” MacGyver is the title character and the protagonist in the TV series MacGyver. He is played by Richard Dean Anderson in the 1985 original series. Lucas Till portrays a younger version of MacGyver in the 2016 reboot. In both portrayals MacGyver is shown to possess a genius-level intellect; proficiency in multiple languages; superb engineering skills; excellent knowledge of applied physics; military training in bomb disposal techniques and a preference for non-lethal resolutions to conflicts. The hit television series MacGyver, which lasted from 1985 to 1992 and was highly successful throughout its seven-year run.

The character Angus MacGyver, also known as just MacGyver or Mac, was an optimistic action hero who was notable for using a Swiss Army knife instead of a firearm as his tool of choice.Young war hero Angus `Mac’ MacGyver has an extraordinary knack for unconventional problem solving and an extensive bank of scientific knowledge that he believes can best be put to use saving lives, both of which come in handy when he creates a clandestine organization within the United States government to tackle high-risk missions around the world. Working under the sponsorship of the Department of External Affairs, MacGyver quietly prevents disasters.

The character is portrayed as a non-violent problem solver and typically eschews the use of guns. Even in cases where he must resort to physical violence, or when his improvised devices are used to attack hostile opponents, he is always doing so in self-defense and, if possible, subduing or disabling rather than killing.

MacGyver is passionate about social causes, having on several occasions volunteered to help the less-privileged, showing a particular affinity for – and connection with – children. For example, he is shown to be a “big brother”, conducts hearing research at a school for deaf children, and helps out in a mountain excursion for delinquent youths.He strives to protect the environment and endangered species such as eagles, the black rhino,and wolves It was also established that he became a vegetarian at an unspecified date during the series run.

MacGyver’s persistence and the improvisational nature of his plans make him difficult to thwart, as his nemesis Murdoc pointed out, because not even MacGyver himself knows what he is going to do next. Unlike stereotypical “macho” or stoic action heroes, MacGyver exhibits grief in the face of tragedies, open fear in perilous situations, and shows pain after a fight. A sensitive character, Mac has a tendency to blame himself for personal losses and tragedies. He usually carries duct tape, chewing gum, a Timex watch, strike-anywhere matches, a flashlight, and an ID card. Yes, that’s what he uses to get out of every near death situation.

In short, he’s awesome.

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17. How would you sell hot coco in Florida?


I’d add some ice and throw it in my vitamix for the perfect blended frozen hot coco!

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Oh yea. As cool as ice!! 🤣

Thank you for stopping by Greenbacks Magnet!!!!

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Hope you enjoyed this latest blogger interview. I try to keep it 💯here and help people improve the quality of their financial lives. Thank you for reading.

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GBM Miriam: Thank you Michael for treating us all for an inside look to becoming financially alert. You’ve been a great guest!

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Want more financial wake up calls from Michael. Follow him on Twitter and read his blog at Financially Alert.