If you use a credit card, you don’t want to be rich. – Mark Cuban star of “Shark Tank”
According to CNBC, Americans have an average credit card balance of $6,375 and owe a record breaking $1 trillion in credit card debt, which is the most ever recorded in history.
Investing that money instead could net you anywhere from $50,000 to $200,000, depending on how long you invest it and getting a return on investment of around 9%.
And that does not include an employer match or if you invest more. You could save and invest your way to a small fortune thanks to compound interest.
Here are some ways to avoid paying interest.
MAKE IT AUTOMATIC
I’m sure to many of your out there this is not new advice. However, how many people are actually doing this is another story.
Setting your bills up on automatic payments is a great way to avoid missing payments.
Credit card companies can levy a hefty fee for missed payments. The most recent I read was $38! Forget that. I rather use that money for gas or some other function. Anything is better than paying fees.
In addition, credit card companies can ratchet up your interest rate to 29.99% for missing a single payment!
That means almost near perfect timing of paying all bills.
The closest you can get to doing this is to make all your payments automatic.
Set up everything you can on autopay.
You can put the gym membership, cell phone, utilities and insurance payments on a credit card. Then set up automatic payments with your bank to pay that credit card off at the end of every month and you’re done.
PAY DOWN YOUR DEBTS
Paying off high interest debt is a must on the road to wealth.
Every dollar you spend towards interest cannot work for you compounding interest instead.
Think about it. If you pay $700 per month servicing debt and pay 50% of that in interest, that money is gone. Dust in the wind my friend.
If you can do the polar opposite, investing the entire $700 and earning interest instead, you have a clear path to building wealth over time.
That is the equivalent of $8,400 a year you are investing as opposed to using that amount to pay debt in which $4,200 goes to principal and the other $4,200 in interest and that money you never see again.
Many may not know this, but credit unions are not allowed to charge more than 18% on loans or credit cards (unless you default).
The savings gain alone from not having to pay some credit companies 22-27% interest is huge!
You could save anywhere from $50-150 bucks or more per month with a lower interest rate. That’s another $600-1,800 per year!
Just something to consider.
REFINANCE YOUR MORTGAGE
If you can lower the interest rate on your mortgage, you can save $100’s or $1,000’s of dollars a year.
In addition, if you can change your repayment period from 30 years to 20, 15, or 10, then you can save a ton of money. Maybe not tons of money monthly or right away, but over the life of the loan.
For example, a $250,000 mortgage at a 3.92% rate over 30 years will cost $425,533. You reduce that to 15 years and total output is $331,058. That is a difference of upwards of $100,000!
If you take that $100,000 and put that into index funds, you could have anywhere from $600,000 to $1 million dollars over 30 years with a minimum 6% return on investment.
Many folks will buy at least 2-3 homes in their lifetimes. If every new purchase resets your debt-free mortgage clock by 30 years, then you are likely to spend most of your working years in debt.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but this is actually the norm for most people.
You do not want to be normal. You want to be different and extraordinary because that gets results.
If more folks put down 10-20% and got 15 year mortgages, you would be better off in the long run.
Paying on one item for 30 years is a long time.
A lot can happen in 30 years. Heck, a lot can happen even in 10 years!
Retire that debt ASAP or as fast as you can.
You can build an in-law suite, swimming pool, and remodel the kitchen after the debt is gone and the home is paid off.
People used to have mortgage burning parties, after paying off their home. Let’s try to bring that back shall we.
I have recently read in the news personal finance experts expressing their concerns over mortgage payments that Americans are making.
Most wanted the debt paid just before you retire. Others said get rid of it in your 40’s. Like around age 45. Why you ask? Since, this is the point where you are halfway through your career, it is best to spend the second half of it working toward building capital to fund your nest egg.
That is excellent advice.
Basically, you spend the first 20 years paying off all you owe, and the last 20 years building up your retirement accounts you will need in your golden years.
SUMMING IT UP
All you have to do is follow these four steps and you can avoid paying interest or at least a whole lot less of it.
Remember these 4 steps:
Make it automatic
Pay down your debts
Bank with a credit union
Get a 15 year mortgage
Sounds pretty simple right?
Well, you would be surprised by how many people are not doing any of the things stated above.
Therefore, if you can start doing even one of these things now, you are well on your way to building up your bank account.
And in the illustrious words of Porky the Pig, “That’s All Folks!”
If you have been reading my blog recently, then you know I attended FinCon in Orlando, Florida this year.
However, what many of you may not know is that I have been listening to podcasts and reading blog posts by Grant Sabatier of Millennial Money.
Grant discussed saving money every day. Something like $5. And when I changed my mindset, I was like I want to do that too.
The escalation of your saving rate. Grant recommended that people try to escalate their saving by 1% every 30 days.
I knew this was a massive undertaking, but I was determined to do something.
So, I started where I was at and worked my way up. I just shifted upwards.
This is the first time I have ever opened up about what triggered me to start saving larger sums of money.
I am nervous just writing this post. However, I wanted to share some of the things that I have done in hopes that it may help someone else in the same way that Grant helped me.
SHIFT YOUR MONEY MINDSET
It was around 2013, that I started to do some Million-Dollar Math. I used an online calculator to determine how much I would have to save to get to millionaire status.
I focused on 2 numbers: $100,000 and $300,000.
The reason for this was because at an 8% return $100,000 will net you $1,000,000 in 30 years. At a 9% return, $300,000 will net you $1,000,000 in 12 years.
Even that, seemed like it would take tremendous effort. Then I realized I had to think big, but start small. Start where I was at.
The answer was staring me right in the face. I was like Homer Simpson, Doh! Come on, Miriam. Use your Noggin.
I needed to take the small steps first in order to get to the bigger ones.
A number like $1,000,000 is too daunting. So, I broke it up into bite sizes like Oreo mini’s.
First, I focused on my retirement savings and then my regular savings. It went something like this.
Retirement Savings Escalation Example
Year
Savings %
Annual Increase
Change
Savings Escalation
2013
13%
2%
+2
2014
2015
15%
20%
2%
5%
+4
+9
2016*
25%
5%
+14
*** I stopped at 2016 because I shifted my focus from mostly all savings going to my 401(k) to focusing more on liquid savings for the time being. Don’t worry. I still invest in my 401(k). I have to get that match after all. Can’t leave free money on the table.
In 2017, I made some changes to my savings approach. I needed to have some liquid cash too and not just have all my funds locked up in my 401(k). I had to have cash reserves. Especially, for any unforeseen emergencies that just pop up.
I decided to pay myself first. Instead of saving what was left over after paying my bills and spending money on things, I saved first. I set up an automatic deposit to my savings, then paid my bills and then spent what was left.
My savings rate was so high that there was not but so much left over to spend. I did this on purpose.
It meant I must not only spend less (a lot less), but I must also earn more if I want to spend more.
I started saving more liquid cash in my savings and money market accounts.
In order to get my savings rate higher, I had to cut subscriptions, payoff debt, and eat out less.
And there is a secret to my success. Shhh! But, I’ll tell you guys. The secret is this: I automate it.
Savings Year
Monthly Savings Amount
End of Year Total Savings
2013
$50
$600
2014
$100
$1200
2015
$150
$1800
2016
$250
$3000
2017
$333
$3996
2018
$1,111.04
$13,333.06
2019*
$1,211.09
$14,533.06
I try to increase my savings rate by a minimum of between 1%-5% a year and even double or triple it, if I can. I just cut out everything. I spend as little on clothes as possible. I haven’t bought a car in almost 16 years. I don’t care. I’d rather save and be financially independent.
You can see from the numbers above that once I was introduced to Grant, my savings rate went through the roof and increased quite dramatically!
At the rate I’m going, I estimate I will have somewhere between $80,000 – $90,000+ after factoring in for life (cause things just come up).
And that is only if I continue on this path for at least the next several years and increase my savings by about 11% per year or around $1200 annually, which is a $100 increase in savings per month. I could decide to save even more over time.
I would then have enough savings in the bank to pay for 3-5 years of my expenses.
I estimated my FIRE number (25 x my expenses): $750,000.
Once I hit that or a certain number in liquid savings, I will then re-evaluate my situation.
WHEN I GOT INSPIRED BY MILLENNIAL MONEY
It happened around 2017. I like to read money articles, magazines and books. I like to study the self-made. Then maybe I can emulate their success.
I saw an article about Grant on CNBC in early 2017. I was intrigued to learn how someone could do this in just 5 years what most are unable to do in a 30 or 40-year career or even in a lifetime.
Once I read his story I was inspired to act. I was determined to get my act together too. I devoured personal finance (PF) books. I must have read at least 40-60 in the last 15 months alone.
However, I haven’t bought a book in about 3 years. Too expensive. I rent them all from the library.
I do have some books I own from the years I was buying personal finance books. I have a small mini-library in my home (just a medium-sized book shelf) full of all my PF books.
I feel that if you want to be wealthy, then you have to read. You have to pursue wealth. Your house should look like a Barnes and Noble, if you want to be rich.
And ditch the plastic, unless you can pay it off every month. Once you stop making those installments, all your money is yours and a lot of your money woes disappear.
However, for the first time in years I am allowing myself to buy a book and it will be Grant’s new book that is coming out in February 2019.
How do I know he has a book coming out at that time you ask?
Thanks for asking. I’ll tell you all about it.
MEETING MILLENNIAL MONEY
I went to Fincon, a financial conference where money and media meet, and Grant happened to be speaking at one of the workshop sessions.
I stepped in to see what he had to say.
He was awesome. I felt his passion for what he did. It was palpable.
He said blogging is a long game. Your blog and appearance should be clean and shiny.
Be unique, be yourself and tell your story. Stand out from the crowd because the media will try to lump you in with all the other bloggers. Don’t let them.
Sell your feel goods. Feelings are what connect people to you and your blog.
Do you care about your reader? If so, be clear and transparent. Have a mission.
When I shared my story about having only $2.26 in my bank account it just one day exploded. I have done over 400 media interviews because of it.
90 days ago a firm offered me $4 million dollars for my site. I turned it down. I can’t sell my site. It’s my baby. There is more to life than money. It’s not the money. It’s the work.
If you want to be a blogger, make your posts memorable. Have personality. Be vulnerable. Be more giving. Show people that you are human. Tell your struggles and challenges. Reveal things to your readers over time. Humanize your site. Be more open.
Screen shot your story. Make it unique so people can remember. Always start with a story.
Write lots of stories. Do your reps. Put in your time. Putting in the extra time to write 3 times more content means you connected the reader. Readers are looking for an emotional connection. And Storytelling.
I’ve written 1 million words about money. And I’m not done. Be distinctive.
This is the age of vulnerability and that is why digital podcasts are so popular.
At this point, I got the message. He was so passionate when he spoke I did not want to leave the session because he was so engaging.
I made a point to walk up to him later in the day and introduce myself and tell him how much I enjoyed his workshop.
He said thank you so much. I really appreciate that because it’s scary up there. Your like an island up there.
I also told him I did not think he should sell his website. I mean where I would get my feel goods.
I then gave him my card and he gave me his flyer. He was super grateful and humble when I told him I liked his speech. I felt and thought that he had a good personality and thoughtful disposition that was positive and hardworking.
And I was right. At the closing party, Grant displayed , yet again, his big-hearted and kind nature.
The DJ was packing it up for the night, but people still wanted to dance. He offered to pay the DJ (out of his own pocket to keep the party going). That was really nice.
That’s the type of people I need and want around me. Those with good character and that care about others. I want to be a good neighbor. And want to be around good neighbors as well.
After all, you never know when you may need to borrow a cup of sugar or need someone’s help.
Case in point, I had a close friend that needed some money fast in order to close on her house. I wrote her a check the very next day, with no other questions asked and she paid me back within 2 months.
My sister also many years ago was in a bind and needed to pay a debt. She said she needed $500 dollars. I wired her the money the same day. She said she would pay me back and I told her to forget it. After all she had done for me. I didn’t forget when there were times she helped me out. I had a chance to repay the favor, so I did.
I know some people out there may say it was just a DJ, but no. It was more than that. It was the fact that he was willing to dig in his pockets and spend money on hundreds of virtual strangers.
I have seen people not willing to give up a dollar, a penny even, not one red cent to help family members. Let alone a stranger. And this guy did it, no questions asked and without waiting for or expecting a thank you.
Well, there you have it. My story of how I started to save more.
You now know more about me than some of my close friends and family members do.
I’m not going to lie. I was scared to write this post, but if Grant can screen shot his bank account showing $2.26 in it, then I am willing to share as well.
I too lived at home longer that I wanted or planned to. I went shopping and spent recklessly to numb the pain. I felt I was failing at adulting.
I had to find a way to kick the habit because it was putting me in the poor house.
I started shopping with lists. I would make painstakingly long lists of clothes I wanted to buy. I would make myself wait 30 days before making a purchase. By then, I didn’t even want the clothes anymore.
To satisfy my cravings, I would at times (every few days or weeks) allow myself to go online to Nordstrom and put every item of clothing I wanted in the shopping cart. I once raked up a bill for $18,000 dollars!
However, I thought about my money or my life. How much in sweat would I have to toil to pay off that sweater that no one is going to see me in because I am too broke to go out?
By the time I would be able to pay off the debt (plastic fantastic), those clothes would be long gone and the interest would have made them way more expensive than the $18,000 I racked up just to buy them.
I did not buy one single item.
I proceeded to do this for about 6 months and sometimes I did it every day, in order to get it out of my system.
I have been cured of my shopping addition and clean and clothes sober for the last 5 years. Thank you very much.
I have never told anyone any of these things except my partner. He said do whatever you have to do not to spend.
I’m embarrassed to tell people that I used to do that, but whatever it’s my truth and I’m living in it.
I wasted so much money on clothes. You would not believe. For every event, I would go shopping. I needed a new dress or jacket or boots. I spent with reckless abandon to impress people that I didn’t even know, like or who didn’t even care.
Now, I never go on Macy’s website for longer than 10 minutes, I get what I need, and get out. I have bought very little and way less clothing than in the past. I rarely go to malls and no longer go to any clothing sites online.
I had about 600 items in my Amazon cart. Those items have been just sitting there probably for like the last 5 years. I was like forget it. I don’t need any more stuff.
I also notice when I don’t shop, I feel better. I get just as much joy in saving as I o spending. Almost. Let’s not go crazy now. I’m only human.
I started donating clothes and items all around the house. It feels good to purge all that stuff. It’s so freeing. It was cluttering up my mind and house. I don’t need a bunch of gadgets and new clothes and shoes. I would repair instead of replace.
I rarely go to the movies and almost never go on vacation. And if I do, it’s usually once a year.
I keep myself busy. I don’t like ideal hands. I find something productive to do. Even if, it’s just reading or cleaning the house.
Sometimes, I still get the itch to shop and spend, but I have learned not to scratch it. If the goal, is to be financially secure then sacrifices will have to be made. Hard work is required of anything good and important and it takes time. And hard work builds character.
And I am okay with not getting rich quick or overnight because I know anything truly worth having is worth the wait. The only way to really feel good about something is to earn it first.
I had to train myself on how to deal with large influxes of money and to keep my paws off of it. And much like the narrator said at the end of the Neverending Story, but that’s another story…
He did this by investing in what he knew. That is how he built his fortune.
You can do the same to build yours.
I listen to what people have to say, but I always make my own decisions.
I research any industry I want to know and then focus on investing in what I know. I try to put my money where my values are.
I prefer consumer staples such as food, beverage, toothpaste, cleaning supplies, tissue, and other household items.
Companies like Proctor & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive, Kimberly-Clark. Clorox, and PepsiCo.
You can find many of these companies included in many mutual funds such as any 500 index fund like the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index (S&P 500 index), the Vanguard 500 Index Fund Investor Shares (VFINX), the Fidelity Spartan 500 Index Investor Shares (FUSEX), the Schwab S&P 500 Index Fund (SWPPX) or the T. Rowe Price Equity Index 500 Fund (PREIX).
I figured a good way to start my wealth journey was to learn about those that became wealthy.
Benjamin Franklin also created a list of 13 virtues to develop his character. This lets me know that your character is your destiny.
Here I provide you with his checklist. See which ones you can try to emulate to help you on your road to wealth accumulation.
THE 13 VIRTUES OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
In 1758, Benjamin Franklin published his essay The Way to Wealth.
Although, it was written 260 years ago, the advice still is holds up, even to this day.
Below is a copy of his checklist.
SPOTLIGHT ON FRUGALITY
My personal favorite is frugality because it includes all the other virtues.
Frugality is basically the will to spend money on what is important and avoiding spending on what is not.
Frugal is not being merely cheap or miserly like Ebenezer Scrooge. See my post on Money Lessons I Learned from Scrooge McDuck. It is about saving money on things you do not really need.
Saving money allows you to put that money to work for you.
Imagine every dollar is a little soldier. What do soldiers do? They fight.
You have to fight for your money because everyone is trying to part it from you. Don’t let them.
Invest that money and each dollar (soldier) fights for you everyday 365/24/7. Even while you sleep.
FOCUS ON FRUGALITY
In this world, you’re on your own. Benjamin Franklin knew that. So, he set out to start a business in a field he knew. He was a printing apprentice and started a printing shop. He became an expert at that one thing and did it so well that people paid him for it.
He then reinvested the profits back into his business.
That is how he grew rich.
He knew to become wealthy, he had to ignore the charlatans or hype. He had to focus on himself and his spending habits.
And that is what you must do. Ignore the hype. Forget what everyone else says or thinks. Trust your gut.
FORGET THE FANCY SET OF WHEELS
You do not need a fancy car to make you happy. Ride a bike and get some exercise. Better yet, buy an inexpensive, older Chevy where the bumper looks like it will fall off any second.
Then people will be less likely to ask you for money, if they see you riding around in a clunker because they will think your broke, but it couldn’t be further from the truth.
It’s not that you do not like nice cars or can’t necessarily afford one. It’s that you choose not to spend your money on it. Sounds pretty good right?
And watch out for the hangers on. They tend to come around when your last name is followed by an M.D. or Esquire.
FORGET THE BIG HOUSE
You do not need a mansion to live in. You know what that does? It just causes you to spend more money to heat, cool, maintain, and furnish it.
You fill the home up with stuff. No one likes an empty corner. Every inch is piled high with stuff.
How is that stuff paid for? Usually with credit.
What happens if you need that money? For instance, homes need maintenance.
Do you know what the repair bill is for a roof on a mansion? Well, you don’t want to know. One thing we do know for sure is that it costs more than what you would spend on a smaller house.
What about PMI? Private mortgage insurance is what you must pay if you put down less than a 20% down payment. And folks, that money is on top of the insurance and a monthly mortgage payment. We aren’t talking chicken feed here. It can be hundreds of dollars per month!
What about property taxes? It can add hundreds or thousands to a monthly mortgage payment. That’s money that’s not working for you in the bank.
You want to be investment rich, not house poor.
Every dollar that goes toward the house, can’t be working for you in an investment account.
I know they say the value of the home will go up and your equity will increase as you are making the house payments. However, let’s not forget the 2008 housing bubble.
When that bubble burst, so did most folks equity. Foreclosure notices were going out in the mail all over the country. Many lost homes. And many have still not recovered.
FORGET THE DESIGNER CLOTHES
You know those people who say dress to impress. Well, that’s fine and dandy, if you can afford it. However, if you can’t swing it, then walk by the $400 clothing rack and head to the sales rack in the back. Forget sartorial superiority. Who wants to be the best-dressed poor person?
I now see more people walking around with designer purses today than I have seen at any other time I can remember. Who’s paying for it? Mr. credit card, that’s who.
I see people opening up store cards all the time.
They have so many different color credit cards in their wallet it looks like a skittles bag exploded.
Places are handing out applications for credit cards every, single day.
You must resist. Resist the urge to spend. Credit is seductive. The temptation is too great.
So you must decide, what is more important. Buying a designer’s clothing and paying for their summer home or funding your own future.
FORGET THE EXPENSIVE WATCHES AND JEWELRY
I read about an NBA player who had bought dozens of watches. And not just any watches, but Rolexes!
Just because. Well, hey, you know bosses got to be on time.
Do you know what those things retail for? Well, last time I checked, it could be anywhere from $2500 to $40,000 and up.
The guy could have started a college fund. He could have funded an entire small city of kids $1k college scholarships.
Who needs 30 watches? Someone who wants to know the exact moment they went bankrupt I guess.
FORGET THE EXOTIC VACATIONS
So you want to travel. That’s great. But unless you can afford it or do it on someone else’s dime (like for work).
You may just have to watch the latest episodes of House Hunter or any show on the travel channel.
I once read it is a great thing to go travel and see the world as it is a great education, it will only cost you: $25,000.
I think I’ll just read a good book on world travels instead and invest that money until it earns enough interest that I can pay for the trip with cash.
Here are some of my suggestions on traveling when your travel budget is on life support.
You want to see the northern lights in Iceland? See it on a YouTube video.
You want to go skiing in Switzerland, Aspen, France or Vail? Watch a travel show until you can afford it.
You want shopping sprees in Milan, Paris, Rome, New York’s Fifth Ave, or Rodeo Drive? Focus on buying things that will appreciate in value. Clothes, once purchased, is money that’s burnt.
I know you watch the television shows and see all the families going to Disneyland or Hawaii. However, what they don’t tell you is how much it costs to go to these places. Lots of times the studio or the network is picking up the tab.
They do it for ratings. Because who wants to watch a show about people sitting on couches all day. They want to see the lifestyles of the rich not the broke and unknown. I say just stop watching those shows.
Focus your attention on earning and working. If your head is down working, you never can look up and notice what everyone else around you are doing.
FORGET FOMO (fear of missing out). It’s a myth.
I know plenty of people that go out, spend money, buy nice cars, big homes, fly to the islands, and go to lots of parties.
However, they are not the boss. They work a 9-to-5 just like everybody else. One missed check could cause havoc on their already precarious finances.
Many people are one paycheck away from being on the sidewalk.
Don’t be like them.
Practice the 13 virtues. Be frugal. Then you can live like no one else because you will actually be rich instead of acting like you are.
FORGET PRETENDING TO HAVE MONEY
Forget pretending to be rich. The only time bluffing works when it comes to money is at the poker table.
And you know what happens when the hand is over, the bluffing stops there.
So leave the bluffing at the table and check it at the door.
Remember that scene in the comedy movie Back to School with Rodney Dangerfield. He was a wealthy guy named Thornton Melon, but always said to his son: A man without an education is nothing.
There was one scene in the film where he was talking in class about being in business and all the things a businessman is doing to make it in the real-world.
The teacher disagrees with his assessment, even though he was coming from a place of information.
When the professor asks where to build the business after scolding Melon he replies, “How about fantasyland.”
When it comes to your money you cannot afford to live in a fantasy. You have to keep your feet planted firmly on the ground and your actions based in reality.
Earn money, save it, invest it, and get rich slow.
My father always says that America squanders its greatest asset: the people.
People are the greatest asset. Treat people with respect and it comes back to you.
“Karen, nothing is worth sacrificing your dignity and self-respect.” – Suzanne Somers in Step by Step (1991-1998)
The complete Step by Step series is currently streaming on Hulu for fans of the show, just fyi.
I learned this valuable lesson about respect many years ago when I was growing up. I was watching several different television shows, but a few stood out. They were ALF, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Amazing Stories, Family Matters, Mr. Belvedere, Punky Brewster and The A- team.
ALF
Alf was a television show about an alien that aired on NBC from 1986-1990 and was also turned into an animated series twice; The Animated Series (1987-1988) and Alf Tales (1988-1989). From this show I learned to not judge people by what they look like, but by what’s on the inside, respect for others, and that it is not good to be petty.
ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS
Alvin and the Chipmunks was an animated cartoon series that aired on NBC from 1983-1990. In the show, the boys learn life lessons that they pass on to the viewers. I remember that doing the right thing is its own reward and bullies never prosper in the long run. The very 1st episode entitled “The C-Team” aired on September 17, 1983.
In this first episode, the boys encounter bullies and they seek out Mr. T to ask for advice and help. Even though Mr. T was extremely busy, as in real life he was doing The A-Team live action and an animated cartoon series called Mister T(1983-1986), on the show he stopped what he was doing to help the Chipmunks. It taught me that an adult should take to the time to help and inspire children to do the right thing and there is value in teamwork.
AMAZING STORIES
Amazing Stories was an anthology series created by Steven Spielberg, that featured fantasy stories that aired on NBC for two seasons from 1985-1987. My absolute favorite episode is the one entitled “Gather Ye Acorns” and it starred Mark Hamill aka “Luke Skywalker” from “Star Wars” fame.
In this story, as a young boy, he decides to keep all his possessions as one day he was told they will make him a fortune. Little did he know it would take about 50 years or so to happen.
However, instead of giving into despair completely and hurting others, he took ownership of his decisions and even when he was down to his last dollar he still gifted a woman one of his most prized possessions given to him by his grandmother. He told her he would give her a beautiful vase for a beautiful lady. She offered to buy it from him after inquiring if he would sell it to her. This woman would end up writing him a check for $10,000. As the vase was a very rare one, and made during the 1930’s. His charm, attitude, and humility caused his darkest hour to turn into his greatest triumph.
If you are noticing a theme here with NBC cranking out and airing some great shows, you are not alone. NBC must be making a mint from all those residuals.
But I digress. Let’s get back to the subject at hand.
FAMILY MATTERS
Family Matters was a sitcom that ran for nine seasons from 1989-1998 on ABC and the last season on CBS. The show had many themes that kids and young adults deal with such as peer pressure, bullying, and drugs. The show is known for its nerdy breakout character Steve Urkel who would always show the audience that doing the right thing was always the right thing to do. He always stood up for the little guy, never gave into peer pressure or bullying of any kind, and always defended himself from anyone who would try to do him harm.
I learned this and that being smart could be an asset because Urkel was a science nerd and this helped him navigate the troubles in life, but he had a heart of gold and eventually won the heart of the woman he loved; Laura Winslow.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x399dug
MR. BELVEDERE
Mr. Belvedere was a sitcom that aired on ABC from 1985-1990 and ran for six seasons. The title character of the show was always helping the family he was employed for with various moral or ethical dilemmas. And at the end of every episode, he wrote in a journal the happenings of the day and the lessons he learned. This is part of what inspired me to write. I still keep a journal and to do list to this day. That’s how I am able to keep up with writing content for this blog. When I am inspired: I write it down.
PUNKY BREWSTER
Punky Brewster was a sitcom about a young girl being raised by a foster parent named Henry than ran on NBC for 4 seasons from 1984-1986. The show as also turned into an animated series (as was the thing to do back in the 80’s and 90’s) called It’s Punky Brewster (1985-1986). I saw the difference a foster parent could make in a kid’s life. They had so much love for each other. It inspires me to this day to be gracious, kind, and generous to others because you can make a difference.
THE A-TEAM
The A-Team was a television series that ran for five seasons on NBC from (1983-1987). The A-Team were members of a fictional United Sates Special Forces unit. What I liked about the show was the teamwork and camaraderie between the characters and their integrity. Although the show was fiction, I still remember what the real United States Army Special Forces motto is: De Oppresso Liber, which is Latin for to liberate the oppressed. Basically, you help those in need who cannot help themselves.
So, if you decide to pursue wealth, it is best to make sure you know why you are doing it and what you want to accomplish.
You cannot just save money as it has to circulate so that the world keeps moving. Circulating does not mean spending, but that money should be managed properly, accounted for, and readily available for others to use. Investing is the way to do this.
For example, investing $100,000 into stocks that yield an 8% rate of return could net you $1,000,000 in 30 years without adding another cent. That’s right, a cool million bucks just for breathing and letting your money stay put!
Remember this, whatever you choose to do, whether it is about fame, money, acting, dancing, singing, or donating, nothing is worth sacrificing your dignity and self-respect.
I say choose wisely. And I pity the fool who chooses money over people. Sorry, had to say it.
Got any inspiring stories? Share them and comment here. You never know who you may inspire.
