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Money and Chocolate: Life Lessons from the film The Witches

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The most sophisticated people I know – inside they are all children. – Jim Henson

If you ever saw the film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, then you know how much people love chocolate. And it can be a goldmine business or chocolate mine depending on how you look at it. 😉 People were losing their minds to get that golden ticket.

Chocolate Mania had swept the nation! 😂

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It was pure marketing genius. They even commented on that in the film. Wonka was making a mint selling those chocolate bars. It’s all about marketing folks!

It’s sort of like Patron. They don’t have the best tequila; they just have the best marketing. Get that money.

Just look at all the money the candy business makes! Billions!

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Here are some of the top chocolate companies in the world.

1. Mars Inc., McLean, VA., USA.

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2. Mondeléz International Inc., Deerfield, Ill.

Largest Chocolate Manufacturers

3. Nestlé SA, Vevey, Switzerland.

Largest Chocolate Manufacturers

4. Ferrero Group, Alba, Italy.

Largest Chocolate Manufacturers

5. Hershey Foods Corp., Hershey, Pa., USA.

Largest Chocolate Manufacturers 2019

6. Meiji Co. Ltd., Tokyo, Japan.

Largest Chocolate Manufacturers

7. Chocoladenfabriken Lindt & Sprüngli AG, Kilchberg, Switzerland.

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The confectionery business is big money. These companies are raking in billions of dollars.

Did you know Snickers earns more than $2 billion by itself annually?

The Маrѕ fаmіlіеѕ аrе thе оwnеrs оf thіѕ соmраnу thаt ореrаtеѕ wоrldwіdе. Тhеу hаvе wіdе vаrіеtіеѕ оf brаndѕ іnсludіng Gаlаху, Воuntу, М&М, Тwіх, Міlkу Wау, аnd Ѕnісkеrѕ. Globally they are making bank!

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They may have even helped spread the let’s have candy at every event or holiday cheer. If not, I am sure they somehow found a way to cultivate and capitalize on Halloween and even Christmas.

Who says you need a box of chocolate on Valentines?!!! Most people don’t even eat most of it. That box of chocolates is still bought and paid for!

If you ever saw the film Legally Blond, you actually saw her do what most do with a box of variously filled chocolates. That’s right. She took a bite and put it BACK in the box!

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Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blond

Mondelez International Inc. even tried to cash in on this love of chocolate. However, they have officially abandoned its pursuit of Hershey Co., which would have created the biggest confectionery conglomerate in the world.

Now that you have some background on the business of chocolate, let’s get down to money affairs.

Back in 1990, the movie, The Witches, based on the 1983 children’s novel of the same title by Roald Dahl, was released in theaters. The movie premiered on 25 May 1990, in London and was scheduled to open the same day in the United States, but was delayed until August.

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Sadly, it would be Muppet and Fraggle Rock creator, Jim Henson’s last film.

As in the original novel, the story features evil witches who masquerade as ordinary women and hurt children. However, a boy and his grandmother need to find a way to foil and destroy them.

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The witches decide they will open up, get this, chocolate shops to lure poor unsuspecting children.

This is where the story begins.

GUARDIANS OF THE MILKY WAY GALAXY

While on vacation in Norway, eight-year-old American boy Luke Eveshim is warned about the witches, female demons with a boundless hatred for children and various methods of destroying or transforming them.

Helga, Luke’s Grandmother, becomes his legal guardian after the passing of his parents. They move to England. His grandmother is advised to take a vacation for a summer by the sea for fresh air after discovering she has diabetes.

Also staying at the hotel are a convention of witches, masquerading as the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, with the Grand High Witch, the all-powerful leader of the world’s witches, attending their annual meeting under the name Eva Ernst (played by Academy Award Winner Angelica Houston).

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Really? They have some nerve naming their coven the Prevention of Cruelty to children. Hiding in plain sight like that, but open to interpretation. Yes, indeed.

Let us examine the fact that Luke had a grandmother that not only decided to raise him, but has the financial means to take a vacation by the sea.

I have it on good authority that if you try to rent a house on Virginia Beach for a week it can set you back $5,000!

I wouldn’t mind paying that if I had investments like interest earned from stocks or royalties to pay for it.

If you have $25,000, you could earn over 2 percent in a high yield savings account. That’s the ish I’m talking about right there. Making money for breathing. That is the equivalent of doing a part-time gig and earning $500 a year.

I find the idea of earning money just for having a pulse so sexy.  I find that It’s like Beyoncé says in her song Rocket. Shhh. Just listen.  To the words. Hell yeah, you the sh*t That’s why you’re my equivalent So sexy! Haha

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See my posts

How Beyonce and Jay-Z became a $1 billion couple

Earn Money with High Yield Savings Accounts

FOR THE LOVE OF CHOCOLATE

The witches are going to open up chocolate shops!

Inside a ballroom where the witches hold their meeting, Luke spies upon them as the Grand High Witch unveils her latest creation: a magic potion to turn children into mice, which they will use on confectionery products in sweet shops and candy stores to be opened using money provided by her.

They know how to make their vision a reality.

You have to chart a course and follow that path to where you want to go. What path? You just point to the top and go! That’s what I learned from Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson 😉

I have also learned that when you own something to hold onto it.

It doesn’t matter of it is a taco stand, food truck, or blog. If you own 100%, then it’s yours to do with as you wish. Hold on to as much equity and ownership in your company as possible. I learned that from Shark Tank’s Daymond John. Like McDonald’s does to its hamburgers, keep grinding.

And try to be cash heavy. Meaning stay away from debt. I learned that from Warren Buffet. 😉 They say his company Berkshire Hathaway aims to keep $1 billion or more in cash to snap up businesses and be able to make quick decisions when buying stocks.

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In addition, they say Apple does the same. The world’s first EVER $1 trillion-dollar company keeps billions in cash.  

Therefore, you should do the same and follow in their example. ALWAYS have cash reserves. NO EXCUSES!!!

Like Mr. Money Mustache once said, “Salads and barbells every day, no goddamned excuses!!!”

WE ALL WANT TO BE ROYALS

And I don’t mean Prince William and Kate Middleton.

I mean getting royalty checks in the mail.

I saw an article in which Don McLean owns only 2 stocks: Google and Amazon.

I also recently read that Don McLean continues to receive royalties off his music he wrote almost 50 years ago. Yes, this artist still makes $300,000 per year from something he created in 1971.

In the article by Sovereign Man, it retells McLean’s story.

Early spring in 1971 when an obscure American folk singer wrote a song that would change his life forever.

Sitting at a café in Saratoga Springs, New York, Don McLean scribbled the lyrics to a long ballad about an experience he had as a 13-year-old boy.

It began with a radio bulletin that said that Buddy Holly had died in a plane crash. In 1959, when this happened they called it the day the music died. The boy was crushed. But the man used this emotion to write a song that would take the world by storm.

Of course, that song was “American Pie.”

It stayed atop the Billboard music charts for more than a year. And it turned this once obscure folk singer into a global sensation.

Ah yes, the power of the pen.

More than that – McLean was immediately set for life: he still makes more than $300,000 a year from that song.

Imagine getting paid hundreds of thousands of dollars a year for something you did in 1971!

That is what stocks can do for you! That is why we must invest. Unless you can write the next hit song for Beyoncé, you must invest in the stock market to make money on your money. You already earned it and now your money works for you and this is your equivalent to getting royalties.

This story holds the key to one of the greatest business models ever invented: the idea that you can create something once and get paid on it for life.

“The idea is not to live forever, it is to create something that will.” – Andy Warhol

For more information on the price of genius and Andy Warhol, see my post The Man Behind the Mohawk: An Interview with Budgets are Sexy.

It’s the royalty business. That’s right. I did the work like 20 years ago. Now cut the check!

In case you’re not familiar with the term, a royalty is a cash payment that you receive over and over again from an asset that you created, developed, or own.

For example, songwriters collect a royalty every time a song they write is played, purchased, downloaded or streamed. Some more than others.

That is why Taylor Swift was mad at Apple iTunes for giving away artists music, such as herself, for free for three months!

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That’s why McLean still makes money from American Pie. You have to pay to play. Music that is. In this case anyway.

Royalties are also common in natural resources. Royalty companies often provide financing to oil and mining companies… and those borrowers pay a royalty on every ounce of gold or gallon of oil that the land produces.

Authors earn a royalty every time somebody buys their book. Inventors receive royalties from their patents. Why do you think Beyoncé trademarked Blue Ivy, Taylor Swift trademarked Swiftmas, and Cardi B is trying to trademark OKrrrrrrr?!!!

Patents equals paychecks.  

And people who own royalties don’t have to do anything else to make money… except cash the checks.

The powerful cashflow of this model can be incredibly appealing to investors, and there are even some companies that specialize in acquiring assets that produce royalty income.

Therefore, if you are good at something, don’t give it away for free.

Even though I am a HUGE Marvel comics fan, I actually got the last comment mentioned above from DC Comics The Joker. 😉

It’s still true though. You have to admit.

If I could, I would tap dance on Twitter, if they paid me.

Me and my lipstick confessions charge a premium for the really good stuff.

I would hand draw or smack lipstick stickers 💋on Kylie Jenner’s lip kits if she paid me $400.

Joan Rivers wrote jokes for days. She once said jokingly, that she would, “write for Hitler for $500.”

See my post on Money gems from Joan Rivers

Whatever you do that is great, DON’T DO IT FOR FREE.

That’s just my 2 cents. And I take cash, check, or charge.

I’m like the girl scouts. Out there selling those cookies. You don’t see them giving it away for FREE.

I’m just saying. Have a plan for your life and your money, then make it happen.

Don’t let anyone tell you what you can’t accomplish or do. No matter how small you are. Even if you are just a kid.

The Witches always remind of that.

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Film Reviews

Money and Life Lessons from the film Beyond the Lights

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“Truth is the only safe ground to stand on.” – Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Beyond the Lights was released November 14th 2014. I went on a rare visit to the theater that weekend because I loved the trailer with the Sia song Chandelier where she was out on that balcony. It stopped me in my tracks. So, I decided to go see the film. I was impressed and that doesn’t happen often.

I was really and pleasantly surprised by the film, but mostly the depth of the actress playing the lead, Gugu Mbatha-Raw (from the film Belle).

The fashion was amazing. All her outfits and costume choices were on FIRE. Every dress was a showstopper. And she pulled it off. The hair, the attitude, the choreography, everything.

I thought it was Rihanna when she first appeared as a music superstar on the screen. She blew me away. This actress was amazing in every scene she did. EVERY. SINGLE. SCENE.

This is the best film I have ever scene revolving or about a pop star.

When I left that theater, all I knew was a star was born. I can’t remember the last time I felt like that. The film was really touching and really moved me. She showed such a range of emotions. An excellent actress indeed.

According to Rotten Tomatoes, this is the movie info, Beyond the Lights is the story of Noni, the music world’s latest superstar. But not all is what it seems, and the pressures of fame have Noni on the edge – until she meets Kaz Nicol, a young cop and aspiring politician who’s been assigned to her detail. Drawn to each other, Noni and Kaz fall fast and hard, despite the protests of those around them who urge them to put their career ambitions ahead of their romance. But it is ultimately Kaz’s love that gives Noni the courage to find her own voice and break free to become the artist she was meant to be. (c) Relativity

Now, that you have the background, let’s talk about what happens beyond the lights.

EVERYONE WANTS TO COME IN 1ST 

Do you want to be a runner up, or do you want to be a winner? – Noni’s mother and mom-ager, played by Minnie Driver 

As a young girl, Noni has a voice like no other. Her mother notices her talent and signs her up for a talent show singing none other than the famous Nina Simone’s Blackbird.

However, the ending of this scene was very sad. It would set up the balance of power between mother and daughter that would play out for the rest of the film.

What you learn is that as important it is to win, you also must feel good about what you are doing and know why you are doing it. Passion is great, but not if you are not able to use it.

MASTERPIECE DOESN’T ALWAYS MEAN SUCCESS

She goes from that sweet little girl into an adult in the very next scene.  From an innocent little kitten and sweet baby angel into a video vixen.  She perfected the pop-star persona. Down to the constant changing of her very detailed nail designs. See for yourself.

This scene is immediately followed up by her first music award win.

Noni does not seem very happy.

I always thought lots of people wanted this success. Which her mother states several times throughout the film.

It is not enough just to have success, if it is not done the right way.

ALL THAT GLITTERS ISN’T GOLD

Noni can no longer take the fake life she has set herself up in. She doesn’t want to do this anymore.

What I learned here is that if you no longer hold your head up high and can look yourself in the mirror, then what’s the point. You have to treat yourself with the utmost self-respect.

All around her there was a lack of respect for her as a woman and an artist. You have to tell people how you want to be treated. People can only do what you let them. Speak up and talk to a doctor or adult and let them know how you feel. Don’t let anyone silence you into submission.

NEED TO FREE UP THE SCHEDULE

Sometimes you just have to be free. You can’t work yourself non-stop and to the bone.

There were times when there was just no light in Noni’s eyes. It was sad to see her so hurt. This woman has a record contract and is about to release an album. She is staying in the best hotels and holding press conferences. The only problem was that no one wanted to hear what she had to say.

WHAT DO YOU REALLY WANT?

Progress rarely comes from those who are content and secure. It comes from those who are unsettled by what they’ve seen. – Kaz, played by Nate Parker

THE PRESSURE IS REAL WHEN YOU ARE SELLING A FANTASY

MILES HIGH AND YET STILL SO FAR FROM HAPPINESS

IT’S LONELY AT THE TOP

Best music scene in the film, the performance of Private Property by Noni.

The music was so good in the film that it felt like she could have been an artist. I liked the soundtrack, but you wanted more Noni.

The songs were great. Very pop feel. That’s because they were written by none other than The Dream (he wrote Beyonce’s Single Ladies and Rihanna’s Umbrella).

MONEY IS HOLLOW AND EMPTY

At one point, she tells him this is my new crib. A swanky place in Los Angeles. It looked every bit of a million dollar bachelorette pad. Yet, she was miserable.

Money is just a tool. It is not good or bad. Your actions give it meaning and power. I have learned to choose wisely if I am going to spend my dime. I watch my coins carefully and spend wisely.

See the film for yourself

It has been 4 years, and no matter how many times I see this film it makes me feel something bigger is going on behind all those lights. If even a fraction of this film is what some artists have gone threw, I know some changes need to be made in how we treat people and how we listen to them.

Careers, Celebrities and Money, Relationships, Self-Made Millionaires, Wealth

Oprah’s 5 lessons for a great life

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Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you. – Oprah Winfrey

I fully agree with that statement. I learned from Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin, to do what excites me. So, every post I write is a topic that I am excited about.

I write what’s brewing around in my head, what is burning in my soul, and straight from my heart.

Sometimes, I think of that scene in Spider-man Homecoming when Tony Stark (Iron Man played by Robert Downey Jr. aka RDJ) meets Peter Parker (played by Tom Holland).

You can check out that scene here.

He says this to him:

Tony Stark: Why are you doing this, huh? What’s your MO? I’ve got to know, what gets you out of that twin bed every morning?

I ask myself that question. What  gets me out of bed every morning and gets me going? If it doesn’t excite me, then I’m not going to do it. And that is exactly how I feel about writing for this blog.

This blog will be very lively and spirited. That’s me. Full of energy.

GET EXCITED

I don’t plan to bore you. I want to be the place you go to wake up to. Like a radio station. I want people to come here to learn new things, get inspired, and when they leave to feel good.

I also try to only do what excites me in my personal life as well. There’s no fear of missing out for me. If it’s meant to be, it’ll happen. If not, move one. There’s always another rainbow, opportunity, or chance for adventure somewhere. I say, onward and upwards.

Obviously, Oprah needs no introduction. You know the face and you know the name.

She has won multiple Daytime Emmy’s, been nominated for an Oscar, and is regularly asked to attend and speak at major events all over the world.

Well, Oprah once did the commencement address at Wellesley in 1997. In her address, she discusses 5 important lessons she has learned for a better life.

Here are  the 5 quotes from Ms. Oprah Winfrey that have inspired me and I hope they do the same for you.

OPRAH ON LIFE

My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style. –  Maya Angelou 

  1. Life is a journey. Every day experiences will teach you who you really are.

I remember reading a book and a man commented that he witnessed someone being mistreated. When he asked the man why he didn’t say mean things back to those who were saying awful things to him, he responded, “You cannot fight hate with anger. You can only show people who you are by how you live your life.”

Indeed.

See my post on how to thrive by working harder than others that I learned from Jay Leno

Money Lessons I learned from Jay Leno

OPRAH ON PEOPLE

When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time. – Maya Angelou

2. When people show you who they are, believe them the first time. This is especially helpful with men. Don’t force them to beat you over the head with the message.

I have definitely learned this lesson.

In this life, if you want to not only survive and thrive, then you must learn to weed out the good from the bad apples quick!

Check out my post on what can happen to people that learn to value things more than people.

Money and Relationships…3, 2, 1

OPRAH ON WISDOM

A loving heart is the truest wisdom. – Charles Dickens

3. Turn your wounds into wisdom. Everyone makes mistakes. They are just God’s way of telling you you’re moving in the wrong direction.

If you ever saw that movie Sky High, his mom told him the following:

OPRAH ON BEING GRATEFUL

Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. – Marcel Proust

4. Be grateful. Keep a daily journal of the things you are grateful for. It will keep you focused on the abundance in your life.

It most certainly helps to think about all you do have, instead of what you don’t.

OPRAH ON HAVING VISION

Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.  – Melody Beattie

5. Create the highest, grandest vision possible for your life because you become what you believe.

We have to teach our girls that they can reach as high as humanly possible. – Beyonce

I remember reading that Bella Thorne creates a vision board for herself every year. Say what you want about her, but she is a hard working woman. You know why? It’s because she has a vision.

Arnold Schwarzenegger does something similar. Read all about it below. Very motivational.

How Arnold Schwarzenegger Totally Recalls making $20 million-dollar paychecks

If you want something in this life, you better be prepared to work for it. Nothing is free. Rarely is anyone ever handed anything in life. And even if you are, do you know what to do with it? Or how to manage it? It’s a lot harder to stay on top, when you haven’t done any of the work it takes to get there in the first place.

It wasn’t until I decided that I would be rich, that I started earning and attracting more money.

I learned that it all starts with the mind. Change your thoughts, change your life.

Budgeting, Celebrities and Money, Real Estate, Saving, Wealth

Less Home, More Wealth

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You’ve got to work to succeed. – Owner of a Lonely Heart Song and Lyrics by Yes

If you crisscross the country, you will see home prices are highly inflated. Homes values have gone up, but so too have prices.

I look to my left and to my right, but I don’t really see any new starter homes being built.

How is a family just starting out supposed to find affordable housing without any affordable homes?

You need to keep your fixed expenses low, so that you can keep more of your money in your pocket.

Remember the future is more expensive. Things do not go down in price. Prices go up.

I urge you to reconsider purchasing anything that will mean paying a high fixed amount over a long period of time such as a mortgage.

High fixed expenses can cause folks to go bankrupt.

If you do an online search, you can lookup bankrupt celebrities and see my point.

When going through their financial records and bank statements you see the glaring red flags right off the bat.

Here is a typical list of items I see when high profile people file for bankruptcy:

  • The newest or latest Range Rover
  • Large wardrobes and expensive designer suits or furniture
  • Huge credit card bills
  • Expensive foreign car leases
  • Tax liens
  • Medical debt
  • Back mortgage payments
  • Multiple child support or alimony payments
  • Back taxes owed to Uncle Sam

There is one-line item I would like to pull out in particular and that is the mortgage payment.

Let’s say hypothetically speaking, one was to bring in $70,000 a year, but was once pulling in $520,000. That’s a pretty huge drop in income right there. Would signify some belt tightening needs to be done right?

Nope.

Instead folks were continuing to live in the same neighborhood and even in the same house. In addition, driving fancy cars, and pretty much were living as if there had been no drop in income.

That is no way to do your finances.

You have to respect money. You cannot spend before you earn. As the song goes in the lyrics stated above, you’ve got to work to succeed.

You can’t continue to have the trappings of success, if you truly can’t afford them.

So, let’s discuss buying less home in order to be wealthier.

HOME PRICES ARE THROUGH THE ROOF

According to Zillow.com, the median home price in Washington DC is $575, 800.

If you have a 5% interest rate and a 30-year mortgage, that means you will owe $3,091 a month. And that’s just for the bricks! You have not paid property taxes, closing costs, home warranty, or utilities.

Adding in homeowner’s insurance and property tax, you are looking at $3,419 a month.

The Mortgage affordability rule states you should spend no more than 36 percent of your gross income on all your total debt, and this includes mortgages.

Based on the numbers, to purchase a home at this price point, you would need to bring in over $12k a month. That’s $150k a year. And this amount includes no down payment no debt except a mortgage.

Who doesn’t have a car payment these days? However, make anything less than that and its sorry game over.

Let’s not forget that this is for a property in Washington DC. There are tons of other metropolitan areas where to pay to play is even more egregious.

What a home in swanky parts of New York, California, Connecticut, Florida, Colorado, or Texas? Well, it’ll cost you.

Homes in gated communities can be well into the seven figure range.

If we take three times $575,800, that gives us $1,727,400. A $1.7M home will cost you approximately $10k per month, which is $120k a year and $10k of that goes just to property taxes.

In a decade you would have paid $120k for property taxes, just for you to sit on your couch in your living room .

That means a $3.5M home would cost the homeowner $250k over 10 years.

That’s right. A quarter of a mil. Just because the house is standing.

PROPERTY TAXES ARE FOREVER

Oh and by the way, did I mention that property taxes are forever?

You don’t ever stop paying it.

That means you will always have some cost associated with owning a home, even if everything inside of it and the dwelling itself is paid for.

Wishing you could buy a manse like Hova and Beyoncé. Well, be prepared to shell out big bucks cause the property bill alone is massive.

It was reported they bought an $88M mansion in California. A pricey piece of property indeed. A ritzy neighborhood for sure and a jaw-dropping beauty of a home.

In sunny California, the property tax rate is composed of three types of levies: general tax levy, voter approved bond indebtedness repayment, and special district assessments. The general tax levy was frozen by Proposition 13 at 1 percent of assessed property value.

According to Joel Fox of The Sacramento Bee, “Taxes haven’t exactly disappeared under Proposition 13. Property tax revenue is up 1,000% since 1978 and is growing faster than personal income. However, individual taxpayers are protected by Prop. 13, locking in property taxes when they buy their home and limiting future increases.

So, let’s get down to the bottom-line. Property taxes on an $88 million-dollar home at 1% is $880,000 dollars! That is for one year. I shudder to think about the cost of upkeep.

Although, this is obviously not what the average American homeowner is paying in property taxes, it does illustrate that paying these taxes can be mighty expensive. Especially, if you are living on a fixed income, which many Americans one day likely will be.

HOW MUCH CAN YOU SAVE

What can you do instead of buying a huge property?

Glad you asked.

You can buy less home and save money.

This will effectively allow you to increase the amount of money you save.

For example, just buying a property that is $100,000 cheaper could allow you to save $584 a month in mortgage payments and property taxes.

Investing that $584 over 30 years at an 8% rate of return could net you $877,423.

You would be giving up close to $900k in wealth to live in a neighborhood that ends in the name of Hills instead of Heights.

Basically, you could save a small fortune.

HOW MUCH GREENBACKS MAGNET SAVES

I decided to buy a smaller home than most friends and family members I know.

In one case, I paid $500k less than my peers or their families. In another, I paid less than $700k!

Just figured less home would mean less to do for maintenance, lower utilities, and more freedom because less time is needed to manage my household.

I was right.

It is way less stress to care for a smaller versus a larger home.

You have less stuff because you have less space.

Either you throw out and donate crap or get creative in storing it. I prefer to come up with less storage solutions and just stop buying stuff.

It has paid off handsomely.

I gave my savings amount in a post I did called How Millennial Money inspired me to save $13,333.06 a year. Well, now I’m giving you the visuals. I highlighted in red what I’m saving now.

GBM savings growth chart 

After, I started ramping up my savings it just took off. I am on track to save 1,000% more income than I did in 2015. Not too shabby.

I say buy less home, build more wealth.

Financial Freedom, Financial Independence, Retirement, Saving, Wealth

How do you play with FIRE?

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“It is so liberating to really know what I want, what truly makes me happy, what I will not tolerate. I have learned that it is no one else’s job to take care of me but me.” – Beyoncé

Many of you may have heard of the FIRE movement (financial independence, retire early). However, what some of you may not know is that there are different ways to FIRE.

Let’s explore some of those ways shall we.

WHAT IS FIRE?

According to Camp Fire Finance, the elevator pitch for FIRE is this, “When your investments generate enough money to cover your annual expenses you’re financially independent (FI). At that point work is optional and you can retire early (RE) if you want to.”

Basically, you have more than enough money coming in to stop working. Usually, this requires anywhere from $1 million to $5 million dollars depending on what you want or need to spend to maintain your lifestyle or that of the one you dream of having.

For example, if you decide you want to withdraw at least $80,000 a year, you would need to have a $2-million-dollar portfolio.

HOW DO YOU BUILD A $2 MILLION DOLLAR PORTFOLIO?

“Don’t focus on getting to $1 million; focus on getting to $2 million.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger

I heard that little gem when Mr. Schwarzenegger was doing a radio interview.

So, one word: invest.

Property, stocks, art, and stamps can all help you build your net worth.

“Market crashes are the best times to buy,” he said. “When Walmart has a sale, everybody would run in to buy. But when the stock market has a sale, or the real estate market has a sale, everybody runs away. That’s why there’s a difference between rich and poor today because they don’t know a good thing when they see one.” – Robert Kiyosaki quoted from a MarketWatch interview

Do not focus on your income; focus on your net worth.

Earning a high income means nothing, if you spend it all. If you make $85,000, but spend $86,000 you’re in the red. You can blow through just about any paycheck.

PURSUIT OF LIFE, LIBERTY, HAPPINESS AND FINANCIAL FREEDOM

The pursuit of financial freedom takes work and time. I thought this post from Apathy Ends, hit the nail on the financial head on why people are not rich, yet. See my post on Patience is the key to wealth.

I will never forget that episode of America’s Next Top Model (ANTM) when Ms. J was teaching the girls how to walk down the runway. He was fierce and determined.  What he got from the girls was gentle and undetermined or undefined and lazy.

He commented to them, while slapping his hands together, with one palm face up against the other hand palm down for emphasis: “I want you to walk like you’re selling it and the rent is due tomorrow.”

I could think of no better way to tell someone that is how you approach your money and your life’s work. Either be all in or don’t do it at all. Passion is what separates the have’s from the have not’s. And in that case, it was a $100,000 prize and modeling contract.

Get a financial education. Learn all you can about money. Make a plan or a budget for your money, but make it sexy. I know for some people talking about interest rates puts them to sleep, but how about we think of the subject differently and come at it from another angle.

I went to a meetup in DC and heard J. Money of BudgetsareSexy say this, “Do you want to learn how to balance a check book? Boring. Or do you want to learn how to save a million dollars?” WHAT?!!!

Did you also know reducing your 401(k) investment fee by 1% can provide you with 10 years of income? Shocking? Yes, I know. I can teach you how to save $1 million and keep $100,000!

Now, those things sound sexy and exciting. Yes,  please tell me more.

Once you have a question. Start looking for answers.

THE RULE OF 25

“I can never be safe; I always try and go against the grain. As soon as I accomplish one thing, I just set a higher goal. That’s how I’ve gotten to where I am.” – Beyoncé

If your annual expenses are $55,000 a year, then you need $1.375 million to retire (55,000 x 25) and then this should last you for the next 25 years.

The formula used to calculate your 25 years of expenses is this (expenses x 25 years).

Estimate your FIRE number.

You want more money to retire on? Like Beyoncé says, set a higher goal.

For $100,000 in income, you would need a $2.5-million-dollar portfolio to generate that kind of cash.

See chart.

Source: Camp Fire Finance 

THE RULE OF 300

Say your monthly expenses are $3,500, then you need $1.05 million to retire (3,500 x 300) and that should last you for the next 25 years.

As you can see, it is similar to the Rule of 25. It only differs slightly in we use monthly expenses versus annual expenses in this calculation.

Source: Four Percent Rule

THE FOUR PERCENT RULE

The 4% rule refers to your withdrawal rate: the annual percentage amount you can safely withdraw from your investment portfolio when you retire.

Therefore, if you want to withdraw $200,000, then you need a $5-million-dollar portfolio.

Source: Camp Fire Finance

THE THREE PERCENT RULE

“Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars.” – Casey Kasem

The 3% rule refers to your withdrawal rate: the annual percentage amount you can safely withdraw from your investment portfolio when you retire.

This allows you to touch your interest earned at a slower pace. Since, you are withdrawing 3% instead of 4%. Meaning your draw down the principal more slowly, if ever. The more you have squirreled away and the less you take, you may not even touch the principal at all.

I know that is really shooting for the stars, but that really is the goal. You never want to touch principal. That way, you live only off the interest forever!

I got this chart from doing another online search and the best I came across was from the blog Financially Alert.

Source: Financially Alert 

LEVELS OF WEALTH

Only you can decide how much money is enough. However, if we go by Rockefeller, enough is always a little more. Basically, how much money is enough?

For purposes of simplicity, we will use the examples of enough money given by billionaire Mark Cuban.

Mark Cuban on enough money:

“‘Enough’ is what it takes to not worry about the bills.”

“‘A lot’ is enough that you never have to worry about working again.”

“‘F you’ money means you can rent a jet to go wherever you want, whenever you want, and no party is out of reach.”

“‘F everyone’ money means you can have your favorite band in your backyard, not care how much it costs, and lend them your jet to get there.”

We’re not talking about rich; talking about wealthy. Chris Rock once said, “Shaquille O’Neal is rich. The guy who pays his salary is wealthy.” He also said comfort is the poison. Too much of it can slow down your progress on the road to wealth. All I mean is to stay hungry. I’m just saying there are different levels of wealth.

FIRE IT UP

“Focus on all four of your net worth factors: increasing your income, increasing your savings, increasing your investment returns, and decreasing your cost of living by simplifying your lifestyle.” – T. Harv Eker

Simple math can help you retire rich.

Unfortunately, many people think of math as a foreign language and say it’s too hard to learn.

In my experience, to build wealth you need to know addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication. And that’s about it.

Why FIRE AT ALL?

More control and satisfaction over how you spend your time and money. Finding something you love to do and are passionate about is life changing and fulfilling. What you want is…FREEDOM. Waste less money and work with what you’ve got. Do more with what you have.

What do you want out of life? Write it down. Go seek answers. They say seek and you shall find.

According to Mr. Money Mustache, you should focus more on you than your bank account. Get wiser and healthier so you can increase your probability to get wealthier. My favorite quote of his is this: “Salads and barbells every day.” Become your best self with hard work, dedication, and consistency. Be the Boss.

READY, AIM…FIRE!!!

According to an article by Physician on Fire (POF), called What is fatFIRE?, a Facebook group defined FIRE as the following:

FIRE = Financial Independence. Retire Early.

leanFIRE = FIRE on a shoestring budget.

fatFIRE = FIRE on a generous budget.

Most aspiring to fatFIRE have a target of $2.5 Million or more or the equivalent annual budget of $100,000 or more based on a 4% withdrawal rate.

I found a breakdown of the terms financially speaking on Miniafi on the difference between lean and fat FIRE under the title So Many Terms!

I break it down like this:

LEAN FIRE = $1 million dollar or less portfolio

FIRE = $1.25 to 2-million-dollar portfolio

FAT FIRE = $2.5 million dollar or more portfolio

FIRE is about having enough passive income flows to never work again or to decrease the amount of time you spend doing work you don’t want to do and increasing it on the work you do want to do.

Celebrities and Money, Financial Freedom, Financial Independence, Self-Made Millionaires

3 Rich Habits of Millionaires

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After doing some research on millionaires and billionaires, I have noticed some recurring attributes among them, which include: reading, pursuing a passion, and setting goals.

READ

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”

― Dr. Seuss, I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!

Many of the affluent read daily or often. They seem to set aside at least 30 minutes a day for reading. This greatly improves their knowledge of their products, brands, and businesses. When you know what drives the market, then it makes it easier to compete with everyone else. I even read that Marilyn Monroe was also said to be a voracious reader.

I know in my life reading has helped me a great deal. I was able to do better in school, make better informed personal and professional decisions, and increase my investment knowledge.

One of the most successful investors of all time, Warren Buffet, says he reads every day.  Buffet typically spends 80% of his day reading. Here are some quotes from interviews he has done over the years in regards to how to become successful.

THE KEY TO SUCCESS

The CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, when asked once about the key to success, pointed to a stack of books and said, “Read 500 pages like this every day. That’s how knowledge works. It builds up, like compound interest. All of you can do it, but I guarantee not many of you will do it.”

WHAT BUFFET READS?

Warren Buffet starts his days with an assortment of national and local news. The billionaire investor tells CNBC he reads the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, the New York Times, USA Today, the Omaha World-Herald, and the American Banker in the mornings.

Even though Buffet reads tremendously, it would mean nothing if he did not retain what he has read. Buffets says that knowledge builds up over time. Here are some tips to remember what you read – take notes, skim the text, read out load – are just a few things you can do to retain what you read.

PURSUE YOUR PASSION OR GIFT

“To give anything less than your best, is to sacrifice the gift.” – Steve Prefontaine

I have always had an affinity for writing. I write pretty much every day. My goals are that my writing helps to plant the seed that inspire people, motivate them, and make them feel good about themselves. Writing about finances is the cherry on top of the sundae for me. And I give it everything I’ve got. No less. When I’m sick. I write. When I’m tired. I write. When I was down to my last $2. Still wrote. I would write down my thoughts, hopes, dreams, and goals. I have crossed off at least 5 items on my 10 year to do list. If it can work for me and countless others, then I know it can for you.

Dreams can come true. You just have to believe and lay down the groundwork. There is no builder of a home that would not first lay down the foundation and then build up. The same goes for life. You do not start in at the top. Otherwise, if you do, you are more likely to have created a house of cards, that can easily come tumbling down.  Like the three little pigs, you want bricks and not sticks or straw. You want something that is concrete. Construct your life blueprint on building or creating something that is solid.

If you can, find a mentor. Mentors help guide and keep people on the right path to succeed. I suggest finding someone who has already done what you want to do successfully and then asking them for advice. You can also read their books or attend their workshops. Either way study their success and see if you can imitate it.

SET GOALS

“Set your goals high, and don’t stop till you get there.” – Bo Jackson

The best advice I have ever read was to write down your goals. I have heard this from numerous celebrities including Beyoncé. She said she would write down her goals; and that she wanted to go platinum and sell a million records. Well, she wanted to be financially secure. Well, she can scratch that off her checklist. Simply heed these words: Write it down.

When you set goals and pursue your passion it is a winning combination for success. Instead of watching the clock, you just keep on working. There are too many hours on the clock when you do something you detest, but no enough hours in the day when you do something you love.

Forget the naysayers. They are not you and you are not them.  Focus your energy on doing what you enjoy putting your effort into. The energy you use to pursue your passion or anything that you do well is never wasted.  When you can focus and limit or ignore distractions, you are well on your way toward success.