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College, Relationships, Wealth

Money advice from Gossip Girl

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Earn the spotlight on your own merits. You’ll feel better. – Serena

I was reading a book when I decided to take a walk down memory lane and watch Gossip Girl on Netflix.

For those of you that may not know or remember the show, Gossip Girl was a show about privileged American socialite teens at an elite and exclusive academic prep school in Manhattan’s Upper East Side (UES); whose every move was texted out through an eblast via tips to  an anonymous site called Gossip Girl.

What is Gossip Girl and what it does?

What’s the difference between gossip and scandal? So glad you asked, UES Forever. Anyone can commit a minor indiscretion and generate a day’s worth of buzz. But in order for gossip to birth a true scandal, it requires the right person to be in the wrong place. – Gossip Girl

The show was on the WB, then the CW, and aired from September 19, 2007 through December 17, 2012. The show was narrated by Kristen Bell (as Gossip Girl). Scandals, scoops, and hemlines run amuck. The show may have had a serious lack of ethics, but it did make for some interesting television.

Gossip Girl is based on a popular book series of the same name written by Cecily von Ziegesar. The adapted television series in 2007 came about from the book series she started in 2002.

Gossip Girl will always have a special place in my heart.

It was in 2007 that I heard this line from the show:  You know, Dad, there’s this thing called MySpace where you can post all of this information online. Save some trees, have a blog. – Dan Humphrey

 It peaked my interest in blogging. Then, I started this one, Greenbacks Magnet, 9 years later.

Some of the dialogue may be a bit harsh in its tone and delivery, but there was some truth behind some of their words.

Gossip Girl likes to keep things classy and somewhat true. – Serena van der Woodsen played by Blake Lively

Serena is so grateful because she likes to see the best in people. I like to see the truth. – Blair

So, let’s get right into it.

MEET THE MONEY PLAYERS

You got me thinking. If my class is so important to you maybe I ought to make it worth your while. So for the next seven weeks it’s fewer models and martinis, more flow charts and footnotes.– Colin Forrestor played by Sam Page

Last month, on Thanksgiving Day, I decided to watch some Thanksgiving themed movies and television episodes. And I settled on watching Gossip Girl.

As GG fans know, it just hooks you in with all the drama and high fashion that’s fun to look at.

The music was pretty good too. Found the GG soundtrack for music featured in every episode here. 

The series follows Upper East Siders throughout their never ending drama filled lives that is often self-inflicted. It Girl Serena van der Woodsen is centered around it all and is the star of the show. Her friends and family make up the rest of the cast.

One of my favorite scenes is actually from the first episode of the series. It was a face-off that was incredible between two young women and it set the tone for the show.

The 4 top-billed (in my opinion) and main cast includes the following:

Blake Lively as Serena van der Woodsen AKA S

Leighton Meester as Blair Waldorf AKA B

Chace Crawford as Nate Archibald AKA Golden Boy

Ed Westwick as Chuck Bass Always

If you pay close attention to their conversations, they are dropping some serious money gems.

These little nuggets of life and money wisdom, when interpreted and applied correctly, could transform lives and bank balances.

Let’s begin.

WORK FOR WHAT YOU WANT

Never in my 16,982 hours of schooling have I ever been sentenced to detention. – Blair

Throughout the show, the main cast is always discussing their futures and going to college.

It was almost incessant in the amount of pretentious ponderings of how to be sartorially correct while interviewing for a top spot as a Yalie. And yes, that is a quite accurate assessment of the character known as Blair on the show.

Blair would look and act so innocent and demure like she couldn’t melt butter, but her stare and looks were as cold as ice. Very entertaining.

Here she goes on one of her tirades.

I am so a better fit for Yale than that Rory. – Blair

Now, she’s belittling and disparaging the character of one of my favorite shows Gilmore Girls.

Check out my posts where I talk Gilmore.

Mega Millions Win or Bust 

Money and Life Lessons I Learned from CBS Storybreak’s Yeh-Shen

How to navigate Universal Studios on a budget and like a boss

But enough of the $50 words. Let’s talk about the rest of the show.

They attend the fictitious Constance Billard School for Girls and St. Jude School for Boys. In addition, throughout the show you may hear them casually drop names of other schools.

In the Gossip Girl (book series) — it contains the line “two little Sacred Heart girls in their cute red and white checked pinafores were walking an enormous black Rottweiler” on page 86 in the first novel of the series.

Many of the parents are part of high-society and are on boards of prestigious organizations, own businesses, and live in penthouses. They go to great parties, opening nights to the ballet, and fashion week.

You get the impression that these kids know to base their lives around money and making sure to earn piles of it is a must.

They are tireless paragons of poshness. The parties are lavish, the lifestyle is glamorous, and the fashion is couture and expensive. Makes for a great show.

What I noticed was that everyone in one way or another was working hard at trying to make their own way in the world apart from their rich and or famous families.

They chased their dreams relentlessly. Like a boss.

And made huge sacrifices to get what they wanted.

Great leaders only need three hours of sleep! – Blair

They worked, started or interned at major businesses, magazines, for fashion designers, newspapers, literary writers, politicians, and fashion houses.

You’re not likely to get or keep those gigs for long if you are playing around.

“When and if we end up together, it has to be as equals.” – Blair

Yes, indeed. Be independent.

BET ON SELF

Here’s my advice: Have a little faith, and if that doesn’t work, have a lot of mimosas.– Blair in the Wild Brunch Season 1 Episode 2

My family is really into waffles. – Jenny Humphrey sister of Dan Humphrey played by Taylor Momsen

If you want something, go get it. Have some faith in yourself. And good food and conversation go together.  I have learned a lot about people when having lunch with them. It’s a great way to build relationships. My favorite meal is brunch. I too love waffles!

See my post, Forget casinos, bet on yourself for more on this topic.

THE SO-CALLED ELITE

Their membership is so restricted, it makes Soho House look like a halfway house. – Blair

They say of you want to increase membership to something then increase the selection criteria.

The Ivy League have made this an art form. As you see on this show, even the wealthy were concerned about their college admissions. There was even some talk of donations to a school to get in. In the end, you see deep down, we all have our insecurities. Accept it, and move on.

I have learned that I am no better than anybody else, but I am always just as good.

KNOW YOUR WORTH

You deserve someone who would move mountains for you if he had to. – Blair to Serena 

Normal people don’t get an endless number of chances, no matter the situation. That’s just you. – Dan to Serena

I have heard people say that well-behaved women seldom make history. At least that is what Eleanor Roosevelt said. I guess you can take her word for it as her husband FDR made history.

“I have an idea for you: quit. Your boss is a bi*ch. Let’s go to lunch.”

I have actually done just that very thing. I quit a bad job. Got a better job. And never looked back.

 “I’m not a stop along the way, I’m a destination.” – Blair

That line could be someone’s Bumble Bee bio. I call it sophisticated confidence.

“He ended up treating me like something he owned instead of something he earned.” -Blair

You’re worth more than a guest lecture fee, everyone knows that. – Dan to Serena

Well put. Damn straight!

Be unique. Have your own voice. Be you.

See my post, How being an outlier can make you rich

How being an outlier can make you rich

YOUR INCOME

A man who own a tuxedo shows that he has the means and can afford to provide for his family – Blair in Belles Du Jour Season 4 Episode 1

One of my favorite lines from the show comes from none other than Nate Archibald while talking to Chuck Bass.

Excuse me? Where’s my boy? “Seal the deal.” “Tap that a$$.” “Money marries bigger money.”

Wow. Money marries bigger money. That’s kind of cold, but ok.

I could care less about his Bassets and probably he’s filtering his assets through some foreign government so I won’t know. – Blair on Chuck Bass.

S: So you hired escorts? B, you couldn’t just tell your mom you don’t have friends at NYU?

B: Prostitutes are people, too, and they have a lot of disposable income. – Serena and Blair

Yes, people are focused on income, A LOT.

Jane Austen also so eloquently puts how much emphasis people put on income in two of her novels. And also how to treat others with or without money.

FOR THE LOVE OF HEADBANDS

I know you disapprove of me, but can’t you at least do so in a tuxedo?– Lily van der Woodsen played by Kelly Rutherford

This show loves their tuxedos. And themed parties. Masquerade. Kiss on the Lips. You name it.

It is often said when you look good, you feel good. Well, I concur. You feel more confident as well.

I remember going to a job interview where some folks didn’t take it seriously. I wore a nice dress and some of the men wore suits while others wore jeans.

After I got hired and when I later started the job, I noticed on my first day that all the people that got hired were the ones that were well-dressed.

Leighton Meester Shopping GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY

Piece of advice: lose the tulip. – Chuck

If you know one thing about GG, you know it’s all about the fashion.

The well-heeled wear nice heels. Blair was known for her love of headbands. People were always giving her grief about it.

Your era is over, and so is that headband. – Jenny

No headbands in college, okay? – Dan to Blair

Et tu, Dan?

SvdW was known for her fantastic sense of style.

And she had more loose interpretation of a school uniform than any person on the planet. The Tie Goddess. See for yourself.

EDUCATION IS PRICELESS AND THE PRICE OF INTELLECTUALISM

S:Wow, and I thought college would be different from high school.

B:Who would want that? – Serena and Blair

These kids were not just applying to any colleges, but the Ivy League. They wanted to be HYPsters (Harvard, Yale, Princeton) or the like.  What Blair called the Holy Trinity of colleges. Which are all expensive colleges. We are talking $50,000 USD per year or more.

It was a constant stressor of theirs during the shows first four seasons. Case in point, here is a list of the schools they were trying to get into or that their parents attended.

For instance, Serena wanted to go to Brown and that college and Harvard are where her parents went. Blair wanted Yale and Nate was considering UCLA over Dartmouth like his father. There was also talk of Columbia, Georgetown, and NYU on the show.

It just goes to show you that getting an education is still mighty important.

Serena van der Woodsen or SvdW for short – Brown University, Columbia University

SvdW parents attended – Harvard University and Brown University

Fun show Fact: SvdW dropped out of Brown at the last minute because she wanted to find herself and she felt that moving away to another city wouldn’t help her achieve that. The classic one-year hiatus otherwise known as the infamous gap year before entering college.

This is what Blair had to say to her about going there.

Your deductive-reasoning skills are perfect for a place like Brown. An enclave of trustafarians and children of celebrities who major in drum circles and semiotics, whatever that is. I can’t wait for you to come home next Thanksgiving a militant veganista, anemic and proud. – Blair

It left me speechless.

Blair Waldorf – Yale University, Columbia University, New York University (NYU), NYU – Tisch School of the Arts

Nate Archibald – Columbia University, Dartmouth

Chuck Bass – Columbia University

Dan Humphrey AKA Lonely Boy played by Penn Badgley – NYU

Vanessa Abrams played by Jessica Szohr – NYU

Eric van der Woodsen played by Connor Paolo – Sarah Lawrence

Some character’s shots at the sheepskin, in my opinion, and other honorable college mentions include:

Reaches: Yale, Harvard, Princeton

Realistic: UPenn, Georgetown, UMiami, Duke, USC, UCLA, Columbia, Tulane, Pepperdine, Wesleyan, Dartmouth

Safeties: Cornell, Vanderbilt, George Washington

READ TO GET AHEAD IN LIFE

I’m telling you, I learned everything I know about women from Judy Blume’s Forever. – Dan

According to List Challenges, “Gossip Girl” (2007 – 2012) : here is a listing of some of the favorite authors and books of the characters or simply the ones mentioned by them and showed along these 6 seasons, books studied in university, etc.

Many characters also name dropped or were caught reading well-known books by famous authors.

I love the Snowflake Ball. It reminds me of Anna Karenina, only by Anna Wintour. – Serena

Maybe if we become famous writers one day, they’ll publish [our letters] after we die, like Sartre and de Beauvoir. – Vanessa

They also liked to travel extensively. Especially, in Europe such as Paris, France. In addition, they speak more than one language such as French while in Paris.

Elliott’s the perfect mix of smart and fun: He speaks three languages, but he has a subscription to People magazine. – Eric

List of titles includes:

House of Mirth by Edith Wharton –  read by Juliet Sharp played by Katie Cassidy

The Lorax by Dr. Suess – Mentioned by Dan

Colette by Gigi – Blair read this on a bench in Paris

Jane Austen books – Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Mansfield Park, Northanger Abbey, Persuasion

Charles Dickens novels – A Tale of Two Cities, A Christmas Carol, Oliver Twist, Les Grandes Espérances

C. S. Lewis books – The Chronicles of Narnia, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

William Shakespeare – Othello, Romeo and Juliet, MacBeth, Henry V, Hamlet, King Lear

A few other famous works, Rabbit Redux by John Updike, Cyrano De Bergerac by Edmond Rostand, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, The Crucible (Arthur Miller), Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte), I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Dr. Maya Angelou, The Art of War, The Crucible (Arthur Miller), Madame Bovary, The Old Man and the Sea (Ernest Hemingway), The Beautiful and Damned (F. Scott Fitzgerald), Cinderella (Charles Perrault), The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, Faust, In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, Anna Karenina by Tolstoy, Walden, The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald), and Beloved by Toni Morrison.

There, I have just given you a reading list that every good high school student or Ivy League hopeful should have. Some of which I have read. My favorite author is Jane Austen. A close second is Louisa May Alcott, as I just love Little Women and the 1994 film starring Winona Ryder. But Austen’s Sense and Sensibility (1995) just amazes me every time. That along with Pride and Prejudice (2005) and Emma (1996).

The rich seem to be highly educated. They also tend to get ahead in life. Therefore, be well-read.

However, these trust fund babies did end up leaving college and higher education after a while to set out for their own fortunes in the real world.

For people like us a college degree is just an accessory.  – Chuck

So, this too let’s you know that it is not always about what you know, but who you know.

You never know who you may run into at expensive coffee shops, libraries, restaurants, college, and hotels like the Palace in New York.

So, go build up those relationships.

MONEY AND RELATIONSHIPS

Just to clarify, I do think you deserve to be with someone who makes you happy. – Dan

True words indeed.

I read, like, five self-help blogs on how to turn friends into lovers. Yes, they used that word. – Dan

Come on, Cece’s heart pumps secrets and gin. – Dan

And there was lots of secrets on this show. Relationships and secrets were everywhere.

Sex is meaningful, like art. And you don’t rush art.– Dan

All great things are built or done slowly.

If you watched this show, then you may remember the season 3 episode with Lady Gaga. Here is her take on relationships that is so Blair Waldorf.

“Some women choose to follow men, and some women choose to follow their dreams. If you’re wondering which way to go, remember that your career will never wake up and tell you that it doesn’t love you anymore.” ― Lady Gaga

Marriage

Settling down means death. Less sex, more silence. – Blair on marriage

Blair also had some of the best lines on the show. EVERY. SINGLE. EPISODE.

Case in point, check this out.

And she actually said this too.

That’s the thing. You need to be cold to be queen. Anne Boleyn thought only with her heart, and she got her head chopped off. So her daughter Elizabeth made a vow never to marry a man. She married a country. Forget boys. Keep your eye on the prize, Jenny Humphrey. You can’t make people love you, but you can make them fear you. For what it’s worth, you’re my queen. I choose you. – Blair

As, I am a history buff and studied up on Queen Elizabeth I of England, my mouth fell open when she said this.

Check it out here.

And I am not the only one who feels she should get some praise for her talented banter.

C: It’s a facility for the disturbed or addicted.

B: You must have your own wing.

C: You don’t get enough credit for your wit.

– Chuck and Blair

If you go back with an uncertain heart, there will be drama and disaster for all. – Blair

You better believe it. In life and relationships, to be successful, you have to commit.

LOVE

B:Love me?

C:Always.

– Blair and Chuck

They were the best characters on the show, in my humble opinion. The two of them together was gold. Take a look for yourself.

But ultimately, I have learned that love is what we are all looking for.

MONEY DOESN’T BUY HAPPINESS

Trouble is moving in, and it’s looking to make the Upper East Side it’s bi*ch.– Gossip Girl

You would think that folks in tuxedos and ball gowns are the happiest, but these people seemed so unhappy.

Happiness can’t be measured in things. It comes from having the things that really matter like people who love you for who you are.

Doing the right thing takes courage and strength. At least that’s what I’ve heard. – Blair

Well, I hope you had fun going down memory lane with me and I will bid you adieu in the best possible way to end this post.

You know you love me – XOXO,

Gossip Girl (I mean Greenbacks Magnet) wink, wink 😉

Celebrities and Money, College, Credit Cards, Financial Independence, Retirement, Saving

Meet an orthodontist with $1 million in student loan debt

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Unless you have not been reading headline making news lately, then you have heard of the man who ran up a tab of over a million dollars to become an orthodontist. It was featured in the Wall Street Journal and has attracted a lot of attention. His name is Dr. Mike Meru. He owes approximately $1,060,945.42 as of the reporting of the article in May 2018. There are only 101 people with $1 million in student loan debt. He is one of those people. Here is how this went down.

HOW TO GO FROM DEBT FREE TO OWING $1M IN 13 YEARS

Mr. Meru grew up in California. He has two brothers and is the eldest of the three. His parents said they would help pay for college. He got through undergrad with the help of his parents and by working through school. He graduated in 2005 from Brigham Young debt-free.

From there he decided to go to dental school.

Before we go any further in this story, I want you readers to know that becoming a doctor is incredibly expensive. It is not uncommon to have medical students be in debt for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Anywhere from $200,000-300,000 in medical school debt is their reality.  Dental school is also one of the most expensive programs and can cost upwards of $70,000 or more per year.

Getting back to Mr. Meru, he was informed that going to dental school would cost anywhere from a price tag of $400,000-$450,000 in student loans plus interest.

For me, this is a red flag. Even if you can earn a six-figure salary as a doctor, I am risk-averse and would be turned away by this eye-popping amount. However, if your goal is to be a doctor and be of help and in service to others, then this is what the cost will be.

FROM $0 IN STUDENT LOANS TO $340,000 IN FOUR YEARS

He then chooses one of the most prestigious institutions for dentistry: University of Southern California.  This is what he paid for four years of school from 2005-2009:

Year one at end he owed: $43,000

Year two at end he owed: $115,000

Year three at end he owed: $230,000

Year four at end he owed: $340,000

Dr. Meru has now finished dental school. He owes over a quarter of a million dollars in debt within four years of graduating from college debt-free.

Keep in mind that college tuition goes up every year around the country. USC is no exception. In addition, interest rates have gone up on student loans as well. In the WSJ article, his loans were at various interest rates throughout his time at school. Also, tuition increases at USC would go for about 6%. This is a huge amount of money. For instance, a 6% increase over 3 years would be the equivalent of an 18% increase in tuition by overall from start to finish.

The cost of college is going up faster than the cost of inflation. Generally, inflation goes up by about 3% annually increasing the costs of goods and services. Therefore, if it cost a dollar ($1.00) last year it will now cost $1.03 this year. Imagine paying 6% on $50,000 and then 6% on 53,000 and so on, all the while you are also accruing interest on this borrowed amount.

You are getting hit with a two combo even worse than Mike Tyson could ever do.

First, you get hit with tuition increases of 6% in this case. Second, you pay interest on the loans you take out of approximately $50,000 per year. The compound interest is brutal.

In the article, it states that Dr. Meru found his calling as orthodontics changed his life as a teenager. However, the one caveat he did not take into consideration: inflation. If you want to learn more about inflation, read my article Money Lessons I learned from Scrooge McDuck. The cost of becoming a doctor 20-25 years ago was cheaper then as it is way more expensive now.

This is not the first time I have seen people take bets like this on their education.

If you were to do some research, you will find that 50 plus years ago education was pretty reasonable and in many cases more  affordable. I will provide one such case below.

In the book, Generation Debt by Anya Kamenetz, a Yallie that was born toward the end of the 1970’s, stated in her book that her parents old college professors were in shock at the sticker price of Yale over a seven year time period which had risen- from $30,000 to almost $39,000. Her own father, who attended Yale on a scholarship, had appropriately asked the justification of the tuition increases. This considering when he went there the price was…wait for it…$3,000. That means within one generation tuition has increased $1,000% or to roughly 10 times the cost.

The absolute saddest and funniest part of the book, in my opinion, was at the high school graduation brunch of her younger sister. Her parents also wanted her sister to go to Yale, but cited cost concerns and rightly so. The speaker said of the 180 graduates they would divide $18 million in scholarships- that’ll just about get them to Thanksgiving. That was putting it mildly.

The problem is that education is not an equalizer. Although, there is nothing wrong with getting a good education. And going to a great school with high-quality education is awesome; some people may have to simply understand that it may not be the best option for them individually.

The jury is still out on the value of an education. Sure, they let you know on college brochures and in the media that a college degree can net you more than $1 million more in lifetime income, but in Dr. Meru’s case did it also say that if you flip a coin, it could be the opposite and you could owe $1 million dollars? I don’t think so.

Many employers are paying in wages nowhere near the cost of college.

I have read that some places cannot put a dollar amount on how much to pay their employees for their degree, but colleges have put a price on it as USC cost Dr. Meru over $400k.

FROM $340,000 IN STUDENT LOANS TO $601,506 IN THREE YEARS

You would think by finishing dental school that his education was done and over with. Alas, then there is residency, which is training for doctors. However, for dental specialists this costs too. Many doctors are paid while in residency, but Dr. Meru must continue to pay for training for an additional three years FROM 2009-2012. This would increase his debt to over $600,000.

FROM $601,506 IN STUDENT LOANS TO $1,060,945.42 IN SIX YEARS

Pay close attention here because things move really quickly.

He consolidates after finishing all his education and training. He then owes $724,817 by 2012-2013. This includes in interest and principal as a consolidation not only changes your repayment terms, interest rate, and payment amount but interest can capitalize. Capitalization is what makes student loans such a slippery slope. It makes you owe interest on top of interest making it harder to get it paid off.

From there he continues to accrue interest and owes $882,300 by 2015.

Within 3 years, interest continues and grows the debt to $1,060,945.42 by 2018.

How is this even possible? In 2005, Congress created Grad PLUS loans that removed loan limits and allows student to borrow for every expense from tuition to rent and living expenses. Dangerous.

He is now making monthly payments of $1,589.97. He has two daughters, a wife, a $400,000 mortgage, a $225,000 salary and is accruing $130 per day in interest on his loans, which is $3,900 per month and $47,000 per year.

If not for Income-based repayment, he would have to pay $10,541.91 per month. Instead, he pays about $1,600. This does not pay all the interest that is accruing and does not even touch his principal. Within 20 years he will owe $2 million. If forgiven, he will owe $700,000 in income taxes. Currently, his take-home pay after income taxes is $13,333 per month. That means if he pays the $10k monthly payment, he would have his debt paid off in about 13 years, but bring home less than $3,000 per month.

 WHY SO MUCH DEBT?

Keep in mind that it is mostly graduate students that end up in the most debt. With the cost of graduate school (2-4 years) easily topping $20,000 or more per year, it can dwarf undergraduate costs. Over 20 years ago no undergrad or graduate students owed six-figures of student loan debt. Today, over 2.5 million of graduate students do.

After reading about Dr. Meru’s story, I feel that there is a serious problem with the funding of higher education. I want people to be doing the opposite of owing interest on a $1 million and instead be earning interest on this amount of money.

I want people to have the trifecta of retirement funds- pension or 401(k), savings, social security. Over a 30 year career you want to have a paid for home, 25 times your annual income in a retirement account, and be able to get social security or have at least two forms of income to supplement your savings.

In the article, his wife said there are a few things that are OK to go into debt for: a home, an automobile, an education. I have to disagree. I say if you can avoid all debt, then do it. Pay cash for all your purchases. For a car you need one loan. Same goes for a home. However, her husband needed 50 loans to fund his education.

If you are unsure why or how you will pay cash for all purchases, let the advice of these millionaires be your guide.

Mark Cuban, billionaire owner of the Mavericks, says if you use a credit card, then you do not want to be rich.

Kevin O’Leary, shark tank entrepreneur, says all debt is evil.

David Bach, financial advisor and author of the Automatic Millionaire, says all debt is bad debt.

I rest my case.