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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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Millionaire Pets: Pets With Their Own Line Of Credit

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After 12 years of reading about personal finance, it never ceases to amaze me all the things you can learn. I not only learn about money, but I also get a history lesson in the process.

Did you know that credit cards have only been in widespread use since the 1950’s?

Before 1950, credit was rare.

Most places did not offer much in the way of credit. They wanted cold, hard cash.

Stores may have provided familiar faces and those in the community with a store credit, but you better believe it was not a $25,000 limit!

I decided to have some fun last summer and see if I could get approved for $5,000 on some random credit card. Well, guess what? I got approved for over $20,000 in credit limits!

However, that pales in comparison to some offers that some people have claimed their pets have received in the mail. You read that right, pets!

I have read numerous books and articles where people have received credit card offers for their pets.

Come on, America! 

If the pet’s owner cannot afford a $400 emergency, as the media claims, then how is an unemployed Yorkie going to payback over $50,000. And yes, that is a limit I read one couple stated their dog received. And that was only one offer. They also received others with one being $100,000!

However, there are some pets who earn their keep and make millions for their owners.

This post, for now, will focus on how Fido is able to write checks for his own bone and chew toys that his puppy paws can cash.

MILLIONAIRE PETS

If you read my post 4 Financial Futuristic Nuggets: The Economics of the Jetsons, I discussed Millionaire Pets in that article.

Let’s take this a step further shall we and discuss real life ones!

It was recently reported that celebrity designer to the stars Karl Lagerfeld has passed away last month. He leaves behind an estimated $100 million-dollar fortune. The media was speculating that his cat may inherit a chunk of that money. Holy cow! Or should I say, MEOW!!!

In addition, Real Estate heiress Leona Helmsley left her pet dog $12 Million in 2007. The will was contested and the pet received death threats, which caused money to be diverted for security! Unbelievable! Any who, the pet ended up receiving a mere $2 million after the case was settled. That sure buys a heck of a lot of Puppy Chow!

Can you believe that?! A pet that literally has their own access to a line of credit to pay bills including for their own security guards!

See my post on The Jetsons

CREDIT CARDS: EASY MONEY THE HARD WAY 

Once credit cards started being more the norm, it exploded!

Once you turn 18, it used to be time to go down to the MVA and sign up to vote. Now, it’s when credit card offers come in the mail.

I remember when I got my very first credit card for $250! I even had a secure credit card for $500. That’s a far cry from the $20k, I was approved for last year.

After the 2008-2009 financial crisis, credit dried up faster than nail polish. They were slashing limits faster than prices at Wal-Mart! Then it slowly started creeping back up. As it stands, credit card debt is now higher than it was in 2009!  It stands now at over $1 trillion! The current outstanding revolving debt in the U.S. is $1.05 trillion.

The average debt in America has increased 18.5 percent since 2013! In 2015, the average American was in $5,700 dollars of credit card debt. As of the end of 2017, it is up to $6,354.

The laissez faire capitalism in America allows you to actually have access to $100,000 of credit while only making less than half of that.

See my post How to get access to $250,000 in credit with $0 of your own money

 Debt is crippling. It can have long lasting consequences if not handled quickly. You have to pay off debt ASAP.

A guideline I use is anything you have that is under 7%, you do not have to pay off right away if you have other higher interest debt to take care of. However, if that debt is higher than 7%, you need to attack that debt like your financial house is on fire. Your financial destiny is depending on you to get your financial house in order.

Once you have the debt paid off, then you can build your financial foundation on solid financial footing. All the money going to creditors will now stay in your bank account and can be invested.

That is how wealth is built.

College Alternatives that could save you $100,000 dollars

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Yale University

After seeing it being reported today in the media, that there is a huge college admissions scheme involving wealthy parents (CEOs, Hollywood actors), I thought of writing this post.

I recently wrote a post called Why I Think College Should Only Be 8 Months.

Well, this post will complement that one.

A part two in a series on college.  

Let’s get right to it!

ALTERNATIVES TO TRADITIONAL FULL-TIME ON-CAMPUS COLLEGE LIFE

Here are just a few things I will throw out there. I am sure some of it is already being done, but just not on a massive scale in the United States.

Dear parents of college-bound kids,

I would like to share with you some things I have learned about college alternatives. Here goes.

FLAT-RATE TUITION. How about a flat-rate tuition to help improve graduation rates? Much like a flat-tax would probably improve the economy (and closing loopholes in the tax code), a flat-rate means that once you reach a certain amount, it does not matter how many credits you take for that semester. 

COMMUNITY COLLEGE. Community college is cheaper. You can also transfer to other state colleges without losing credits. Just be sure to find out first.

Starting at a community college or cheaper college then transferring to a bigger more expensive university is college arbitrage. You pay less, but have that flagship college on your resume.

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COLLEGE LEVEL EXAMINATION PROGRAM. CLEP – testing out of courses can save you thousands of dollars.

FLEXIBLE ONLINE LEARNING WITH STRAIGHTERLINE. StraighterLine – an online educational website that allows students to take college courses for cheaper. For example, $99 a month would allow you to take as many courses as you can handle and then transfer those credits to major universities, saving you thousands!

ADVANCED PLACEMENT. AP courses – Advanced Placement testing that could offer you college credits. One student graduated from University of Virginia (UVA) in one year and paid only $1,000! He took so many advanced courses that he came into college with 60 credits and took 18 classes in two semesters and one in the summer to graduate early.

APPRENTICESHIP OR INTERNSHIP. Pick a major early or career path and stick with it. You can always learn on the job or find other ways to learn about a career. Do an internship or shadow someone? Changing majors is costly and time consuming. Changing colleges can be just as damaging without proper planning. Avoid it at all costs.

GAP YEAR. Take a gap year and save. It is no shock that many college students get burnt out. Mainly because they did not decompress from high school. A gap year give students a chance to recover from high school before tackling college.

WHAT SOME BOOKS BY EXPERTS SAY ABOUT COLLEGE

In the book, A New U: Faster and Cheaper Alternatives to College, it states that; every year, the cost of a four-year degree goes up, and the value goes down. The book looks at alternative routes to great first jobs that do not involve a bachelor’s degree. Bootcamps, income-share programs, apprenticeships, and staffing models are attractive alternatives to great jobs in numerous growing sectors of the economy: coding, healthcare, sales, digital marketing, finance and accounting, insurance, and data analytics.

Another book called Debt Free U, I actually read this one, discusses how one student manages to graduate college on-time and with no student loans. He recommends student work their way through school. Find a place you can afford. Make a budget. And find a way to earn the money to pay for each semester. If a semester costs $3,000, then you must first earn that money before starting that semester. He says stay away from scholarships that make you pay a fee to apply. In addition, he also recommends books like The Brazen Careerist and Getting from College to Career.

College (Un) Bound discusses the four-year college experience is as American as apple pie. So is the belief that higher education offers a ticket to a better life. But with student-loan debt surpassing the $1 trillion mark and unemployment of college graduates at historic highs, people are beginning to question that value. The great credential race is having long lasting consequences. Alternatives such as MOOC’s, apprenticeships, trades, and lower cost options are discussed where you can get a top-tier education for middle-tier college prices.

There Is Life After College: What Parents and Students Should Know About Navigating School to Prepare for the Jobs of Tomorrow. Saddled with thousands of dollars of debt, today’s college students are graduating into an uncertain job market that is leaving them financially dependent on their parents for years to come—a reality that has left moms and dads wondering: What did I pay all that money for? The book offers practical guidance for how to navigate life after college.

If you can find a way to cut out taking several classes or shave entire years of college, like that guy in the example I gave above at UVA, you could save anywhere from $500 to $60,000 or more!

Think of it like this.

If going to the University of Chicago costs $50,000 a year in tuition, and you can cut out two years of college by using CLEP, transferring credits, AP credits, and internships; then you save $100,000!

Just some food for thought.

Sincerely,

Your Friendly Neighborhood Greenbacks Magnet

Money gems from Joan Rivers: How she paid off $37 Million of Debt and became a $100 Million-Dollar Funny Lady

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“People say that money is not the key to happiness, but I always figured if you have enough money, you can have a key made.”― Joan Rivers

Joan Rivers was a comedic force to be reckoned with, but it didn’t start out that way. She was born in 1933. Her parents were immigrants and even though her father was a medical doctor, he was more frugal than her upwardly mobile mother wanted.

Joan’s attitude toward money was shaped early. She saw that men managed the finances and women were financially dependent on their husbands. It would be many years later before Joan would learn that is a grave financial mistake.

On my quest to study the self-made, I decided to look into the life of Joan Rivers. I was not disappointed. You can also read some of my other posts on celebrities and money.

Gene Simmons: On Power

Rihanna from music maven to mogul

How Dave Grohl turned passion into profits

Joan wound up in $37 Million dollars of debt at the age of 54. Her grueling and formidable work ethic is the only thing that saved her from poverty. At the time of her passing, at the age of 81, Joan Rivers was estimated to be worth $150 Million.  

Here is her story.

EVERYONE LOVES A CLOWN

I succeeded by saying what everyone else is thinking. –Joan Rivers

Joan was the vice president of her high school drama club. She graduated from Barnard College in 1954 in Literature. She worked numerous jobs to support herself. Joan was a writer, tour guide, and fashion consultant.

Joan was quick-witted, very sharp, and had a penetrating and original intelligence that was like none other. A female comic was a hard living, but that is the life she chose. Her gift of gab became her meal ticket.

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Joan Rivers once said that she liked the comedy business and being a comedienne. This job had nothing to do with race, wealth, privilege, your background, religion, or gender. Either you have talent or you don’t.  

For a decade, Joan couldn’t really catch much of a break. She did learn that comedy was her gift. Even without the support of her parents, she continued her grind and gift of gags. This work ethic finally paid off in 1965. After 3 years and 7 auditions, she booked the Johnny Carson show.

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There was no stopping her now.

WORK, WORK, WORK, WORK, WORK

I hate housework! You make the beds, you do the dishes and six months later you have to start all over again.

I wish I had a twin, so I could know what I’d look like without plastic surgery.

Women should look good. Work on yourselves. Education? I spit on education. No man is ever going to put his hand up your dress looking for a library card.

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From 1965-1986, all Joan did was WORK! She wrote jokes, movie and television scripts, made guest appearances on television shows, did stand-up comedy gigs, and directed film.

If the job came with a paycheck, Joan did it. She was fearless and took on every paying gig that came her way. She even won a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album in in 1983.

She hit the big time when, in 1986, Fox Television Network gave her a late night talk show, The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers, making Rivers the first woman to have her own late-night talk show on a major network.

However, unbelievable tragedy struck. She and her husband were fired from the show and following his death that same year, she learned she was in debt to the tune of $37 Million!

Broke, alone, and jobless for once in her life, Joan was without words. However, she did what she knows best; she went back to work.

THE FASHIONABLY BROKE POLICE

Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is God’s gift, that’s why we call it the present.

I was a financial idiot.

Others may be smarter than you and know how to manage your money better, but you care more.

It was in 1989, The Joan Rivers Show, which ran for five seasons, put Joan back on the map and in the driver’s seat of her financial life.

Joan designed a jewelry line, clothing and beauty products and sold them on QVC. She said that she had bills to pay as to the reason to become a celebrity entrepreneur selling products on QVC. By the time of her death, sales of her products exceeded $1 billion!

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During this time in the 1990’s, Joan wrote best-selling books, hosted television shows and won an Emmy!

Joan had charted her own path to success and financial security.

Don’t follow any advice, no matter how good, until you feel as deeply in your spirit as you think in your mind that the counsel is wise.

One of my favorite stand-up comedians is Chris Rock. I once saw an interview where he said Joan was an underrated comic.

On another interview, this is what Chris Rock said:

 You think she’s better than Robin Williams?

Yeah, well, put it this way, she could definitely follow him. That’s it. You as a reporter might go one way or the other. But put a bunch of comedians in a room and go, “Okay, who’s going to have a good set?” Who could Joan Rivers NOT follow? You’re not going to come up with anybody’s name. There’s literally no one in the world Joan Rivers couldn’t follow and blow off the stage.

It’s problematic to label her a female comedian?

You know, she did do a lot for women, but she did a lot for comedy. Please! A lot of my style is Joan Rivers. A lot! But, you know, nobody would ever say that because we don’t look alike. She’s one of the greatest to ever live!

What do you mean a lot of your style is Joan Rivers?

I mean, just watch me on any awards show telling jokes about celebrities. Who started that shit? Joan Rivers! [Laughs.]

Joan continued her grueling work schedule in the 2000’s.

The comedian hosted E!’s “Live from the Red Carpet” from 1996 to 2004 and later became a co-host on E!’s “Fashion Police,” which premiered in 2002. She did this with her daughter Melissa Rivers.

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Joan was hilarious on this show. Remember that one time she tried to give Kelly Osbourne dating advice. You don’t? No problem. I found someone on Twitter who stays well-informed on all things fashion.

Joan insisted she date an older man.

Kelly Osbourne: “I don’t want old balls, Joan.”

Joan: “Old balls roll to Tiffany’s.” 😂

In 2009, she won “The Celebrity Apprentice.” Then starred in “Joan & Melissa: Joan Knows Best?” and constantly toured doing comedy gigs and guest starring on television shows.

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THE LAST LAUGH ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK

And JOAN GOT PAID!!!!

Some of Joan’s best jokes were about money. She made a mint off of telling jokes about wealth. Smart lady!

I don’t exercise. If God had wanted me to bend over, he would have put diamonds on the floor.

The first time I see a jogger smiling, I’ll consider it.

Every woman in this room tonight: Think like a second wife. You grab and you take. You grab and you take. And when you die, whatever you got out of him you have buried on you. If the next bitch wants it, make her dig for it. 😂

I’ll write for Hitler for $500

“Elle says she and Dakota are ‘normal sisters’ who just go to school and play together…In their six-hundred-room mansion on the island they own.”

Joan even joked about marriage and divorce. Nothing was off limits!

“Half of all marriages end in divorce—and then there are the really unhappy ones.”

“I would never get married again. Never, absolutely not – but for 10 carats, maybe.” 😁😂

That reminds me of a hilarious joke I remember from the late Robin Williams.

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He said:  Divorce is expensive. I used to joke they were going to call it “all the money”, but they changed it to “alimony”. It’s ripping your heart out through your wallet.

She wrote 13 best-selling books. Her work calendar was FULL! She had gigs lined up for months.

Joan said that for her a calendar full of gigs equals happiness.

I saw in one television documentary about her that she would write all her jokes down and put them in a large file cabinet with toms of tiny draws to house her wit. She said at her age, people forget things, and that includes jokes so she writes them down.

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Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work

Her biggest money-maker was her QVC royalties. At the time of her passing, it was reported that she was earning as much as $50 million per year!

She enjoyed a lavish lifestyle. She has a Penthouse in Manhattan reportedly worth $35 million, antique furniture, rare books and other assets of valuable such as diamond jewelry and artwork.

When asked why she works so much as she can retire rich, she replied that she wanted to live lavish and opulently. She did not want to cut back. She wanted to enjoy creature comforts, spend her wealth, and help and support others with it. Working allowed her to do that.

Not bad for a woman who nobody though would make it. Underestimated, underrated, undervalued, and unappreciated in every way. But in the end, the duckling turned into a beautiful swan.

A very rich one.

So, cheers to you Ms. Joan Rivers. Joan may be gone but she’s still getting applause.

And when it comes to finances, from me she is getting a standing ovation.

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4 Financial Futuristic Nuggets: The Economics of The Jetsons

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That’s what keeps me going: dreaming, inventing, then hoping and dreaming some more in order to keep dreaming. – Joseph Barbera

This is the truth: I’d rather fail at this, whatever failure is, than waste my life doing something elses, and feeling empty. – William Hanna

If you grew up in the 1960’s through the 1990’s, then you are sure to remember the Hanna-Barbera produced cartoon series The Jetsons. The Jetsons is an American animated sitcom, which originally aired in primetime from September 23, 1962, to March 17, 1963, then later in syndication, with new episodes in 1985 to 1987 as part of The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera block. It was Hanna-Barbera’s Space Age counterpart to The Flintstones, another show they also produced.

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In contrast to The Flintstones comical version “stone age” world, The Jetsons lived in a comical version of a futuristic world that was powered by gadgets, robots, and machinery.

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The Jetson ran in reruns for decades on ABC starting in the 1963-64 season, and aired on Saturday mornings.

See my post What I loved about Saturday morning cartoons

The Jetsons stands as one of the single most important piece of 20th century futurism. The 24-episode first season has come to define the future of Americas present.

The Jetsons are a nuclear family in the “space age” future residing outer space in a place called Orbit City. The city’s architecture is Google style, and all homes and businesses are raised high above the ground on adjustable columns. The year is 2062. Although, the show always references it’s the 21st century. The family consists of a husband, wife, two kids and a dog.

Let’s meet the family.

“Meet George Jetson…”

George Jetson lives with his family in the Skypad Apartments: Jane his wife, daughter Judy, and his boy Elroy. He works at Spacely’s Space Sprockets where he has a (relatively stable job) *cough* *cough* sideways glance and air quotes insert here please.  

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Meet Jane his wife…

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His wife Jane is a homemaker, a mother of two children, enjoys the latest fashion, has a robot named Rosie that actually does most of the housework, and is obsessed with new gadgetry.

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Housekeeping is seen to by a robot maid, Rosie, which handles chores not otherwise rendered trivial by the home’s numerous push-button Space Age-envisioned conveniences. A show before it’s time. 😉

Robot Jar Opener

Her favorite department store is the Mooning Dales.  She enjoys charity work as she is a member of the Galaxy Women Historical Society and is an avid art fan of Leonardo de Venus and Picasso Pia.

I love how they take things and make them their own version on this show. However, somethings need no modifications or improvements. For instance, in my opinion, I say pay cash for all appliances like they did before the invention of credit cards in the 1950’s.

However, some things do. A great response that a movie star once gave when asked about changing silent films to “talkies” that is films with words, was the following:

“Talking pictures are like lip rouge on the Venus de Milo.” – Mary Pickford (The Queen of the Movies)

Variant: Adding sound to movies would be like putting lipstick on the Venus de Milo.

And meet their kids…

Daughter Judy: their teenage daughter Judy attends Orbit High School. She enjoys buying clothes, hanging out with boys, listening to music, having fun, and talking to her digital diary she calls DiDi. (That ain’t nothing but FaceTime 😉

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Some may even call it a Vlog or Vlogging, which is similar to a Blog and Blogging.

His boy Elroy: their son Elroy attends Little Dipper School. He is wicked smart. As sharp as they come, and just whip smart. He is a mild-mannered child that enjoys all space science such as astrophysics, star geometry, and space history. His best friend is his dog; the family pet dog named Astro.

Now, let’s talk about the future. Financially speaking of course.

Meet George Jetson . . . His boy Elroy . . . daughter Judy . . . . Jane his wife. I just love that song.

Fun Fact: The theme song to The Jetsons was a pop hit in 1986 on the Billboard charts.

MAKE THAT MONEY: FROM THE SALT MINES TO SPACE OFFICES

1. Earn a living

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George Jetson works for Mr. Spacely and he owns Spacely’s Space Sprockets. R.U.D.I.: is George’s work computer and one of his best friends. His name is an acronym for Referential Universal Differential Indexer and he has a human personality.

Based on which version you have heard, George works either one-hour-a-day, two-day-a-week or three-hour-a-day, three-day-a-week job. Either way that’s a workweek of no more than 3-9 hours. Pretty sweet!

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A common theme on the show was George being fired.

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That is all too common in today’s time too.

The retail apocalypse, such as the recent closure of Payless shoe stores, has cost thousands of American jobs. Toys R’ Us resulted in about the loss of 30,000 jobs alone.

Here is some dialogue from the show.

Episode Unilab (Nov 25, 1962)

George Jetson: It’ll be easy. I’ll just tell Mr. Spacely I’m very sorry and that I’ll never call him names again.

[Nearly has a head-on collision with another car]

George Jetson: Why you big strata-jerk. It’s vacuum-heads like you who keep fuselage and fender shops in business. Come on out and face the music.

Mr. Spacely: [Emerges from the other car] ‘Morning, Jetson. Nice day isn’t it?

George Jetson: M-M-M-Mr. Spacely, I presume?

Mr. Spacely: That’s correct. I hope you’re wearing your watch, Jetson, because you have exactly 5 MINUTES TO CLEAN OUT YOUR DESK!

Mr. Spacley: JETSON. YOU’RE FIRED.

Fun Fact: Forbes made a list in 2007 and figured out what 25 fictional companies would be worth in today’s market. Spacely Space Sprockets, where George Jetson worked, ranked number 25 on their list. Listing its worth as $1.3 billion. In the article it said, “[CEO] Cosmo Spacely’s coddled employees said to only work three-hour-a-day, three-day-a-week jobs, but workers must suffer his notoriously volatile temper and endure incessant termination threats.”

In the illustrious words of Charlie Brown, “Good Grief.”

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See my post on Life Lessons from Race for your life Charlie Brown

Although, on the show its comedy fodder, in the real world this is no laughing matter. Due to the lack of financial teaching and literacy in public school (where like 90% of preK-12 students go), many people are left unprepared financially for setbacks. You must plan ahead.

I read this information on public versus private school enrollment predictions in the Huffington Post. According to the U.S. Department of Education, most preK-12 students, about 91 percent, go to public school.  

I, personally, plan 2-3 years ahead or more if I can. I started by paying off debt, then rerouting that money to savings and investments. I have a minimum of 6 months’ emergency fund at all times, $100,000 invested in 1 out of 5 index funds, own a home that was way less than $1 million to buy, and am striving to have a 12-24-month emergency fund for those just in case moments.

THE GOLDEN AGE OF AMERICAN FUTURISM IN TECHNOLOGY

2. Automation is on the rise

The Jetsons it had everything our hearts could desire: jetpacks, video chats, e-books and electronic newspapers, flying cars, convertible objects, computerized watches (Apple Watch anyone?), robot maids, air chamber elevators, and moving sidewalks. They even predicted tanning beds! Tanning beds didn’t come into the U.S. until the 1970’s. This show first aired in 1962!

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The Jetsons showed a technologically advanced culture where the largest concern of the middle class was getting “push-button finger.” And yes, The Jetsons were middle class! And still living paycheck to paycheck in the techno-savvy utopian future.

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Grinding it out in the rat race.

” I told them 1,000 years from now or a million years, the problem is always going to be parking.” – Joseph Barbera

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Think people don’t think much of this show or write it off as merely a cartoon. Think again.

James Cameron was once asked about interactivity for future movies. He concedes it is far off and replies: “You’re talking ‘Jetsons’ here.”

Your girl, Greenbacks Magnet, even recently did a shout out to The Jetsons in a tweet.

See my tweet

MILLIONAIRE PETS

3.  Income Inequality

On the 15th episode of The Jetsons, which originally aired on January 6, 1963 and was titled “Millionaire Astro.”

This episode shows how their dog Astro came from money. Elroy found Astro on the street. His original owner wants him back. A custody battle over Astro ensues where the original owner wins and he is returned to the estate. Given a life of incredible wealth and boredom (All the steaks he can eat, all the bones he can gnaw on), Astro is depressed and drowned in wealth and extreme luxury.

Meanwhile, George teeters on the edge of middle and working class, while it seems that everyone is living in the lap of luxury, but tangible quality of life improvements have not funneled down to those at the bottom of the economic pyramid.

You may remember they did similar stuff like this at Walt Disney studios with the cartoon Ducktales.

See my post Money Lessons I Learned from Scrooge McDuck

Case in point, The Occupy Wall St. movement, Americans being reported to not have $400 to cover an emergency, little to no retirement savings, and living off meager Social Security and minimum wages.

 If my memory serves correct, didn’t Real Estate Mogul Leona Helmsley leave her dog like $7 million? In addition, I recently heard rumblings that the recently deceased Karl Lagerfeld (House of Chanel) and worth over $100 million, may have left $2 million to his dog? Interesting and disturbing.  

ENTERTAINERS ARE ALL THE RAGE OR A SCREAM

4. Rock star money

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One of the funniest things I ever saw on The Jetsons had to be Judy’s obsession with celebrity. And one in particular: Jet Screamer.

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He is the quintessential rock god. The sun, moon, and the stars revolve around him. People go wild when he comes in a room (as he always makes a grand entrance). You get to see first-hand that he is living a very different life than the average-joe.

In today’s time, that is still very relevant. I have nothing against people with talent or those that create something out of nothing.  It’s like Shakespeare says, “I am a true laborer. I earn that I eat, get that I wear, owe no man hate, envy no man’s happiness, glad of other men’s good.”

 However, after hearing so many stories of celebrities going broke, it makes me wonder if he really is making all the dough we think he is as a rock star. For all we know, Jet Screamer may be making $12,000 on 2.5 million downloads of music from Apple iTunes as I read something like that in an article online. Maybe, he is making $0 after all the money he owes to mangers, lawyers, stylists, and publicists. Who really knows?

See my post How Beyoncé and Jay-Z became a $1 billion couple

Regardless, this show was fun, vibrant, and cool to watch. It still is.

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How to get Bigger Pockets: A Review of How to Invest in Real Estate

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

Money is only a tool. It will take you wherever you wish, but it will not replace you as the driver. -Ayn Rand

Many of you out there I am sure have heard of Bigger Pockets. It is the place to be for anyone interested in Real Estate (RE). Basically, they are the Facebook of Real Estate.

Bigger Pockets (BP) is the real estate social network. You can find out all types of things such as how to finance rental properties, find property management companies, and how to invest in real estate.

While on my journey to learn ALL THINGS MONEY, I came across an interesting post called House Hacking.

For readers of my blog, you know I am a fan of Millennial Money (MM). Grant Sabatier is the money genius behind that site and because I was a fan of his is how I came to learn about Bigger Pockets. I learned so much from Grant that I wrote a blog post about how he inspired me to save more money.

See my post How Millennial Money inspired me to save $13,333.06 a year

It was on his website that I read about House Hacking, which is when you live in one of the multiple units of your investment property as your primary residence, and have renters from the other units pay your mortgage and expenses.

Like I stated on my last post, one of the biggest expenses in any budget is housing. The trifecta of expenses is housing, food, and transportation. If you can cut your expenses in this area, you are g2g (Good to Go). 😉

It just so happened that he did an interview with Scott Trench from Bigger Pockets. I am not the best when it comes to listening to podcasts, as I prefer to read books! However, the podcast is transcribed so I read through that. Great idea there Grant. The transcription was so good that I listened to the podcast and just like that a fan of BP was born.

Here is the link to that post HOUSE HACKING USING OTHER PEOPLE’S MONEY

That is what made me decide to pick up the book How to Invest in Real Estate from Bigger Pockets authored by Josh Dorkin and Brandon Turner.

I just so happened to post a tweet and saw FINCON ask what books am I reading? So I answered and tagged the authors of the book. To my surprise, Josh Dorkin replied to my tweet and said thank you for reading and asked if I would post a review on Amazon.

https://twitter.com/jrdorkin/status/1102676122624356352

Since he was polite in asking for this small request, I not only did the Amazon review (still pending as of this writing), but I also decided to review the book on my site. They say ask and you shall receive. So, I gave him a 2-for-1 and posted a review and did this blog post. One tweet did all of that.

So, without further ado…

How to Invest in Real Estate: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Getting Started

THE #1 QUESTION

The reason Brandon and Josh wrote this book was to help people. One of the most asked questions they get is, “How Do I Get Started in Real Estate Investing?”

Well, guess what? They say ask and you shall receive, right? Then Brandon and Josh answered.

They wrote this guide to help people along their way. Although, the Bigger Pockets forum and blog is filled with tons of information, it can be overwhelming. Where do you begin?

This book packs many of the interviews they do on the podcast and brings it together in one place as a reference guide.

WHAT WILL YOU LEARN

The guide contains eight chapters but my three favorites are: Chapters 1, 4, and 7.

The book will show you the following:

  • How to get started in Real Estate?
  • How to invest with no money, bad credit, and with a full-time job?
  • Why you should save cash reserves?
  • What is an LLC? Do you even need one?
  • Real Estate Niches (as the riches are in niches) 😉
  • 12 Ways to Finance your Real Estate Deals
  • Real Estate Exit Strategies

I think the reason people choose to invest in RE is not only to get rich (obviously), but to have more financial control over their lives.

In addition, real estate is tangible. Unlike stocks, bonds, and CD’s you can drive by and visit with your investment. Have a cup of coffee in it. Heck, you can even live in it!

THE REAL WORLD OF INVESTING

Remember the television show “The Real World” on MTV. Well, that was a lot of fiction and made up drama for ratings. This book provided insight directly from RE investors with real world experience.

One of my favorite stories actually came from Chad Carson of the Coach Carson blog site. Chad decided the go big or go home route to RE was the best route for him. His niche was house flipping.

See my post on Finance Lessons from Flipping Vegas

He tested this hypothesis and decided to change courses. Instead of trying to flip 50 properties, he then decided to do less for the sake of his sanity. This method worked.

This taught me that flipping is NOTHING like the television shows portray. We are getting the Campbell Soup version (condensed). I need the 💯 real.

You must find out what works for you. Although, you can learn from the mistakes of others, usually trial and error will show you the way. Fail fast, early, and hard. Then you can start to profit from your knowledge and experience.

The book is filled with tons of stories. I just shared one.

If you want to learn more about Real Estate, then hop on over to Bigger Pockets. You can also look up some real estate blogs and books. Just like I did with this one.

Have you recently wrote a book? Are you looking for a review? Do you want to be Greenback’d? Tweet me. I’ll be here @mjp2520