The obligation to repay enormous student debt, plus the financial realities of having a family and a fantasy of distant retirement, has placed $$$ in the front of my mind. Money has become a goal in and of itself. Ideas are measured in its terms, as are activities. Cost, risk, and potential reward.
I'm done with that. I learned a lot about finance, business, and discipline and rules to live by have emerged from the knowledge. I'm not driven by greed, so having a monetary focus feels more like a survival exercise (as in, induced by fight or flight). Already my brain feels better. But what will fill that gap?
Five money tips for anyone:
1. If she (or) he costs too much, she (or he) is not worth it. Get a dog instead. Puns intended.
2. Do not pay a premium to advertise for someone else. The alleged image boost that brand name clothing provides is not worth the price markup. Nothing says sucker like an Armani logo on your glasses. Quality, however, is always worth the price. Some name brand stuff is of higher quality, and I allow for that. But, really, how much better is a Calvin Klein t-shirt than the ones at Target?
3. A degree is for employment. You are paying a lot of money to be someone else's employee. If you are business-minded, skip school altogether and get selling. And never stop learning and reading and building skills. I say this as someone who has a doctoral degree.
4. Have you ever met a materialistic person who wasn't also a jerk?
5. Diversify. Not just stocks, bonds, and cash, but also look to invest in your community.
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