I took a quick look at the internet before I started researching this topic. There are many, many guides to wealth and prosperity, and only a few about blowing money and screwing up financially. How can this be? How are people expected to take out ridiculous loans and get into debt without a guide? How are they going to lose all their money in my city, Las Vegas, without a guide?
I'm fixing this.
1. Appear Better.
No one wants to live at a level below their neighbors. So don't do it. Don't let their vehicles be better than yours. You can borrow the money you need to drive a better car right now. Bad credit or no credit aren't the obstacles they used to be... if you'll just agree to pay slightly higher interest for a slightly longer time than an average car loan, you can be in a new auto today.Family is important, so if you have to fly several times a year to see them, spend the money. Taking breaks is important too, so if you have to fly several times a year to vacation, do it. Taking out a loan is a fantastic way to promote the appearance of financial health.
Play it big on your Las Vegas trip. No one wants to be a low roller. If you have to, take out a loan to get the car, the clothes, and the roll of bills needed to be a high roller, at least for a day.
Why not add "Dr." or "Sir" to your title? Loan yourself enough credit, and soon everyone else will too.
2. Wing It.
Think of the coolest movie character you've ever seen. Think of the five coolest movie characters you've ever seen. Did they spend an hour once a week, going over their budgets, checking their bank statements, and having difficult conversations with their partners? Did they have to take their vehicles in to the shop? Did they set money aside every month to invest?Nope. They found buried treasure. They commandeered cars. They lived in a run-down house on Paper street. They partied in Las Vegas.
Be cool. Go with the flow. Focus on how you look and sound. Wealth, adventure, and romance will find their way to you.
3. Assume the Best
Things change. Maybe they'll change for the better.If you're trapped in debt, stuck with a broken car, living in a financial mess, just hold on. Ride it out. If you like the way you are, don't change a thing. You may be tempted to learn a new skill or alter the way you work, but keep in mind that situations and people around you are always changing too. You can stay the same and suddenly find yourself in a better situation!
Don't forget about gambling and taking out loans. Loans are great because they immediately boost finances, but the lottery or the Las Vegas roulette wheel are even better because they can potentially increase your money tremendously!
If you are taking out loans, be optimistic. No one likes a downer. Unsecured loans structured around credit scores may be out of your reach soon, but secured loans taken against your mortgage or vehicle are always available, as long as you have assets. Whatever loan you can get, aim high! Assume your situation will be different in the future, and you'll be able to repay whatever you borrow.
4. Stay Under the Radar
Sure, you have great ideas. Sure, you can work harder at your job. Sure, you could try to build a company in your garage in your spare time. But don't do it. The nail that sticks out gets hammered.You know the guy that sticks out at work? The one who stays late? The one who's always going to the boss with ideas and issues and new projects? He appears successful and popular. Things are going his way. But there is a danger. When you stick out so much, you run the risk of being the first one to take the blame. the first one to be punished. The first one to be fired.
In your neighborhood, keep a low profile. Leading people and businesses is full of risk. Even starting something as simple as a softball team can have your neighbors shaking their fists at you over a loss. Starting a business is a huge financial risk, as well an activity that your neighbors will look down on. They aren't starting businesses, so you shouldn't either. What if someone steals your inventory? What if it doesn't go well?
Standing up and standing out just aren't worth the risk.
5. Wait On Change
It's tempting to take classes, work for promotions, or find mentors. But you don't have to.
Trying to learn new skills is like admitting to yourself that you're not good enough. That your life isn't good enough. Who needs that kind of negativity? No, tell yourself that you are already perfect and beautiful, and be patient while the rest of the world catches on. Be positive, and reflect that positivity by assuming the world will change around you.
And don't forget that trying to improve yourself is hard.. so hard it may not even be possible for you. You certainly might fail if you try to take on more responsibility, or learn and grow. That's just more negativity you don't need.
If a mentor figure finds their way to you unasked, be careful. Mentors wield a great deal of influence, and if they're taken an interest in trying to make your life "better," you will find yourself drawn to their ideas and practices. Stay the course! Remember that your mentors will be asking you to do difficult, sometimes painful things. They will talk about being there to guide you. But they cannot do the difficult things for you. No one can. So stay away. Present a false front if you have to. Stop responding well to them, and with luck they'll go out of your life before a challenge arises.
6. Keep Your Habits the Same
What do you like to do? Do it!Animals don't live their lives paying back loans, donating cars to the poor, going to church, or having tough conversations with their spouses, so why should you? Do what you like! Take out a loan to go to Las Vegas! Drink what you want, eat what you want, and live how you want!
Everyone knows how difficult it is to stop smoking. But every habit we acquire becomes incredibly hard to shake over time. Junk food and TV and video games and sleep and Facebook and loans can all become major parts of our lives. We like what we like!
We all know someone who tried to quit smoking, failed, and went right back to the pack. Use them as your example: If something seems difficult, don't try it. Don't waste time that could be better spent elsewhere .
7. Keep a Tight Grip
Here's a simple math problem:Q: Johnny has five apples. Five friends approach and ask for apples. Johnny gives each friend one apple. How many apples does Johhny have left?
A: 0
As the math problem demonstrates, giving is a suckers game. If you worked hard for your money, or won it, or found it on the ground, it's yours and only yours. Keep a grip on it! Don't let the parasites take it!
Notable parasites are churches, who ask for percentage-based amounts of money from their members, while providing no services worth noting in return. Other charities are equally as bad. Why give to foreigners who you will never meet? And don't be fooled by the man begging on the street corner, or the friend that mentions to you that times are tough. Of course times are tough. They've always been tough. keep an every-man-for-himself attitude and you'll go far.
I hope I've been able to provide some value through this article. If even one financially wise person reads this and finds their way to a prison of debt, I'll feel like a success. Thank you!
