A Hodge Podge of Mad Methods to Prosperity

Some folks use "cheapskating"....to coin a new verb, to "MacGyver" their way into a lifestyle that they feel is "successful" and sustainable. The family that comes to mind was dubbed
"America's Cheapest Family". Click on that name to see their website and books.

What was their method in a nutshell? To refuse to use debt to fund an unsustainable level of consumerism, and to intentionally get out of mortgage debt as quickly as possible. They have paid cash for cars and college and have intentionally crafted a simple lifestyle that they find to be fulfilling and teachable. They have written books and gone on various tv shows to document how to live a more thrifty and debt free lifestyle.

Then  there are those who cut their WANTS down to only NEEDS and postpone major spending until they have enough savings and investments that can carry them comfortably through their retirement years....with lots left over to pass onto their heirs. 

The gent that I think of that utilizes this strategy is none other than "Bernard Kelly " who
wrote quite a stunning compelling "how to " book about persona finance.( click on his name to view his book)
He suggests radical choices early on in life can have a huge impact on your ability to one day have the life of your dreams. One of his own personal fave choices was to defer car ownership until he turned 30. This one choice, in and of itself allowed him to put away a higher percentage of employment income into his choices of investments. This empowered him to have vastly more financial freedom later in life to pursue his lifestyle of choice.
The only thing I find irritating about his written tale, is that I can't seem to figure out what has happened to Mr. Bernard Kelly.... did he disappear? Is he still teaching and writing? Does anyone know?

Then there is the wonderful spendthrift and millionaire, the late Verna Oller,( click on her name to read about success of her estate)  whose thrifty ways included cutting her own hair and using an old zipper to tie her boots up so that she wouldn't have to spend any money to buy new boot laces. Her savvy investing granted her the joy of leaving her millions of dollars for the community she lived in to one day have their own community pool.

She is a literal inspiration especially for women like myself, because she taught herself how to invest by going to the library and borrowing copies of Barron's wherever she could. She hated the thought of spending good money to go buy her own books and magazines, but would travel around town to gain access to free copies of the best books and investing/business magazines in order to empower her investing.


Some folks take great risks and win big..... The Canadian Singer Alanis Morrissette made a killing when some stock she owned in a small company went public..... from stock worth less than half a million dollars to over 40 million dollars overnight in the year 2000. It always does the heart good to hear these stirring stories.

Do you know someone who has, through persistent creative thinking, carved out a beautiful and prosperous life? Do you find their style to be "replicable"? Do they teach others their hard won strategies?

When we, as fellow humans on this adventurous  journey called "life", discover ways and means to empower ourselves forward to achieve noteworthy success, I believe we are compelled to share our discoveries so that the rest of us can learn. Do you agree?

In peaceful productivity,
Carla.





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Is Optimism ALWAYS the best thing to have???

I've been reading the book entitled "Warren Buffet Invests like a Girl.....and WHY You Should too"
written by Louann Lofton.

Within Chapter 2...... I found this quotable bite:

"While optimism in most parts of our lives is something to strive for, in investing it can poison your judgment and outlook." 

         (pg 22 last paragraph)

I just thought that sentence was a treasure I couldn't keep to myself.

It kinda sums up what I have found to be one of my own gender's downfalls on a regular basis. You see, many women have been socialized, raised up and reared to be smiling nurturing and optimistic....in order to be good moms and wives. However, if we are ever going to make head way as a gender in the capital markets of the globe, we are going to have to give ourselves permission to be ruthlessly honest and
cuttingly critical.

I'm not talking about being "mean" for the sake of just being a jerk. I'm more talking about being able to critically analyze investment vehicles with the same accuracy and demand for results that "men" typically command.

Men don't feel that same compulsion to wear an empathetic smile at all times, that many of us women have been raised to wear.

We  girls need to take the time and effort it takes to develop a seasoned and critical financial eye....being able to confidently analyze balance sheets and financial reports with panache and no undue levels of
compassion. Businesses are created to turn a profit, not to be a dumping ground for gullible investors.

So ladies, I just want to challenge myself and y'all as well, to develop the emotional integrity and knowledge base that we will need if we are going to....as the bible describes "inherit the land"....in the world of capital markets and investing.

Don't feel like you must be perpetually encouraging all the time. Give yourself permission to
take a step back, do your due diligence and research, and when the situation calls for it, be able  and willing to publicly call a lemon of an investment, .....a really REALLY bad idea....without apologizing for being forthright and bold.

Have courage friends,

Peacefully productive,
Carla.