The story and article below from
Bo Sanchez really explains the importance of saving and an awareness of personal finance for a person's future.
Very often I see and hear people talk about how barely anything is left of their salary every month, how "matipid" they supposedly are and yet they are hardly able to save anything because they spend for their nearest whim may it be toys, shoes, gadgets, etc. The concept of delayed gratification is so lost most of the time. Although I am all for treating yourself from time to time for all your hard work, I am also a very strong advocate for saving up and more importantly, seeing the bigger picture of "why" you're saving money. I am very goal-oriented and everything I do needs to have a reason and purpose. I do purchase some stuff from time to time on a whim (retail therapy :p) but I do make it a point to stay on track with my goals and avoid unnecessary spending as much as possible.
One of the most prevalent poor mindset when it comes to money came from one of my previous bosses. I'm sure that you've heard this at least once from someone you may even know very well (i.e. you): I had just gotten a raise and my boss said, "Anong bibilhin mo sa raise mo?" (What are you going to buy with your raise?) and to that I said, "Ah wala. Ise-save ko yung sweldo ko." What he told me has stuck with me since then as a lesson as to how NOT to deal with excess money. He said... "Ha? Sinasabi mo lang yan. Ganyan naman e. It's natural. Kapag tumataas ang suweldo tumataas din ang gastos." I'm not sure if I was able to hold my eyebrow from raising at an incredible angle but I thought to myself that it wasn't necessarily so and more importantly, it shouldn't be so. You're dooming yourself to living the same lifestyle forever instead of actually moving up.
It's something to think about. Personally, I replay that line in my head whenever I feel like spending. It allows me to have a "reality check" and puts me back on track. I just think about my 30-something boss who was already at a very high paying position in our company and still did not yet seem to have the right monetary mindset. I hope that in the years since we last saw each other that he'd straightened up his financial mindset most especially since he now probably has a family.
Anyhow, please do take the time to read
Bo Sanchez' article below. It'll really change how you see things and it'll not only show you the importance of saving and investing early but he will also tell you
where to put it. This is the concept that is so difficult to explain (believe me I've tried to explain it time and again) most especially to people who are already a few years into working and still have not even begun to think of their future and have not yet begun to save a single cent.
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One day, a man got lost walking in the desert. The next day, he was still lost.
After two days under the scorching sun, he was very thirsty.
All of a sudden, he saw a little wooden shed.
He ran to it, thinking of only one thing—Water!
When he arrived there, he saw an old, rusty water pump sticking from the ground. He gripped the handle and began pumping like a mad man.
But nothing came out.
Disappointed, he stepped back how to make it work.
Looking around, he saw a jug covered with dust.
When he grabbed it, he saw a piece of paper stuck on it. The message read, “Open this jug and you’ll find water. Don’t drink it. Pour it instead on the pump. And you’ll have all the water you want.”
He popped the cork.
True enough, the jug was filled with water. Lovely, thirst-quenching, water.
Now imagine you’re that thirsty man.
For two whole days, you haven’t drunk water. Your mouth is so dry, your tongue is sticking to the roof of your mouth. You’re literally dying of thirst. And you’re now holding a jug full of water. But the message says that you should throw it away!
For a moment, your heart is torn.
What if the message was a joke? A cruel prank? What if you poured the water on that rusty pump and nothing happened?
But the man in our story chose to take the risk.
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and poured the water.
He held the handle and pumped like crazy.
A few seconds later, torrents of water gushed out. Indeed, he had more water than he could ever need!
He drank to his heart content. He also found water containers to bring with him in his journey and filled them up to the brim.
But before leaving the place, he filled the jug with water.
And underneath the sign attached to it, he scribbled, “I tried it. Believe me, it works.”
You Have A Choice:
Drink Now Or Drink Forever
This is a great picture of why people are poor.
The money that you hold now, no matter how small, is like that jug of water. And you always have a choice: You can drink now or you can drink forever. You can have money now or have money forever.
How? By investing.
A lot of people don’t invest.
They spend whatever they have.
I’ve met people who earn P10T a month or 50T a month or P500T a month—and they spend everything. (Yes, I’ve met a lot of high-income poor people!) That’s why their money pump remains dry. And they’ll remain poor forever. It really doesn’t matter how much people earn. What matters is how much they invest.
Investment is a crazy decision.
It’s as crazy as pouring that last jug of water into the pump.
Friend, you have money now.
It may be small but you have it.
And you’re standing in front of a money pump.
Actually, three money pumps:
· Business: Traditional, Franchise, Networking, etc.
· Property: Rental Property, Buy and Sell, etc.
· Paper: Bonds, Mutual Funds, Stock Market, etc.
But today, I’d like to focus on the “Paper” money pump.
Not everyone can start a business right away.
Not everyone can buy a property right away.
But almost everyone can invest in Paper Assets.
Friend, you have a choice.
Will you simply consume your little money?
Or will you pour it into the money pump—so that it produces more money for you?
I call this sowing in time of famine.
Don’t Wait For Better Times
Before You Invest
In the Bible, Isaac sowed in time of famine.
Crazy, right?
Shouldn’t you keep whatever seeds you have to eat?
But because he did that, the Bible says, that year he harvested a hundred times as much as he had sown, because the Lord blessed him. He continued to prosper and became a very rich man.
Wow.
If you want to be rich, you need to sow in time of famine too.
When you have very little money, that’s the time to invest.
Here’s a promise: The seeds that you sow in time of famine will give you your greatest harvest too.
Do you want to prosper?
Here’s a Bible passage that will tell you how.
Invest When Your Money Is Small
Proverbs 21:20 says, The wise man saves for the future but the foolish man spends whatever he gets.
Are you wise?
Let me tell you the story of Jack and Jill.
Jack and Jill went up the hill to get a pail of water.
Jack fell down and broke his crown and Jill came tumbling after. And the people who saw the horrific accident, they sang and clapped their hands, “Lalalalalala…” (Our nursery rhymes are very strange.)
If all this time, you’ve always been wondering what happened to Jack and Jill after their fall, now you’ll now.
Jack had brain surgery and he recovered.
But he had no health insurance—and his high medical expenses made Jack’s family very poor. This experience changed his life. The emotional pain created an inner resolve in him.
Jack told himself, “When I grow up, I’ll never be poor!”
At age 15, he started a small business.
Everyday, he sold peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to his classmates. Every month, he earned P2500, which he invested in the Stock Market. His uncle advised him to buy the stocks of strong, solid, great companies. For the next 5 years, he was faithful with his investments.
When he reached 20 years old, he volunteered in Anawim, a ministry for the poorest of the poor. He received only a small allowance and didn’t have any savings. From then on, he couldn’t add to his investments anymore.
Jill Saved At Age 27
Jill had a different life story.
The fall from the hill didn’t affect her too much.
No traumas. Except for a few scratches, she was okay.
She lived a happy-go-lucky life and didn’t save at all.
She worked as a mountain climbing instructor. So her fall from the hill affected her after all, at least subconsciously. She made it her lifelong goal to prevent people from falling.
But she lived like everyone else—spending her salary on “stuff”. Nothing was left at the end of the month.
But when she was 27 years old, Jack called up Jill and invited her again to “Go to a prayer gathering called the Feast.” There, she heard a handsome preacher say that it’s okay to be rich if your heart is in the right place.
That experience changed her life.
At 27 years old, she began to save P2500 a month. And like Jack, she also invested it in the Stock Market—the same strong, solid, great companies that Jack invested in.
She was so faithful to her investments, she didn’t stop until she reached 65 years old.
Happy Retirement
One day, when they were both 65 years old, Jack and Jill had lunch together after the Feast.
While waiting for their dessert, Jack said, “My service in Anawim is so happy and fulfilling. But I guess at my age, I think I’m ready to retire.”
Jill said, “Me too. At 65, it’s getting a bit difficult to climb mountains.”
That was when Jack touched her hand said, “Jill, remember that day we went up the hill to fetch a pail of water?”
“Yes,” Jill said. “You fell down and broke your crown and I came tumbling after. How can I forget?”
“Do you know why I fell?”
“Why?”
“Instead of looking at where I was going, I kept looking at you. I had a big crush on you.”
Jill blushed. “You did? Jack, I had a big crush on you too!”
For a few minutes, both of them couldn’t stop laughing.
Jack Pops The Question
That was when Jack looked at Jill and said, “I’m 65 years old. I don’t have much time left.” He knelt on the floor, held her hand, and asked, “Jill, will you marry me?”
Tears filled her eyes, and she said, “Yes!”
After a few hours of celebrating their old new love, they sat down to discuss their finances.
“How much money did you invest?” Jill asked.
Jack said, “That was a long time ago. For 5 years, from age 15 to 20, I invested a total of P150,000.”
“That small?” Jill looked at him with pity. She said, “For 38 years, from age 27 to 65, I invested a total of P1.17M.”
“Wow,” gushed Jack. “I’m marrying a rich woman.”
“I’ll take care of you,” she squeezed his hand. “But I wonder how much money we have?”
“Let’s take a look.”
Both of them called up their Stock Broker.
Both were totally shocked…
Total Amount Investment:
Jill: P1.17Million
Jack: P150T
Total Retirement Money if it Grew at 20% A Year
Jill: P220M
Jack: P1 Billion
Jill Is A Multi-Millionaire;
Jack Is A Billionaire
If Jack grew his money at 20% a year by investing in great, solid companies through the Stock Market, he’s now a billionaire.
He did that by investing P150T some 45+ years ago.
Jill, because she invested late by 12 years, even if she invested a much bigger amount, P1.17M, has P220M “only”.
Are you 50 or below? You can retire with a few millions.
Are you 40 or below? You can retire with tens of millions.
Are you 30 or below? You can retire with hundreds of millions.
Are you 15 or below? You can retire with a billion.
How?
Sow in time of famine.
Don’t wait for better times before you invest.
Don’t wait when you have excess money.
Invest now while your money is small.
Because your greatest ally is time.
The Two Ways To Invest In The Stock Market
How do you invest in the Stock Market?
You can do so Directly and Indirectly
You can invest indirectly through a Mutual Fund Company.
There are many great ones around.
On average, you’ll earn 12% or more.
The key is to do this long term. That means for ten years or more, invest every month a small amount of money.
Or you can invest in the Stock Market directly.
If you put small amounts of money every month, buying stocks of great, solid companies (no penny stocks, please!), you can grow at 20% on average every year over the long-term. Again, only if you do this for ten years or more. Disregard the lows, the crisis, the recessions. Just keep investing when others are panicking. Sow in time of famine!
Some people will tell me 20% is an unrealistic number.
Not true. It’s really quite simple. In plain English, I teach people how to do it my TrulyRichClub. (More on this later.)
But the key is discipline.
You have to be consistent in investing every month your small amount of money.
How small?
My house helpers invest in the Stock Market already.
That’s how small.
A True Story
My three house helpers now partly own Ayala Land and Manila Water Co. Because they invest in the Stock Market.
How did they do it?
They changed their mindset.
They now have a goal: To retire with P5 Million in 20 years.
And I taught them a very simple system.
Each week, I meet my driver and my three helpers for prayer, sharing, and bible study. In these meetings, I coach them spiritually and financially.
For years, I noticed that nothing is left in their salaries. All their money goes to their families back home.
So I taught them a very simple system that changed their lives. If they can do it, you can do it too.
I discussed this system fully in my Ebook, My Maids Invest In The Stock Market… And Why You Should Too!
If you’re a TrulyRichClub member, you already received this.
Every month, I also send to my TrulyRichClub members a Stocks Update. Through it, I tell them what Stocks to buy, when to buy them, and when to sell them. To join, simply log on at www.TrulyRichClub.com now.
Warning: There are many scams out there that lure ignorant people from their hard-earned money and run away. Please be careful. If you have any questions, I’ve provided email addresses below for you to email.
Are you ready to change your financial life?
Let me end by giving you step-by-step instructions on what to do next…
Instructions:
Step 1: Invest 30% of your Income, Live on 70%
Why 30%?
First, invest 10% in the Kingdom of God. This is your investment for eternity. Tithing is your greatest investment. You tithe to the spiritual family that nourishes your soul.
Second, invest 20% into your Retirement Fund. For most, it’ll be in Mutual Funds or the Stock Market. For a few others, it’ll be in business and properties.
And then live on 70% of your income. Simplify!
Step 2: Invest First Before Spending
That’s why the Bible says to give Him the “first fruits”.
When your receive your salary, set aside your 30% right away. Don’t spend first and then invest what’s left. From experience, nothing will be left.
Step 3: Choose Between Mutual Funds or Stock Market
If you have fifty million or more, and if you’re sixty plus years old, I’ll point you to Bonds and even Banks to keep your money.
But for the rest of us, choose between Mutual Funds or the Stock Market to invest your long-term savings. By long-term, I mean 10 years or more. Each month, you add. But you don’t subtract. Call it your Retirement Fund to brainwash your mind that you won’t touch it.
What’s the difference between Mutual Funds and the Stock Market? In Mutual Funds, you pay a company to manage your funds. Like Philequity or Prudential Optima or ATR Kim Eng and Sunlife Financials or Philam Asset Management… For a small management fee, they take care of your investments. Many insurance companies also combine insurance products with investments, and you can look at those too.
But if you invest in the Stock Market directly, you manage it yourself. Obviously, you earn more if you learn to invest well.
And yes, you can also do both.
To avoid confusion (and to avoid scams), I’ve written down some resources for you to call or email below.
Mutual Fund Resources
If you like to invest in Mutual Funds, you can email my friends Lyndon Malanog and Fely Santiago. They’ll be happy to assist you. You can email Fely at fely.santiago@yahoo.com or Lyndon at lyndonmalanog@yahoo.com now. They can also help you grow in your financial journey by giving you more opportunities to learn.
Stock Market Resources
If you’re interested in investing in the Stock Market directly, you can log on at www.citiseconline.com and attend their seminars. Or call them up at Tel. 6333777. For more information, you can also email helpdesk@citiseconline.com.
If you want my personal guidance on investing in Stocks, join my private group called TrulyRichClub. Each month, I email you a Stocks Update, giving you in plain English (no financial jargon) how to grow your Stocks investments. I tell you what Stocks to buy, when to buy them, and when to sell. Our long-term goal is 20% growth or more every year. To join, log on at www.TrulyRichClub.com now.
PS. Avoid Confusion. Get guidance. Join my TrulyRichClub. Every month, receive my WealthStrategies Newsletter, my PowerTalks, my Stocks Update every month. Immediately, you’ll also receive my Ebook, My Maid Invests In The Stock Market… And Why You Should Too! To join, log on at www.TrulyRichClub.com now!
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