I Suck At Friday The 13th

there is a superstition that friday the 13th is an unlucky day. i suck at friday the 13th. and unfortunately today happens to be friday the 13th.

aside from having nothing to do on a friday night other than watch the premier of joss whedon's "dollhouse", i decided to read. the latest book that i'm reading: the 5 lessons a millionaire taught me about life and wealth by richard paul evans. you can see why i did not title my blog post after the title of the book... it's a mouthful.

anyway, i accomplished a rare feat. i began and finished the book in one day... and no, it's not a picture book... nor a children's book. lucky for me, the book is short. there are, after all, only 5 lessons a millionaire taught the author. i actually started the book earlier while waiting for karen at the south shore ymca in quincy. she was getting her yearly evaluation and i was just killing time. (speaking of which... kill kill kill kill... that is my jason voorhees reference... it being friday the 13th and all.)

also proof that today is unlucky... karen and i had dinner with my parents after karen's evaluation at the south shore ymca. as i had feared, they asked me to do some things for them. my prodigal son duties just never end. someday, it would be nice to just have dinner with my parents and not be given a "to-do" list. i can only imagine.

regardless, the book by richard paul evans was actually interesting and pretty much common sense. for anyone curious, here is a summation of the lessons:

lesson 1: decide to be wealthy. it's all or nothing. discard all media-created notions about being rich. and commit to being wealthy.

lesson 2: take responsibility for your money. know how much money you have. know where your money comes from. know where your money is going. know what your money is doing. simply put, organize and keep track of your money.

lesson 3: keep a portion of everything you earn. save at least 15-20% of earnings. if you have huge debt, split the percentage so that some covers the debt and some is saved. create a nest egg. understand compound interest and how it exponentially increases over time.

lesson 4: win in the margins. this is probably one of the more important lessons. basically accumulate extra income and save it via different means. keep in mind the following four millionaire mindsets: carefully consider every expenditure; believe that freedom and power are better than momentary pleasure; do not equate spending with happiness; and protect the nest egg. use the seven golden words of "is that the best you can do?" as it can lead to bigger discounts. curtail overconsumption. determine if the expenditure contributes or takes away from your wealth. avoid impulse purchases. delay gratification (emotional intelligence). be wary of the technique of add-ons to purchases. foster gratitude as a strategy against materialism and unhappiness. entrust people with sufficient skill to handle your money, not necessarily a loved one.

lesson 5: give back. share money in your lifetime.

in addition, here are ways (or ideas) to win in the margins as suggested by the author:

wait tables on the weekends;
turn hobbies into jobs;
make jewelry and sell them... seems like karen and my friends (hot amy and andrea) were onto something there;
teach cooking classes;
referee;
babysit;
house-sit;
clean houses or office buildings;
refurbish furniture and sell it to consignment stores;
pick up a paper route;
repair cars;
put up and take down other people's christmas lights;
do freelance work;
start a lawn care business;
donate plasma;
coach a local sporting team;
become a massage therapist (helloooo);
teach private swim lessons;
sell homemade rolls or treats;
sell gift baskets... like my favorite sister-in-law (janine);
get certified and teach aerobics or water aerobics;
start a small photography business;
breed animals;
teach language lessons;
look into credible multilevel marketing opportunities.

as well, here are other ideas provided by the author (be warned... this list is long):

put a minimum of 10% of your monthly salary and 90-100% of extra income into the nest egg;
put the extra pay increase in your savings;
shop for the lowest mortgage rate;
choose the shortest-term mortgage loan you can afford;
be cautious in taking out home equity loans;
make an extra mortgage payment every year to reduce the time span of the loan;
refinance your mortgage anytime the rate falls a half percentage below your existing rate;
drop pmi if it is not necessary;
rent out a room;
find a roommate;
rent from a private party rather than a corporation;
spend no more than 25% of your monthly gross on rent;
grocery shop with a list to avoid impulse purchasing;
comparison shop;
join a wholesale superstore like costco;
eat out more frugally and avoid beverages;
order vegetarian meals at restaurants;
brown-bag a lunch twice a week;
purchase generic brands;
watch for discounts on nonperishable items;
shop for meat early or late in the day when certain cuts may be discounted;
cook from scratch more often and not from prepackaged goods;
keeps ingredients for at least one quick and easy meal to avoid unplanned eating out when tired or in a hurry;
check receipts for accuracy;
buy fresh-food that expires within a few days as they may be discounted 50-70%;
avoid purchasing non-grocery products like cosmetics or household items in grocery stores;
grow your own garden;
search the internet for freebies or coupons;
have potluck dinners with friends instead of going out (i like that idea);
never shop hungry;
carry a calculator when you shop;
do grocery shopping on monday;
use chlorine bleach to clean toilets, sinks, floors, and walls;
coupons.com;
q-pon.com;
hotcoupons.com;
coolsavings.com;
couponcart.com;
couponorganizer.com;
frugalshopper.com;
valpak.com;
caulk windows and doors that have air leaks;
insulate your water heater;
turn down the heat by five degrees;
replace 100-watt bulbs with 60-watt bulbs;
replace old appliances with energy efficient ones;
install a water-flow regulator in showerheads and toilet bowls;
buy energy-saving light bulbs;
unplug appliances;
fix leaky faucets;
install light dimmers;
use electric timers;
use a programmable thermostat to lower heat at night and when not at home;
use high energy appliances like a dishwasher or washing machine on off-peak hours;
close heat vents to rooms that do not need to be heated;
insulate attics;
double-pane your windows;
be aware of phone usage;
turnoff lights, television, and appliances when leaving a room;
learn to fix minor things around the house to avoid paying a plumber or handyman;
always think long-term when buying a car;
buy regular unleaded gas as the more expensive fuel isn't worth it;
fill up on when when at a warehouse wholesaler;
carpool;
service cars regularly before problems develop;
pay cash at the pumps;
use air-conditioning in your car only when needed;
maintain constant driving speeds over long distances as excess braking wastes fuel;
gas-buddy.com;
fly on sundays;
book flights early;
be flexible when booking flights;
buy tickets during the week;
raise automobile insurance deductibles to reduce collision and comprehensible costs;
buy generic drugs and no-frill vitamins;
install smoke detectors and burglar alarms to cut home insurance premiums;
pay credit card bills in full every month;
shop clearance sales for clothes;
avoid clothes that must be dry-cleaned;
hand-wash and iron your own shirts instead of dry-cleaning;
shop for children's school clothes after school starts to avoid the rush and peak prices;
minimize accessories;
stick with classic style and don't always change your wardrobe to suit current fashion trends;
bluefly.com;
bluefly.com;
jumpondeals.com;
justdeals.com;
gogoshoppers.com;
smartbargains.com;

whew! and that's the book in a nutshell. so hopefully these lessons and ideas will help me become a millionare. if not... who wants to be a millionaire?