What do finances mean to you? 

Let me guess, retirement, 401k, putting your money in the bank where it’s nice and safe? While that may be what some believe, most of the time people are just regurgitating the bullshit that they’ve been taught.

See, most people don’t pursue financial education because the banking industry, Wall Street, and all these financial giants create terms and words that are just meant to confuse us.

My rule when it comes to finances? If I can’t figure it out with a crayon, I’m out.

Finances At a Third Grade Level

Here’s the deal, if I’m talking to someone about finances, and they try to discuss things above a third-grade level, I’m out.  If someone starts makin’ up some bullshit about the rates of return, I’m out.

Here’s my question - Can it make 10% return every single year? 

If it can, I’m listening. Let’s talk about it. Between my wife and I, we have about $100k in 401ks, and you know what, it’s an absolute pile of dog shit. Why? Because I believe 401k’s are the biggest raping of America. And that’s not all. 

Finances to me means first, I have enough money that if something happens to me, my wife doesn’t have to worry. Second, I want enough for my family and me to be free.

So when I meet someone that tells me they’re a banker, my defenses automatically go up.  I think to myself “This person’s only goal is to fuck me out of my money.” 

Okay, okay - not ALL are like that, but it is their job to use my money to their benefit. 

I want my money to work to my benefit.

Becoming a Multi-Millionaire

When I became a business owner, I understood money in a way that no one ever thought I could. I was the dumb student, I sucked at math and I was in developmental classes my whole life. If there was someone that shouldn’t be good with money, I was the guy.

I remember vividly a teacher telling me “Unless you can figure this out, you’ll never get anything in life right.”  

I carry a huge grudge against all those people that told me I couldn’t make it.  

But then one day it all clicked! In fact, the first time I ever found out I was a millionaire was the same time I found out I was a multi-millionaire too.

You know, I’ll never forget as a kid thinking - oh gosh, I want to be a millionaire.  And then when it happened, nothing changed. I was still, and am still, the same guy. I still drink Coors Light. I still wear cut-off shorts and my wife still hates the way I dress because I look like a bum.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I don’t say these things to brag.  

I really have never told anyone that I’m a millionaire because It doesn’t define me.

I Lost Everything

Let me tell you about the mindset I had in order to get to where I am.

First things first, I got out of debt. Credit cards are horrible, especially when you don’t know how to utilize them properly. Now don’t get me wrong, I still have credit cards. I have three that I utilize for points and travel, but we pay them off twice per week, every Monday and Thursday.

I know this is easier said than done. It took me losing everything in order to learn how to live responsibly - all the way down to my $2500 car getting repoed.

So, I’ve been at rock bottom and had to build it from the ground up. 

The thing that got me to where I am is understanding that I had to live, not needed to live, but had to live below my means. I always aimed to have one paycheck a month that I could save.  

One paycheck paid all the bills, and the other was saved.

How to Make Your Money Work for You

Do you have a job where you are trading your time for money?

How do you compress that? 

Meaning, if you’re working 40 hours per week, how do you get more out of that.  Well, I knew that I couldn’t make them pay me more money, so my only other option was to use more of my time.  

I had to work more.

When I first met my wife, I was working at a trailer company. I would work 40-50 hours there, then I’d get off work and go bartend until two in the mornin’. After that, I would go home, sleep for four or five hours, and then get up and do it all again.

I couldn’t make more money, so I had to make more time. 

One way or the other, you gotta figure out how to make more of one of them.

Homework

So, with all of that being said, you got homework!  I want you to write down the top three things holding you back from making the money you deserve. Post it on social media, and tag us @KosmoUnfiltered.