In the world of high finance the shilling of the idle rich man can buy more than that of the poor, industrious man.

"Money isn't important" can only be said by someone who already has the most necessary things in life (food +shelter), people who already have money, or just plain oblivious idiots. I'm somewhat of a hipster and I'm all about peace, love and non-materialism, but unfortunately we fed into these made up systems like brainless cattle and now most things cost money - including the very land beneath our feet that nature itself put there. Anyone living in said system requires money or they will end up homeless or even dead in some places of the world. So yes, Money is important - at least initially.

Money is stored time and energy. It is simply a concept that was given a physical (cash) and digital form (bank account balance). Prices assigned to things are also made up based on supply and demand, meaning we price things unconsciously. Money is constantly flowing like water, and the key to getting it, is simply to position yourself in such a way as to get "wet". These channels through which money flows (banks, corporations, etc.) are all made up and can be understood with time and YouTube. Perceive everything as a game and stop taking this entire made up financial system so seriously.  

Everyone hears about them, the people who seem to get rich overnight. Tune out the success stories. That's someone else's life not yours. Your game will likely be on hard mode and trying to take the easy way out will probably f*ck you. Stick to your game and absolutely do not compare yourself. There is no greater thief of joy than comparison. These overnight riches tend to show up when you least expect it. Such is the law of attraction. Just continue to position yourself to "Get Lucky". That 'Luck' is really just a result of you taking action. Can't win the lottery if you don't buy the ticket. Just ensure that ticket money wasn't supposed to feed your family or pay your mortgage.  

It would be nice to retire tomorrow and travel the world, but not everyone is so fortunate. Many people get greedy and either lose it all, or get burned out  trying to get rich quickly. Life is a journey and it's all about the small wins. The same applies to financial growth. Your rewards will take longer, require sacrifice and tenacity. The longer you can delay the comfort, the greater the reward. This doesn't mean you should become a workaholic and let life pass you by. Seize the opportunities to enjoy life - especially when young. Having said that, compound interest is on your side with time. Focus on the small wins that add up over time and take calculated long term risks. For every move made towards bettering yourself strategically, if it doesn't work out, you leave with the lessons.  

 Your energy is greatest while you still have youth, but your financial power is typically lower (for most people). As a result many of us find ourselves working to build up money to "Enjoy life". It's much harder to enjoy life at 65 vs 20 years old. Friedrich Nietzche, one of my favorite philosophers speaks on how the "Man who owns at least 2/3s of his day is free" while those who do not are slaves. You can interpret this however, but freedom certainly makes you more powerful. Even if you are working the whole day, but that work is YOURS, you will feel free. Those focused on earning money all the time are slaves to money itself. These people usually end up binge spending to find happiness outside of themselves. They're the ideal consumer for any business in sales.

Some people need instructions or they will drive themselves mad, while others are moved by energy inside and outside of them to a definitive or developing goal that becomes clearer as they move forward. The former would likely be happy in a 9-5 while the latter may find it more restricting. It's important that we identify our true natures and embrace them as we strive to grow financially. If you don't do a good job, your company could fire you and if the entrepreneur isn't driven, the business will fail. Learn more about yourself, accept who you are and move your chess pieces accordingly. It may seem like there is "risk" involved at times, but you leaving your house everyday can be seen as a risk too.

Some people still get scared when they're told to get a credit card. "Oh I don't want credit card debt". The only person who can give yourself credit card debt is YOU. Credit cards are fantastic credit building tools. Your "Credit" is just how financially trustworthy you appear to a lending institution. Good credit is needed for good rates on loans, helps you get good credit cards and some leases even require having good credit to demonstrate that you'll likely pay on time. This made up number matters less as you climb the financial ladder,  but initially it can be a pain. Simply open a credit card account and leave it be. Time alone will do all the work. I also recommend looking into travel cards that give you airport lounge access and a couple other benefits. These usually have higher annual fees, but its worth it in my opinion. I will recommend 3 YouTube channels that taught me everything about the credit card game - from how to use it responsibly to maximizing perks of individual cards.

YouTube Channels that taught me everything:

• John Liang
• Brian Jung
• Daniel Braun

Below is a link to a YouTube video I made on why you should get a credit card. This was one of my first videos so its not that stellar, but the takeaways are there:  https://shorturl.at/QFDbC

You are not your grandmother who stores money under your mattress. Saving money is for the poor. Yes, you need to always try and have enough cash on hand or assets you can liquidate immediately for emergencies, but that is not how you grow. Investing your money is the only way to grow outside of your allowance, salary, pension etc. The term "Invest" is thrown around loosely and people usually assume that you mean throw your money into the stock market, but that is simply one means of investing. You can start a business, help grow someone else's business in exchange for agreed upon profits. There also treasury notes, certificates of deposit, etc. Many of these are conceptually the same, but are given fancy names to trick you into believing you need a college degree  and years in the industry to understand them. That's utter garbage. Everything is on YouTube, books, and other online resources if you prefer to read. The key is learning as much as possible then investing. Also, many people will pretend to know things in these fields, but most of them are ignorant people acting knowledgeable. Read a few pages, watch some videos and you'll know more than most.

Once you start doing life, you'll find that remembering to pay bills will become a thing you have to do - at least you reach the point when you can outsource tedious tasks like this to a secretary or something. Until then, set up automated payments for your internet, light bill, etc. If that's not your style, set calendar reminders. That can be especially helpful for subscriptions you want to cancel or paying a credit card bill. That's exactly how many companies make money. They prey on your lack of planning and carelessness. As you get older, you will find that your mistakes literally start to cost you money. Minimize them however possible.

1.  Calendar reminders are quick to set up  for bills/subscriptions and you'll thank yourself later.
2. Use multiple bank accounts for savings, personal spending, bills. It's easier to stick to your budget this way.
3. Some systems give you the option to pay from your bank account directly to avoid credit card fees. Do it. The credit card points aren't worth it in my opinion.
4. Some automations (ex: internet bill with Verizon) offer discounts for automating payments with your bank account directly

You will pay the cost of cheapness repeatedly until you learn not to be. Buy cheap food, you get fat. Buy cheap clothes, they don't last. The list goes on forever. Aside from this being an absolutely repulsive personality trait, it does more harm than good to you. Being frugal is fine, but subjecting yourself to abnegation to save a few coins will come back to bite you almost every time. Invest in quality, long lasting tools that will in turn improve your quality of life. Soon enough these changes will begin to reflect on you. Your skin will glow from better moisturizers, you'll be sick less from all the multivitamins, you'll enjoy going to a nicer gym that's not overcrowded and everyone there is driven and sexy. Be cheap and your existence will reflect it. 

People spend more when they are sad in an attempt to fill voids with something novel in their lives. You get dopamine from buying a random item online and it builds up as you wait for its arrival. It arrives, you appreciate it, then you toss it aside in a pile of other useless items of the same nature. Ask yourself "Do I really need this?". Assess how long it will be of use to you and decide logically. As for experiences, budget for these. When that money is spent, that's it. No more! Obviously this applies to folks middle class and lower. If your income or allowance permits it, spend away. No need to pretend to be poor. Anyone else would do the same if they were you. They're just jealous. As for the folks middle class and below, be aware of your situation and live as such. It's hard to grow your capital when you are causing damage from the inside. Don't be hypocritical.

You can never go broke if you have a skillset that society demands. Most people, if their job were to fire them would have nothing to turn to, because they've built no real skills. As long as you're able to do/provide something that people need/want, the only issue left is to find out how to monetize that product/service then distribute. Use your free time to become as valuable as possible. Pick anything and stick with it. Ideally it would be something in great demand that you can even somewhat enjoy. Realistically the "Follow your passion" talk is garbage and not everyone will be fortunate enough to experience that, but with patience you can make that your reality by doing stuff you don't like first.

Track it all! Have a program that does it, a person, an excel sheet, a notebook - it doesn't matter. If you are making money and spending with hopes of having gains exceed expenditures, you need to be tracking your finances. This helps you identify areas that can be improved on. Have everything set up systematically somehow so you never have to think about it aside from when you are ready to switch up the approach. Automation and multiple bank accounts comes in handy here. Remember, money is just a concept, so it can be hard to remember it's real until it's in Black and White.

1. Never let someone feel compelled to ask you for THEIR money. This will tarnish your financial reputation with them.
2. Never lend money that you can't afford to do without especially if there is a time crunch.
3. Whether it's family/friend/stranger, make sure to present a timeline for repayment and communicate ahead of time if you're unable to stick to your dates.