Mornin’, mornin’!
Fellow blogger and $$$ personality, Ramit Sethi, tweeted out a request a few weeks ago, and now that my tiny brain has had time to think about it I’m ready to contribute to the conversation :)
He challenged us to come up with some money lies we tell ourselves (or worse – others!), and today we debunk some of them and add in a few of our own.
Here was his post:
YES YES YES!!! All nasty little lies there! Especially those first two, which I’m sure doesn’t come as much of a surprise to you ;)
- I love renting, and it really is the best!!!! (For me)
- I love buying expensive coffee because it also is the best!!! (For my tummy)
So either I’m a big fat idiot, or you can still thrive financially by doing things in your own way :) Namely, by prioritizing what’s truly important to YOU and then letting everyone else mind their own dang business… (Who usually don’t even know you well anyways)
I may spend $40.00 on coffee every month, but it’s the stuff that people *don’t* see that more than make up for it. Like the $20,000 invested every year, or the fact I eat out once every 4 months instead of every single day, or that I hustle on the side to make extra money to “blow” and therefore it’s all “free” money I’m spending on my coffee et al anyways!
And then there are my clothes.
(Safety pins for the win! Haha… Somehow left out of last week’s frugality tips from the 1950’s?)
So perhaps spending your money on XYZ can sound bad on its own, but it’s really the *whole picture* we’re concerned about here that makes or breaks a wallet.
If I were spending money on coffee and clothes and electronics and ALL THE CATEGORIES in the world – then yes, there is a problem. But when you selectively send your money to only the most important areas that you enjoy, your finances become nice and balanced! And you’re not any worse off for it!
As Paula Pant likes to say, you can afford anything, just not everything.
But back to the money lies…
Here are Ramit’s last two, along with a handful I’ve thought up too… Let me know if you agree, and then add your own down in the comments!
“Our fund can beat the market”
Nope. It may beat the market *sometimes*, but not *all the time*. So unless you’re perfect at timing the market and knowing when to get in and out, then don’t trust the hype around funds who boast. (And also play the lottery if you’re that lucky!!)
“Avoid credit cards”
ONLY IF YOU SUCK WITH MONEY AND DON’T TRUST YOURSELF WITH THEM!!! Which is totally fine – the world has gone hundreds of thousands of years without credit cards, haha…. But similar to The Internet or any other tools that can be both good and bad, it’s all a matter of how you use it. Credit cards can do wonders for your budgeting and peace of mind and just overall ease, not to mention the rewards you can reap from them if you’re a fancy travel hacker. All goes back to what’s best for YOU.
“You need a lot of money to start investing”
Another lie!! Fintech has made it so easy these days, that you can literally just start with $5.00 if you wanted! Not to mention participate in any of your employer’s retirement plans like 401(k)s, TSPs, etc. This ain’t your pappy’s world anymore – the barriers are long gone!
“You need to spend money to make money”
Another big nope. There are times where it can help, but the simplest way to save it is to literally just do that – SAVE IT! It really isn’t that complicated!
“You need business cards before starting a business”
Nope again. What you need are clients to have a business – not more excuses to procrastinate. Save the money on cards and focus that energy on getting your very first client instead. Then do it again and again and again until you know you’re on to something, and *then* feel free to buy all the fancy cards and stationary you’d like.
“The cheapest option is always the best option”
Yes, of course it’s great anytime you can get something cheaper where it makes sense, but just make sure it indeed *makes sense* and saves you in the long run than just temporarily! Whether it’s with your finances or your health, career, relationships, whatever… There’s usually a reason something is so cheap, so just be sure to take in *all* the variables, rather than singling it out based on price alone.
“Wanting more money is bad.”
Ugh, this is one of the worst… Obsessing about money and being consumed by greed is bad, but wanting a better future for you and your loved ones is anything but. Money opens up an incredible amount of options for you and everyone around you – something that strenghtens society! – so please don’t let others bring you down if you’ve found yourself eager and excited about this stuff… Money is not the devil. It’s how you *treat* the money that’s the differentiator.
“Being good with money means you’re a better person”
Another commonly misunderstood one ;) Being good with your money just means you’re good with your money – it has no relevance on what type of person you are! Just as the opposite is also true. You have poor folks who are angels, and millionaires who are assholes! I know all we talk about is $$$$ and #’s and goals up in here, but it’s important to remember that this is just a small sliver in life. There are greater importances out there, and being a decent human being to others is surely one of them :)
(Thanks for turning me into a pic, No Sidebar!)
And finally…. “I deserve it”
You deserve happiness, but there’s a big difference between getting something you’ve earned, and getting something you “deserve.” Ain’t nothing in this life is free, so if you don’t make it a point to hustle and GO AFTER what you want, you’re likely to be disappointed over the years… And that’s not good for anyone…
So that’s what I got today! What I miss? What are some of *your* hated money lies?
Share below, and as always we’ll discuss throughout the day…
But if any of you dare say, “Budgets aren’t sexy,” you can go ahead and unsubscribe right now ;)
XOXO
****
[Liar, liar pic by Tristan Schmurr]
Get blog posts automatically emailed to you!
“Making a budget is boring”
NOT TO ME IT ISN’T!
“I don’t have time to budget”
YES YOU DO!
Haha… you’re speaking my language ;)
For me, the absolute worst money lie is —
“Leave it to the experts!”
Say what?!?!
I am the expert on my personal situation, not a suit-wearing, briefcase-carrying jargon-spouting ‘professional’ who has generic advice and exorbitant fees for ‘helping me out’. I would rather get gutsy myself, read about finance, get empowered with that knowledge, and change my situation myself, thanks! No one is a born financial guru, everyone has the power to get educated about money and use it to improve their own lives themselves. And if genuinely helpful advice comes along, by all means, heed it. But don’t fall for the golden sham that money is best left to the ‘experts’. After all, it’s my life and my money, I should be the one taking responsibility for it all!
Sorry for the rant ;) just my two cents…
BAM! Say it loud, and say it proud! Haha…
Ugh the rent thing…
I’m in a spot right now where I would so much rather rent (Young, early spot in my career, would like to be able to move around) however i have my father practically ranting to me every time I talk to him about how I should buy. To him renting is “throwing away your money” or “you should be buying a house right now because a,b,c…”
It’s nice to hear that buying isn’t the only way by you and others that I’ve come across on this blog. Just not something I want to be committed towards right this second.
P.s. I’ve been following your blog for a while now and it’s my first time commenting! The advice you give has really helped me with tackling my student loans and just saving in general!
Heeyyyy so glad to hear that!! Thanks for taking the time to say hi today! AND YES!!! You stay true to what YOU want out of your life!! You’re the one that has to live in it!! And maybe one day you will be ready to buy and can do so then – we’re allowed to adapt and change our minds as time and goals change :)
Great list J. The one that gets me is when people look at the payments. Sure you can afford that car or house or couch if you make monthly payments for many years….that does not mean it’s a good decision to do so. Look at the price, not the payments people!
Haha yup – #1 trick up salesman’s sleeves :)
That one drives me sooo crazy!
Very true, Jason. I learned the hard way from buying a brand new car that what you deserve and what you can afford are two separate things. Five payments left!
Nice!!! Get that debt-free blog post nice and ready!! Gonna be a fun day! :)
Good Idea! I’ll be able to sing along with Dee-1, “I ain’t got no note!”
Which, technically means I still have a note since it is a double negative but we know what he meant lol
Haha I know, but much catchier ;)
I think J Money alluded to this.
People often take the Latte affect savings far too literally. The way I have always viewed it is like this; It is used as an example of how certain expenditures can seem so harmless but can have a devastating affect on your budget and future net worth. It is meant to be an eye opener to those that think it is only big purchases like a car that can be one’s downfall. “Lots of nickles and dimes can outweigh a dollars over time”. The lesson really is that by becoming aware of these potentially elusive and subtle holes in the bucket and how making just small and subtle changes can have an impact. It always makes me laugh when people make the statement “How is not drinking coffee going to make me wealthy?” or “I don’t want to deprive myself in life!”.
I don’t drink coffee at all but when I first started really looking at my own finances carefully, I found many holes in the bucket, both big and many small. I found by making both big and many small changes I was able to recapture hundreds to thousands each month(honestly about ($2000+), ripe for investing. Half of it in the “small” or “Latte” category, just to show the impact. I weeded out the things I did not truly care about and don’t miss, to the point I would be hard pressed to tell you now in hindsight, what every indiscretion was. I did however keep the things I truly loved but with a bit more wisdom and care to not go overboard, even in this case. I approached it as a lifestyle change and not just as “denying myself this to get ahead”.
So if someone loves coffee that much, don’t deny yourself it but be smart and aware about it. Also be aware of all the other holes in the bucket that you can eliminate.
YUP!!! You nailed it, man.
Actually saw David Bach give a presentation at last year’s FinCon conference (superrrrrr chill dude btw!), and he says to this day people give him $hit all the time for popularizing “the latte factor”. In the middle of his talk he literally goes, “It’s not about the f*cking lattes!” haha… greatest thing I heard all year :)
“The biggest house is the best house”….really? Well it’s been sitting on my block for sale for 15 months with NO offers! If it was the best house, there would be multiple offers, no? Meanwhile, our home, the smallest, had 3 quick bids (ours was the only bid that didn’t fall thru).
Haha… that’s very close to the “Buy the biggest house you can afford” line too, ugh. And the banks only encourage it by giving you ridiculous loans whether you can truly afford it or not :(
That you can’t invest in anything but index funds!
I’m young, let me speculate a tiny portion of my portfolio if I know the risks!
I like this one. Speculate away when you’re young. I did and I lost a bunch of money. Now I mostly invest in index funds. Experience is the best teacher.
Ahh yes – that’s a good one! And probably something us bloggers can be more open and conscious about too as we tend to harp on them a lot more than perhaps we should, haha… I remember when I first started blogging i was always speculating and writing about it but i guess I’ve turned into an old man now :)
How about “You need (insert expensive degree here) to be successful”? That one drives me crazy. A college education or a graduate degree can be excellent, but it isn’t always necessary for a good job or a good life.
Yup yup…. Although you always have to put the caveat there that without a degree you better be damn sure you’re a hustler and/or have the entrepreneurial spirit if you go that route! So many people think they’re gonna be the next Mark Zuckerberg only to find out they’re not passionate/diligent enough to run their own gig…
“Our Actively Managed fund can beat your Index Fund long term” – BOLD FACED LIE. The rest are relative to our own situation. By the way, my sweat pants look exactly like your jeans..bahahaha :-)
Your sweat pants must get all the ladies :)
Hahaha!!!! My wife’s not a big fan :-)
One lie I keep telling myself when I realized that I overspent or wasted money one something is: “it’s ok. I will get a huge discount to make up for it in the future,” as if it’s going to happen for sure.
P.S: Your jeans look really hip. But it can benefit from a better sewing job ;)
You better hope my mom isn’t reading this ;)
When people say, “I could NEVER live without that…” in regards to some frivolous not-necessary item in their budget that they spend lots of money on.
If you lost your job tomorrow and had much less or no money I’m sure you could find a way to make it work without that spending! People have to be open to the possibilities!
100% truth :)
“New cars are always (safer/more reliable/fuel efficient/etc) than old cars”
No, they are more expensive…that’s it. My previous car was 5 years older than my wife’s and got better mileage. My current car is used and all those things more than my wife’s car that we had the dumb idea of buying new.
Good one! Although I suppose people do like the peace of mind and warranties that come from it.. At least from what I hear – I have yet to ever buy a new car in my life :)
Also “name brands are better than store brands”. Not necessarily. They cost more & many times the store brand is packaged by the name brand & sold at a lower price!
Except for peanut butter – I can taste the off-brand in a heartbeat! ;)
Investing in the stock market is risky is one of the most popular comments that I hear. On the other hand, I think it’s the total opposite. It’s a lot more riskier if you don’t understand the stock market because you are most likely not investing in your future. So what’s more riskier? Not investing in your future or the stock market?
A job is riskier than the stock market. A job is a concentrated bet, not just on one industry, not just on one company, but on one job at that company. Putting your entire portfolio is one company’s stock is so risky, no one suggests it. A job is even riskier than that.
The financial rewards for that risk are high (paycheck is usually higher than stock market returns, especially at the beginning when you are building your investments), but in the long term, the stock market is the much safer course. No one can fire you from your stock portfolio, and an injury or illness won’t stop it either.
Fascinating way to look at it!! Especially since the second you get let go your income disappears 100% whereas in the markets it continually pushing out dividends! And for you to get kicked out of the market you either have to have all your eggs in one basket or the Zombie Apocalypse is upon us ;)
If the entire stock market goes to zero, it means total societal collapse. Money will be worthless, and we’ll be back to the barter system. And if you have international index funds, you’re talking about total global collapse. So, I’d say the risk is pretty low.
Don’t get me started on “don’t sign up for credit cards.” Argh I love my travel pointssss.
I love your jeans! Reminds me of that picture of Apathy Ends in his Cheap Ass post… which still sends laughs down my spine to this day.
My money lie is when people with the $1000 grocery budget and thinks they’re eating better because of it.
I fully stand by your coffee argument. Nobody getting rich off NO coffee. Frugality doesn’t make money.
I’ll have to check out that post by him, haven’t seen it yet :)
As an ultimate procrastinator, I could add “I will start saving tomorrow/next month/next year.”
The best time to start saving is ten years ago, the second is today. Period.
YES!!!! So much this^^!!!
I use my credit card to help save into my Roth IRA so I’m not sure how that could be detrimental…
One money lie that I absolutely hate is that debt is just part of being an adult and that whole mindset against only buying what you can actually afford.
Another lie I often hear that is completely false is that Social Security is running out in the next twenty years when in reality it won’t be for another seventy years.
Debt has become so normal over the years, it’s incredible… And it seems our country is one of the worst about it across the globe :(
“Avoid credit cards”
Yep, this is just plain wrong for lots of people. I save tons of money from cash rewards cards. Heck, I have an Amex card that saves me a sweet 6% on groceries!
Great point! If a family were to spend $5,000 in a year for groceries they just saved $300 that’s just plain smart.
Which card is this? Asking for a friend… :) $$$
From a few people I know: ‘Student loans are basically free money.’
Nope.
‘My overdraft isn’t real money.’
Yep, but you’ll be repaying it with real money.
‘Using cash makes it easier to budget.’
This might be controversial, but I find it way easier to budget when I only use my card. Much easier to remember what I spent and input it in my budget app, or to later check my statement. When I take cash out, I’m pretty certain most of the change gets lost.
‘You shouldn’t have savings in your twenties.’
I’m 20 and I have an emergency fund and a retirement fund (self-employed.) People actually get kind of mad if they hear that. I love it when someone starts lecturing me about how I’m never going to be able to retire, or how I’m going to be crippled by debt forever (don’t have any), or how I’m apparently ‘one unpaid invoice away from bankruptcy.’ It’s weird and sometimes offensive.
They’re getting mad because they are jealous. I completely agree that using only a card makes it much easier for budgeting each month.
Same here with the credit card budgeting! Although I will admit that I do spend more using plastic than cash – but at least I’m aware of it ;) MUCH harder for me to part with cash money as it slips out my fingers! Haha…
Dude those jeans! haha.
Having too many credit cards hurts your credit.
I hate that one! People push this out there like its some set in stone rule when nothing could be further from the truth. There is no hidden magic number of credit cards that will damage your score. The application for a new card may ding your score but it will recover just fine.
Great list J!
That’s an interesting one, that I never really knew the answer to? I just assumed it would hurt you over all that activity, but I guess I was wrong? I pretty much just stick to my one credit card for simplicity sake over anything else, but I do admire all those racking up those points and cash back :)
Having too many credit cards doesn’t hurt your credit score, but when you apply for something like a mortgage and the bank looks at how much you already owe in debt, they do assume any cresit cards are maxed. So it can hurt you that way.
Your pants, though! ;) I want to PayPal you money to buy new jeans, lol!
But I have to agree with most of these! I tell my coaching clients that no, I’m not going to bust out a huge pair of scissors and make them cut up their credit cards in front of me. They’re adults and they can decide for themselves if they can handle one responsibly!
You can paypal me money, but they’ll only go into more safety pins ;)
Cue Fleetwood Mac: Tell me lies, tell me sweet little lies.
Heard on a podcast recently that the least expensive, and most “green,” item is the one you don’t buy.
Ain’t that the truth!
Buying in bulk is better. Actually out of 3 sizes medium is usually best and if you have a coupon the smaller size many times is the cheapest. Also buying in bulk leads to waste many times for my family.
I’m still trying to train my husband that he didn’t save any money when he throws half the rotten bag or jar of whatever in the trash.
Us men are a little slow, haha…
You’ll have to literally cut a dollar bill (or ten) up in front of him for it to sink in ;)
The one I always hear is, “Everyone has debt,” or its close cousin, “You’re always going to have some type of debt.” Nyet, nien, nope, none of the above.
“It’s ok. I can pay it off.”
That comment should end with the word “eventually.” I know lots of folks who use that credit card to the max and at some point in time, after exorbitant interest rates, they consolidate or pay it off eventually. With lots of extra money on that loan going to the CC company as well.
Well it’s true! They *could* pay it off – they didn’t say they *will* pay it off ;)
“I’ll start investing later this year, when I get my pay raise.”
I’ve had this one spewed to me a few times by some friends.
Funny thing is, I heard those lines a year ago. And they still aren’t investing…Yet their Instagrams show them in some new country ever couple months!
This is why automated apps are SOOO good for people. You just have to convince them *once* to sign up, and then let them keep doing their thing while it’s banking $$$ in the background! I don’t think people realize just how EASY it is to save and invest these days!
Great list. There are so many money lies. I think money just brings out your true self. If you are a good person, money will make you better. If you are a jerk, money will make you a bigger jerk.
I think so too :)
Great list of common money lies! I’d add “you must pay off all your debt early” to this. There’s technically a threshold where it doesn’t make sense to do so instead of adding to your investments. Psychologically, I fully understand the need to pay off all debt early, but super low interest loans are something I let run the full course.
Going against the grain here, I like it! And while I’m more of a psychological person than logical, I will agree. The best route is to go with the one that best fits your personality or else you’ll be fighting it the entire way and have a better shot at burning out :(
‘I can’t get ahead because of x….’
Defeatism drives failure.
‘Debt is bad…’
Debt is a tool, it’s neither good or bad. Use it appropriately or don’t use it.
People who always find a reason why you are able to save money and they are not!
ie: Kids are not a valid excuse! I have three of them!
Sometimes I wonder if they’re just allergic to money :)
“I can’t afford it”. The truth is you can afford anything. I can’t afford it is just the excuse, the truth is that you have decided not to prioritize it.
OMG YES. You can afford almost anything you want – but whether it’s *important* to you is a whole other story, haha… I could go out and buy a Ferrari in cash right now if i wanted, but it wouldn’t be in my best interest! :)
“You DESERVE it!” – this is also one of my most hated. Almost every advertisement is telling you this, and it’s repeated so much, so subtly everywhere, that I fear we will eventually have a generation of brainwashed individuals who think this way. Fortunately there are good people out there like you helping to stem the tide…
“I can’t afford to give”
This is more of a personal philosophy, but since challenging myself to 10% of each paycheck I’ve never once been short on money to pay bills, invest, and cover living expenses (although it did come right down to the dollar once early on!).
Such a beautiful thing to hear :) And you’re so right – we can ALL be better about giving. I found out for me all I need to do is set up monthly recurring donations to places I love, and then even if I forget it just keeps on giving automatically for me!!! The same principles to saving and investing, yet alluded me for so long with giving?!
“If you’re poor, you’re stupid/lazy.”
This is an attitude I’ve been seeing a lot since getting into FIRE/personal finance blogs. I hate it, and it really turns me off to otherwise good blogs. (And why I love Budgets Are Sexy.)
It’s AWESOME when people educate themselves about budgeting, saving, investing, living frugally, and hustling! But that’s not an excuse to be dismissive or condescending of huge populations of other people. People are poor for many reasons, some of which are under their control and others which are not. Simplistic moralizing about why people are poor helps no one.
100% Yes. We often forget that not everyone is so fortunate as us in our upbringing and opportunities available to us :( Just the fact we’re able to have internet and enjoy reading blogs here sets us apart from millions of others!! We’re so lucky!!
“Planning to retire early is crazy. You’ll be bored, broke, and unhappy.” I am not my job and will find plenty of fun frugal things to keep me happily occupied! :D
“Being good with money means you’re a better person”
What?! Seriously!! Dealing with money is only one aspect of yourself, it doesn’t translate on who you are as a person. Like you said, the nicest people may not know how to handle with their finances or the rich people can be douches .
“Money can’t buy happiness.”
Maybe not, but it certainly buys more choices and freedom—and that equates to happiness for some, myself included!
Amen to that ;)
And ironically once you’ve got your money humming along nicely, you’re free from even having to think about it much anymore! And can better focus on the happiness aspect!
You hit some good ones, J. I co-sign others on the “I can afford the payments, so I can afford it” lie. That one gets me the most. You literally can’t afford it. That’s why you’re breaking the cost into payments.
Hahahhahahaa…. That needs to go on a bumper sticker or slogan somewhere ;)
A lot of people actually believe that wanting more money is bad. That’s a bunch of crap and it’s self-defeating. If you have the mindset that money is bad, then you may stay broke.
When you’re rich, you don’t need to budget!
Oh really? Tell that to Lisa Marie Presley, Nicolas Cage and countless lottery winners!
No matter how much money you have, there are things you cannot afford!
Haha yup… How do people think they get rich anyways??? It’s not from ignoring their finances!
I have actually heard the opposite, if you can believe it. While telling a Co worker how much I love my budgeting app he said “my wife doesn’t make enough money for us to have a budget”. Whaaa!?!? Especially since he just bought a brand new pickup truck! Any tips on holding an intervention for my friend?
Yes, the jeans are lovely, they have a fabulous collection of stories attached :D
Yes, the safety pins are both frugal and punk rock.
At the risk of sounding like my mother: how much would it cost you if you had to get stitches, tetanus shots etc. if the pins come undone… and those pins often fail under pressure.
Just sayin’ ;)
It’ll probably be the only thing to get me to stop wearing them – so we’ll find out! ;)
“Buy the worst house in the best neighborhood.” Haven’t they seen money pit?
I actually like that one! Although it certainly needs tweaking: “Buy the worst *looking* house, but with sturdy bones, in the best neighborhood.” Haha… Not as catchy I guess though :)