how to be rich before you're thirty.

also known as: how not to be a poor ass loser in middle age.

i borrowed this clever little book from a friend who, after confirming i was well under thirty, leant it to me. he's more of a book on tape guy anyhow. i'm not sure if he has given up on the whole rich thing or if he is already well on his way and needs the book no longer. either way, i am always grateful to those who share their books with me. i have a book buying phobia. i get paralysis in libraries and book stores. too many choices.

you may not know this, but i am terrible at budgeting. shut up lisa, i know i'm cheap, but that doesn't mean i can budgert worth a damn. i spend carelessly in many areas and am frugal in others. i will hunt for the best deal on toilet paper and then spend 100dollars on dinner and drinks.

nikita [my super underpaid, but very appreciated financial advisor] and i worked up a budget/payment plan last year when i bought my car. i had nightmares for a week at least about not being able to meet my payments. and now i somehow own a condo. it's puketastic.

anyhow i will share here what i have learned in the book so far...

1. get a bank account and stop hiding money under the mattress.
2. be frugal [verbatim- this book loves the word frugal, more than i love the word verbatim)
3. you have to pay yourself becuase nobody else will. this is alluding to setting aside money from every paycheque into your savings or investments.
4. the book hints that i should get a roommate. unfortunately they give no pointers on the roommate hunt or how the hell i'm supposed to go about living my life with a stranger lurking in my second bedroom.
5. that being a millionaire by the time i'm thirty won't be good enough because inflation will cause my hard earned money to be meagre in the distant future. [wow bitter]
6. that no matter how rich or poor you are cookies solve everything. see here for the whole wheat oatmeal chocolate and peanut butter chip cookies recipe i just made. long title, great cookie. http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=258352

i am only half done the book. i just felt i should share what i've ALREADY learned just in case anyone else needs some help with their financial future.

just never know what you're going to get here at TheBlog.