How to Get Rich: Don't Eat All Your Chickens and Rabbits

 Several years ago, I read about an organization that would give animals to people in poorer countries to help them have an income stream to improve their lives.  They would give a pair of rabbits or chickens to the family.  After the animals bred and produced offspring, they could sell some and get money to buy a few more rabbits or chickens or buy needed items for their family.  The only problem was that after the animals bred and produced their offspring, they would invite all their friends and family over and eat all of the animals.  So, then they had no animals left to breed and produce income.  If they had just saved a couple of them, they could have eaten some or sold some and still been able to produce more.  But, that just wasn't the mindset they had.  If they had just waited a few seasons, they could have had plenty of rabbits or chickens to breed as well as plenty to share with others.  They could have even helped their family and friends to become rich by sharing a couple of animals with them so they could breed them and produce their own income.

A couple of years ago, I worked a temporary job and was associated with some great people.  They worked hard, but when it was time to get paid they spent everything by the next day and didn't have any money for two more weeks.  Some people would go buy pizza, etc. or join an exercise club and buy expensive drinks, yet they didn't have a dollar to put gas in their car to get to work.  They "ate" all of their "chickens and rabbits" and never got ahead in life.  If only they would have saved part of their money each check, even by just spending less on their pizza and drinks, they could have had a nice emergency fund in time.  That would have reduced some stress in their lives and helped to develop better money habits to help them live more comfortably.  

Many Americans live their lives paying for things using credit cards, etc. and pay a lot of interest which continues to keep them from getting wealthy.  The government provides all kinds of incentives to borrow money at low interest and encourages the debt it seems.  They are not the best example of how to manage money.  

"The government projects it will pay out a total of $593.1 billion in interest in fiscal 2019, which ends Sept."

So, it takes a lot of self control to avoid all of the offers out there that help you get things right now instead of waiting like our grandparents did, and paying for things AFTER they have the money.  Here is a funny, but good reminder for us all.