Occam’s razor refers to the idea that the simplest answer is often the correct answer. I was watching the ESPN documentary about the 1998 Chicago Bulls Basketball team, “The Last Dance” and in one of the episodes they journey into Michael Jordan’s childhood. One scene in particular talks about how or why he is so competitive and it seems to originate with his siblings. Growing up he wanted to be better than his older brother, Larry, and he wanted his father’s attention. There we have it…arguably the greatest basketball player in history became great and kept getting better because he simply wanted his father to love him. What about wanting fame, money, stardom or power being the motivators? Nope, even simpler.
Again, I’m listening to a podcast with a famous actor and when asked how he got his roots in the profession, he told a story about being the new, awkward kid at his high school and not having any friends. Then he took an acting class and did an exercise that made all the girls laugh. After class, the girls came over and asked him to sit at their lunch table and that was it. He was “off to the races” with acting. I would have bet money it must have been the love of the art that lured him in? Nope, even simpler.
If Michael Jordan can reach the upper echelons of sports fame by keeping it simple, we can surely try and do the same when it comes to money. So here are my SIMPLE money tips:
- Don’t overthink it, and sign up for a solid cash back credit card. I’ve mentioned it before, but the Citi Double Cash Card will get you 2% back on every purchase. You get 1% back when you buy and the next 1% when you pay the bill.
- Open an online savings account. There are many out there, but as long as it is FDIC insured and is paying over 1% interest, you can’t go wrong.
- Don’t trust Amazon. Brand loyalty and quick shipping bring me back to the Amazon “well” all the time, but more often in my recent purchases the prices of items are far higher than other online retailer options.
To end, and now for my big confession as to why I became a financial planner. I wanted all the girls to like me and I knew at 22 years old having no steady income and asking all of them if their parents would sit down for an appointment with me would do the trick. 🙂
Happy Friday! Stay Healthy and please be safe!