Unconventional Money Lessons
I was 17, broke, and had no job.
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I was 17, broke, and had no job.
An empty tank of gas, a 36-inch plastic crayon, and a trip Walmart changed my life forever.
A lesson on personal finance and money that you won’t learn from the gurus:
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I was a junior in high school and had recently gotten my license.
My parents bought me a white 2007 Volvo S60 with 111,000 miles on it so I could drive my brother and myself to school.
Our deal was they would pay for gas during the school year, but once summer came around, it was on me.
I knew I needed a summer job.
But like any good 17-year-old, I procrastinated.
Plus, I was in the middle of reading "The 4-Hour Work Week” and was determined to never have to work for anyone in my life!
However, as the school year started coming to a close, I began getting nervous.
I knew I needed to get a job in order to fill my tank.
So, I started searching. I applied to Starbucks, Panera Bread, Ritas Italian Ice, and every popular restaurant and bar in my hometown.
I was rejected by every single place. But then two opportunities came my way:
Working at a petting zoo picking up shit
Working at Dairy Queen with my ex-girlfriend
I was determined to find something else.
Just like that, the school year was over, and I was jobless.
My plan was to continue applying, but there was one issue.
I was out of gas!
It was a Friday afternoon and my Mom was eating breakfast.
(My parents had been plaguing me to get a job for the past six months)
“Mom, I need some money.”
“And why is that?” she said with a grin that screamed, I TOLD YOU TO GET A JOB!
“I’ve been trying! I literally applied everywhere. I’m not kidding.”
“Well, you better keep applying or else your car is going to be sitting in the driveway all summer.”
“I would, but I don’t have money to pay for gas, to fuel my car, to apply for more jobs.”
“What about your crayon?” the grin on her face grew bigger.
“My piggy bank?” Growing up, I had a three-foot-tall, red, piggy bank shaped like a Crayola crayon.
I’d been saving change in there for as long as I could remember.
“You probably have enough saved in there for a tank of gas.”
She was right.
“There’s a change machine at Walmart. I’ll drive you there if you want to cash it.”
I had no choice.
20 minutes later, we pulled into the Walmart parking lot.
My Mom jumped out of the car.
I said a quick prayer that I wouldn’t see anyone I knew and followed her out.
I dumped my coins into the machine and waited for the final amount.
$213.73.
I looked at my Mom, and back at the machine.
I could feel the life lesson coming, but it never did.
She knew I learned my lesson.
So I filled my tank and hit the road to apply for more jobs.
I applied to a few more places, but again, got rejected from all of them.
I took the job at the petting zoo, picking up shit for 3 sticky, summer months.
And also took the job at DQ, where my ex-girlfriend confessed her love for me over the romantic sound of soft-serve machines.
They weren’t the best jobs.
But that summer, I always had gas in my car and money in my pocket.
Here’re 3 lessons on personal finance and money that changed my life forever:
1. Invest in a 36-inch, red, plastic, crayon
(just joking, not really)
You never know when things are going to go south.
Open a savings account and start building an emergency fund now.
One day, you’re going to need it.
2. Sometimes you gotta pick up shit
I did not want to work at a petting zoo picking up shit, nor did I want to spend my summer making Blizzards with my ex-girlfriend.
But sometimes you need to do things you don't want to do, to get what you do want.
3. Work for somebody
As a teenager, I didn’t want to work for anyone.
I read books like “The 4-Hour Work Week” and “The Lean Startup”.
I was determined to be my own boss.
I wasted time creating business plans when I could’ve been making money and learning how business actually works.
TL;DR
3 money lessons that you won’t learn from the gurus:
Invest in a 36 inch, red, plastic, crayon
Sometimes you gotta pick up shit
Work for somebody