The phrase starving artist was invented for a reason.

We need to stand on our own and we are strongest when doing what we love. But we also need to live in communities and that means tailoring our desires enough so that people are willing to pay us for what we do. You cannot realistically expect to be able to get away with doing ONLY what you love. But if you compromise too much, you will eventually lose the fire that brings great success and great wealth.

Rob

My parents taught me to pay my bills, and to not spend more than I made. They grew up poor and did not ever know much about money; but they knew how to work hard, so they were able to provide for their kids.

Much of what I have learned about money I have learned through experience, study, and resources such as this; a benefit my parents never had.

The best thing about all of the advice in these ten things is, it is truly never too late to learn. And for younger people, the sooner you learn, the better off you will be.

Good post Flexo.

- Chelsea (with Quicken)

Support Ron Paul’s “Audit the Fed” bills!!

International banking interests using debt to manipulate our government and gain control over our money supply —> Federal Reserve.

What if our world were no longer run by governments… but by international banks? Sound ridiculous? Sound like a conspiracy theory? I challenge you to study it out…

As such the value of money was instilled in us from a young age. I will long remember my fathers mantras: ‘if you you don’t need it, you don’t want it, if you can’t afford it, you don’t want it” ‘why give money to the bank?” (talking about interest on credit cards), “Those blighters will rob you” (American banks) and “‘what do poor people do?” (when as an adolescent I would want designer clothes)

Although I used to be upset that we only had 1 TV and that it was purchased in the seventies (it finally died 3 years ago and has since been replaced- with a free one my dad managed to get from a friend), that my parents still had all the furniture they bought when they were married, and that we never had the ‘cool clothes” or ‘cool toys” I was blown away when I reached college age and my dad dropped $300,000 on my education (from BA -PhD) so I wouldn’t have any student loans (see comment above about giving money to the bank). He also paid for my wedding last year, and has money put aside for a down payment for when I want to buy a house. As I watch my peers and husband struggle with student loans, I now appreciate why I didn’t have an easy bake oven, and squirrel away my money so that one day I can do the same thing for my kids.

He made me realize that people have occupations (what we do to make a living) and avocations (things we love to do).

For those lucky enough, our avocations ARE our occupations, but more often than not – we USE our occupations to pay the bills, and “fund” our avocations.

That meeting opened my eyes and literaly transformed how I saw the world of work. Suddenly, I didn’t have to be frustrated about my primary job not always being my passion. I could do what I had to in order to pay the bills, and do what I loved to feed the soul.