You
often hear it. “It’s your money.” Is it? Only yours until you spend it. The spent becomes someone else’s. Learn to keep it, and create joy. Oops. Money doesn’t create happiness. No, it allows joy, something far superior. A thousand cappuccinos equals two shares of Amazon. More actually. Fact. Who knew? Long-time Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz.
Yet living like Martin Luther during his monastic tour leads to little. Hair shirts are nonsense, and so is frittering all your hard-earned jack. The clean soothing new car smell is outstanding. We love it, every time we load into someone else’s car. That’s because ceaseless car payments grow monastic, except for dealers and OEMs. Depreciating assets don’t pay. What does? Paying yourself first.
PYF is a skill set. No? Were it not, more people would be doing it. We pay ourselves straight off the top, like a Fa King blizzard. If you do also, you know exactly what we’re speaking of. Living better is no accident. Nor is it a money treadmill. Get your edge.
PYF is that edge. It’s about creating more than the sum of your days. Make your efforts accumulate. Again–it’s your money, and time. It’s also your life. Your name’s on all three. PYF means you’ll have more. More means you’re on your way to better. And there’s even more than that. That’s called the Gift of O. It’s simple. You can do this. Here’s how it’s done.
Pay
yourself first. PYF. Nobody else will. Why wait? Do so now. Do it this morning–do it in the dark. Do it tonight, just do it right, like a clock wound way too tight. Off the top, like a flat top. No blinking, no thinking, no muss no fuss. Just do it. Operate only from the brain stem. Naturally thought only mucks it up. Do it twice in a row and never wait to go.
Life is far too short to hesitate. Don’t wait on your neighbor and never tell. How hard is it anyway? Move to the deposit window, or slide over to the transfer screen. Mere confusion keeps people off. Paying others is what we’re taught. Paying oneself sounds odd. Remove yourself from that confusion. Here’s how.
We cruised into Louisville in the dark heading due south as the city slept. Hummphries punches off the headlights at highway speed. “See? You were right. You didn’t need to pay your electricity. You’re in the stone dark and doing just fine.”
Miles later we pull up quick at the Fort Knox security gate. “Nice.” We busily gather things preparing to set up the brand new STOCKjAW account. That’s when we were rudely informed that “We don’t do retail.” “What goddammit? This is Fort Knox.” Radios crackle amid much movement. “Where’s your supervisor?”
“You’re confused. Fort Knox is an active U.S. Army base.” “Well,” I regroup, leaning over from the passenger seat, “your security looks superb. Where’s the new accounts window?”
PYF means free cash, no strings, no claw-backs. PYF cash is for us either more cash reserves or an addition to investments. PYF is not meant to be spent. It’s also a temporary investment meant to create spendable cash. But that’s your call.
PYF cash is free cash. It’s cash liberated. It’s really yours, finally. It’s for you and yours. That’s what money’s about. It’s no one else’s. It’s been claimed, and it’s yours for as long as you like. Calls will be made for it. You can act right? Do so then. Go deaf and mute. Pretend to not understand English. Hold your breath. Act penniless. When you learn to act penniless, you’ll never be so.
Learn
to do whatever it takes to be paid, every time, and keep it. Do what the Navy does. Show up, take care of business, and go away quickly. Never look back. Never crack under pressure. That pressure will ease, once you find your way. Paying yourself first is like in-bound aircraft. Your birds are coming home.
The Director runs the show. You are the Director of your money.
You’re not doin’ shit unless or until.
“Red sky at night, sailors’ delight. Red sky in the morning, sailor’s warning.”
The deck’s yours bub. Make the call.
Only the savvy and the few pay themselves first. A thousand cappuccinos and ceaseless car payments exist for failure. Create your new or prepare for more of the same.
We pay ourselves first like a howling pack of wolves. Fact. Our regulated electric provider had to wait this cycle because insufficient readies remained for stuff like heat or light. We weren’t late and we got our heaping shovel load first. We got ours like a clock and we still have every stinky dime.
Protracted
driving through a Kentucky morning had lead us directly to the front gates of Fort Knox south of Louisville. Paying yourself first means you have to find your place to put it. We wanted ultimate security. Why not a fort? “New Accounts,” I repeat sullenly. After the shouting, wild gesticulating, and rapid backing, I yell back through the downed window “that’s why you bastards are always short, and we’re not. Then you have to beg congress for more.” They had guns and we didn’t, so that’s where it ended, except for the vigorous hand gestures as we U-turned, followed closely by their final “Stupid moth–.”
Hummphries, STOCKjAW’s unpaid Canadian market consultant, and I busily agreed that things happen, and life is indeed confusing, yet occasionally checking in with highly-respected and armed military personnel is always wise. That’s when we noticed the other sign.
Fort Knox Kentucky may indeed prove to have an Army base, but who knew? “Has CNBC ever covered that?” I hiss. Besides, we couldn’t even see that sign at first. Hummphries checked the website, which in fact plainly says “Fort Knox Bullion Depository.” The Bullion Depository now holds 147.3 million ounces of gold bullion neatly stacked in beefy 16 pound ingots, like the South Africans make. “Maybe we should get some of those,” he looks up.
Life
is complicated as Hummphries and I had just agreed. You drive right up to people to give them money, and they say no? And they have guns? Obviously the complex at Fort Knox, including the 42 acres dedicated to the Bullion Depository, is still learning. “O.K.” I say as I calm down. “They don’t like retail–but neither do we. We don’t own any.” Hummphries nods thoughtfully from behind the wheel. He looks over “But then they do have a lot of gold.” “It’s all good.” “Of course it is. All gold’s good, as long as it’s yours.”
Check the link and website and read carefully. Firstly, the link clearly states http://www.usmint.gov. Yet the website says “Fort Knox Bullion Depository. 147.3 million ounces.” Then it clearly states “The gold is held as an asset of the United States at book value of $42.22 an ounce.” And we’re the “confused moth–?”
https://www.usmint.gov/about/mint-tours-facilities/fort-knox
Whacking
up your stack never involves thinking. We never do. Again–how hard can it be? One move. Zero thought. Done. Look both ways and snatch yours straight off the top. It’s all over but the fussing. Do it now. Do it every time, rain or shine. Do it even if your ass is falling off and your phone’s blowing up. You can ignore your phone anytime, and you can duct tape your ass back on later. Now you’re paying yourself first.
Here’s what no one ever told us. Those who pay themselves are given a gift. Having a bit extra creates a security cushion. The deeper value of money is free. Life’s not so hard or loud. Money creates options. It’s the gifts of time and distance. Work presses less hard. At a certain point, the upsets of work become less yours.
Why do any of this? Learning how to get an edge leads to another edge. That experience leads you to another and those collect, especially over time. That’s called compounding returns, regardless whether it’s dividends or always saving by purchasing the jumbo TP. Then you experience the Gift of O. Options. Money means options, some freedom even. That’s money’s true value. People with money leave the hurricane zone. The tension and clamor of daily life quiet. The quiet joy of options soon outweighs anything you could possibly purchase with money. The peace of having is the pay-off. It’s truly that simple. How much is peace of mind worth? You get that without ever having to spend it. And that’s called having your cake and eating it too. How cool is that? PYF.
And the second sign we glimpsed? “Fort Knox complex is “Open from 7 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Friday to receive deposits.” How stupid is that? Monday through Friday? We’re open 24/7 to accept deposits, no account necessary. You too. It’s your flight. Expect yourself at your own deposit window every payday. PYF.
Looking to those in the know.
Jam of the Day
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54sEMKGXq5Q
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