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The Wolf Of Wall Street Is In Me

By Frugaling 4 Comments

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rkoi2

I dissociate somewhere between Donnie smoking crack in the back of a restaurant and Jordan stacking bills on bills in a safe deposit box. This is probably the fourth time I’ve seen The Wolf of Wall Street with Leonardo DiCaprio, so I pretty much know the entire film. I laugh on cue, but mostly drift into some sort of revulsion to the moneymakers’ debauchery.

Jordan, played by DiCaprio, chucks a wad of cash off the side of his yacht, and I fantasize about what would life be like if I were filthy rich. Something stirs inside me. I want that level of wealth and I don’t know why.

My life is comically dissimilar from Jordan’s. I’m nearing the end of graduate school, thinking about jobs, and constantly checking my bank account. The latter stands stronger than ever due to saving and scrimping, but it’s a measly sum. I’ll have a small amount of student loan debt to pay off, too. When I graduate, I’ll expect to earn $50-70,000 with my Ph.D. in hand.

Privilege allowed me to choose my career path. Early in my college years, I replaced business with psychology. The switch forever changed my earning potential. I just hoped psychology would allow me to help others in need — the money didn’t matter much.

Now, as The Wolf plays before my eyes, I struggle with two mindsets.

There’s the Jordan side of me. I want to travel. Iowa is killing me slowly with its lack of diversity and landlocked status. I want to be able to live in lavish places and decorate as I see fit. My minimalism borders on austere. I want to be able to buy, buy, buy. Every time I do, I feel this pang of guilt — I need to save that dollar. And I sure as hell don’t ever want to be in debt again.

Then there’s the modest, frugal person who writes these words. Iowa has been the perfect place to save, bike, and enjoy graduate school. I don’t care to have much. I don’t need to own, own, own. I don’t want my primary title to be “consumer.” I like being able to save, live, and give to others.

Maybe I’m dreaming of wealth because reality isn’t always easy. I’m moving out of an apartment complex I can no longer afford, paying off a hefty sum for a car, and living on a tight budget each week. Scrimp and save is often more challenging than earn and invest.

If I had the opportunity to make more money, I wonder how much I’d want. Would a million dollars in savings/investments suffice? Would tens of millions? Would a billion?

The mind seems capable of more. Always more. The mode is more. More than enough. More than the other person. More than you.

As the movie finishes and Jordan begins to unravel and lose it all, the director’s message is clear: money doesn’t buy happiness. You can still be a miserable millionaire. But the urge remains. How can the mind be so illogical and rational at the same time?

Filed Under: Make Money Tagged With: Billionaire, investing, Jordan Belfort, Millionaire, money, rich, saving, Stock Market, Wall Street, Wealthy, wolf of wall street

How Income Inequality Created The Vilest Empathy Gap

By Frugaling 5 Comments

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Mansion The New Rich Middle Class War
Photo: jorge lascar/flickr

Trickle-down economics worked — for the wealthy

Over the last few decades, incomes have become disproportionately unequal. Large amounts of wealth are hoarded by the 1%, with trickle-down economics failing to provide shared gains we were promised. The average employee makes a small fraction of their executive counterparts.

We know America has terrible income and oligarchic-level wealth inequities. We know that Citizen’s United and other lobbying efforts make the wealthier voices louder.

As the rich get richer and poor get poorer (or stay poor), a rigidity formed. Lower income populations largely stay in lower income towns, jobs, and levels of education. Meanwhile, higher-income populations largely stay in gated neighborhoods, choose what education options are available via economic and geographic means, and enter higher-income vocational networks (i.e., “Hey, your dad helped me get this job!”).

But honestly, we already knew this information. What we fail to grasp is how income inequality shapes us psychologically — the wealthy and impoverished, alike. This level of economic stratification is decades in the making, but we are just beginning to see how this affects well-being and treatment of others. With huge differences in wealth and declining social-class mobility, an income-empathy gap has developed.

Income and wealthy inequality led to an empathy gap

Empathy is defined as the “ability to understand and share the feelings of another.” This feeling can occur with pets, family members, and even fictional characters from favorite novels. Empathy is built, maintained, and formed by our experiences in life. These feelings motivate us to volunteer at soup kitchens, donate to charities, and serve each other. The least empathic among us are traditionally called violent and/or antisocial, as they do not exhibit or understand the pain they cause to another (i.e., terrorists).

As incomes diverged and wealth generation stagnated for lower-income populations, this income-empathy gap widened. People in higher incomes now struggle to empathize and provide for lower-income groups. Propagated on every medium, statements by the fortunate few and privileged sound like this:

Poor people are poor because:

  • “…they buy iPhones and eat out too much.”
  • “…have too many children.”
  • “…make terrible life choices.”
  • “…they are lazy.”

Trust me, the list goes on, but it’s the same mythical vitriol — over and over again. I needn’t perpetuate and propagate these economic mad libs any further. While some may be lazy, frequent iPhone buyers, these messages typecast and discriminate — they’re only used to harm. The voices are judgmental and painful to those in lower-income populations. They’re pejorative and denigrating, and exemplify a true lack of empathy for someone suffering economically.

Poverty shaming doesn’t solve the problem

We know that negative voices can harm others, and yet we keep doing it. For instance, individuals with obesity and weight concerns frequently hear similar messages, which are fail to provide empathy:

  • “Lose the weight fatty!”
  • “Have you thought about putting down the Cokes?!”
  • “You’re so fat!”
  • “Thought about going on a diet any time soon?!”

The research suggests that when you fat shame, individuals don’t suddenly lose weight. In fact, they may gain more. Potentially, income and wealth shaming may do the same thing; thus, making it more difficult for an economically disenfranchised individual from making better choices.

Okay, so shaming doesn’t work, and yet privileged people are using these same tactics with lower-income populations. Why then must a well-off person denigrate, disable, hurt, harm, and verbally accost another? What motivates someone to yell flagrant economic “advice” to someone already struggling to make ends meet? How could they actually help another in need?

Unfortunately, these answers all trace back to the income-empathy gap. After decades of growing social-class stratification, income inequality, and wealth gaps, we are a country in need. But ironically we don’t need more wealth. Instead, America needs more empathy.

To steal and modify a line from Uncle Ben of Spiderman, “With great wealth comes great responsibility.” The economically well-off and privileged have a tremendous opportunity to help those disenfranchised — even beyond charitable giving. It starts with being able to reach out your hand to support another.

How to truly help impoverished and disenfranchised

If you’re wealthy, you may be upset that there are homeless people sitting outside your favorite restaurant. Just know that yelling at that individual to “get a job” won’t ever help as much as providing tax revenue for mental health services, job training and placement offices, and drug and alcohol treatment centers. Just know that typecasting a “ghetto” or “lower-income neighborhood” as a bunch of hoodlums will never help as much as serving that community’s churches, food banks, and schools.

Potentially (and hopefully), if our income-empathy gap closes, so to will the income and wealth gaps. We have a terrific opportunity to change the status quo and shed these antiquated ideals for something better.

We live in a great, prosperous nation that was created for us all — the present person and future immigrant. By closing these gaps, we will all benefit.

Filed Under: Social Justice Tagged With: Elite, empathy, gap, Income Inequality, Occupy Wall Street, poor, poverty, rich, unequal, wealth inequality, Wealthy

If I Were Rich, Would I Still Be Frugal?

By Frugaling 7 Comments

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Thanksgiving Dinner, Wishing I Was Rich

For my first year of graduate school in Iowa City, I wasn’t able to get back to see family for Thanksgiving. Motivated by the irony and sadness of spending the holiday alone, I watched a sappy movie and ate a cold turkey sandwich. This sorry state was only amplified by my linoleum/concrete floors that were like permafrost ice blocks for my feet, and the dingy, yellowish light of my apartment. All I could think was, “If I were rich, how would this be different?”

Dreams of a vacation I didn’t have

Presumably, I would’ve sat near the front of the airplane — speeding to my destination. The service would’ve been better, too. Maybe I could’ve afforded a first-class ticket. Perhaps this could be a regular weekend getaway. Luggage fees wouldn’t have been usury and awful — just mere pennies to my millions. Although, I probably would not have needed to pay for those fees anyways, as my credit cards and connections would lead to waivers. Either way, I would’ve been wealthy enough to afford whatever outcome. I would never stand in front of a ticket counter, after buying a ticket online, and be surprised that there’s an additional bag fee — breaking my budget and robbing me of my little available savings.

Finally at my destination’s airport, I would’ve rented a car. Not just any car, but a luxury vehicle to speed around the mean streets — something familiar and like my lifestyle. Again, I would have enjoyed the whisk and breeze of skipping lines, priority rentals, and free upgrades. My parents, family, and friends wouldn’t have needed to worry about me; I’d show up on time, no help and reliance necessary. Time would continually be on my side, as waiting would be heavily reduced.

As I walked through the airport, and saw the nice luggage and bags, I could have looked them up on my phone and instantly purchased my own. I wouldn’t need to hesitate to buy something so practical and helpful. Why not get some class with a Louis Vuitton set? Throw in those shoes, too! Traveling in style feels better.

Going home, I would have been excited to see all the friends and family I could. But I’d have to look sharp. Maybe I could stop by my favorite barber for a cleanup? My photos would be filled with the material goods that ooze success. I could show my parents, in person, what they had raised — that I had picked up my bootstraps and become a capitalistic achievement. They could be proud of my wealth and ability.

Thanksgiving without family, but not without heart

Reality is a cold shower. I can’t remember the last time I purchased something and didn’t feel guilty, nervous, and anxious for the added expense. I had looked at plane tickets for this Thanksgiving, but at nearly $500 plus airport shuttle fees, I couldn’t afford it. In a way, it felt like I was forced into frugality, without a choice (unless you consider debt to be an option, which I don’t).

As my friends and the rest of this consummate college town fled their studies and small-town lives for another location, there was a powerfully isolating feeling to my thriftiness and decision to stay. I fully expected it to be another cold turkey sandwich and night alone, but that all changed when a co-worker invited me to dinner. He knew I’d be here, without plans, and suggested I tag along.

What really matters

In that moment of deep gratitude, the Louis Vuitton dreams subsided. Pictures of first-class comfort and VIP lines faded. Suddenly, I felt humbled by his generosity and honored to be included. I was truly thankful — without any need for material goods, money, or proof of my worth.

Wealth is a funny target. If I only wanted to make money, I should’ve chosen a different career. Instead, I was motivated to help others and temporarily delay earning potential. My path to occupational success likely won’t include boatloads of cash.

Undeniably, if I had enough money available, I would’ve flown to Colorado to see my family. And honestly, if I had the money, I would’ve loved the creature comforts of first class. Both of these decisions would get me spending more money and being less frugal.

But at the end of the break, it was clear and simple: I just wanted to enjoy the day with people who are kind and open-hearted. Wealth just didn’t matter. If I were rich, I would’nt have wanted anything more than to share that moment with those I care about.

Filed Under: Save Money Tagged With: airport, cash, flying, holidays, money, rich, savings, Social Class, Thanksgiving, Travel, Wealthy

The 5-Minute Guide To Thomas Piketty’s Capital In The Twenty-First Century

By Frugaling 2 Comments

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Capital in the twenty-first century Thomas Piketty
The cover of Thomas Piketty’s Capital in the Twenty-First Century

Everyone is talking about Capital in the Twenty-First Century, but few people have read it. In fact, I was watching Real Time with Bill Maher the other day, and the entire panel was debating the virtues of the book — then they admitted no one had read it.

Meanwhile, The Guardian wrote, “This is a huge book, more than 700 pages long, dense with footnotes, graphs and mathematical formulae. At first sight it is unashamedly an academic tome and seems both daunting and incomprehensible [emphasis added].” Well, I just spent an inordinate amount of time reading his masterpiece, and have quickly placed every lesson in the following article. I’ve tried to link to further explanations, should you care to spend the time.

Here’s everything you need to know about Capital in the Twenty-First Century in 5 minutes or less. 

  1. Income equality is increasing.
  2. We are approaching another Gilded Age.
  3. Net worth is not trickling down.
  4. A global wealth tax is proposed.
  5. Marginal tax rates used to be much higher.
  6. Income inequality undermines meritocratic values.
  7. Marx couldn’t properly account for technological progress.
  8. Industrialization and economic shift is inherently advantageous to a select few.
  9. War and taxation created a by-product of economic equality in the 40s/50s.
  10. Theoretical and mathematical interpretations fail to account for individual actors and historical data.
  11. Inequality is not necessarily bad, but the reasons for it could be.
  12. Top managers can control their own paychecks.
  13. Profit is necessary to attract capital; at least, as the economy currently stands.
  14. Per capita income averages hide disparities (median versus mode).
  15. There are errors and gaps in tax revenue due to tax havens.
  16. Foreign direct investment hasn’t led to a convergence in economies.
  17. Economic growth is unsustainable, as compounded growth will kill the planet (think climate change and food shortages for a growing population).
  18. Social mobility is at the heart of moderating income inequality.
  19. Inherited wealth is monopolizing income distribution.
  20. Those with capital and assets can increase wealth faster than beginning entrepreneurs.

Now go out there, act like you read it, and sound smart!

Filed Under: Social Justice Tagged With: 21st century, Capital, distribution, Gilded Age, Global Economy, Income Inequality, Investments, Profit, rich, Social Mobility, Thomas Piketty, Wealth, Wealthy

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