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Daily writing prompt

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

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Many years ago I was watching “The Oprah Winfrey Show” and Oprah had a financial expert on the show. I think most financial advice is pure garbage but this worked. I can’t remember the financial advisor’s name. It wasn’t Suze Orman. The advisor said “Pay yourself first”. He said when you get paid put something away for yourself first even if it is a very small amount. He said save something before doing anything else. It didn’t matter if it was a 401k, savings account or an envelope in a desk. That was sound advice and it helped me learn to save money for rainy days, emergencies, vacations and possible retirement.

There was also an episode of MTV Cribs that featured Redman from Wu-Tang Clan. The episode was very memorable. He recommended keeping a dollar box. The dollar box was a shoe box filled with dollars that he kept in his kitchen. I have a version of a dollar box too and it has come in handy many times. I’ve used the money for small grocery store runs, to get gas, pay small bills and for pocket money when my bank account was running thin. I hope we never become a completely cashless society. It would be a big adjustment to not have a “dollar box”.