“This is how you get rich.”
Hot summer day. August. Late 90’s. During a bike ride, I stopped to visit my Uncle Fred’s auto shop for a break.
Uncle Fred
Uncle Fred was an auto mechanic that ran a great business built on trust. He was a very exciting, really interesting, and an incredibly wonderful person. Moreover, he could make me laugh uncontrollably and was a great conversationalist.
He could speak at length for hours on any topic, and make it very interesting. I spent many hours not only listening to him, but learning from him as well.
Cracker Sandwiches and Saving Money
When I stopped to see him for a break during my bike journey on that sweltering summer day, he was on his lunch hour. He was eating a six pack of peanut butter cracker sandwiches. Remember the ones that came in the pack of six in a cellophane wrapper from vending machines? The crackers were bright orange, the peanut butter was the… affordable kind, and they had a certain crunchiness to them.
He was drinking coffee from his Chevy coffee mug to wash down the cracker sandwiches. He was beaming, held up the crackers, and he told me, “This is how you get rich. The crackers cost me 50 cents and the coffee is on the business.”
It was definitely a memorable experience. I could see it vividly all of these years later. What he was instilling in me was the power and importance of saving money.
How You Can Get Rich
You probably won’t start eating peanut butter cracker sandwiches and coffee for lunch. However, there are areas where you can save a few bucks. How, where, and when you save money is up to you. These are very personal decisions and the choice is yours.
Uncle Fred wasn’t into expensive lunches, but he did like spending money on collecting classic cars. Remember, it’s okay to spend money too!
How you choose to save money depends on your preference. Over time, it will help you accumulate cash for what you want to do with your life. It’s ok to be frugal in areas of your life. Your future self will thank you for it.
If you want to chat about money over a complimentary lunch, let me know. It will be more substantial than crackers and coffee.