Non-AMC content : How NOT to get rich, ever...by Jerry in VA ( please add more)

[Gremlingts@xxxx]

 I've been thinking alot lately on this subject, and reading quite a few 
self-made success stories lately in the news, in that , like most people, the 
majority of American workers ( myself included ) aren't going to "get rich 
quick" unless we change our ways, and that there are several reasons for this. 
Here's a list of ways you WON'T ever be able to afford that Gremlin XR 401 car ( 
ok, minor AMC content, LOL ) if you continue to think in patterns that are 
non-profitable. 

Here's my list, feel free to add to it, as I may have missed quite a 
few ways! LOL

HOW TO STAY POOR OR MIDDLE-CLASS

(1 Work for someone else. You'll only be paid what the JOB is worth, 
not what you are worth. 
(2 Never accept a higher-responsiblility job. If you only want to 
show up, work 8 hours, and get paid, that's all you'll ever get. Pushing and 
accepting more demanding work raises your NET worth.
(3 Never look beyond your current "job" or work situation. If you 
never look beyond the present, and search for opportunities to expand your 
income, you'll never get beyond a paycheck. Paychecks come from your workload 
determined by someone else, and will only pay what that "someone else " determines 
the limit of your income will be for that amount of work. 
(4 Stay in the same job forever. This is hard to do today, but even 
so, one of the best ways to get underpaid is to stay long-term, and watch as 
new people get hired making MORE than you do! I've seen this time and again ( 
and yes, I'm a long-term job thinker, also ), seems after 6-7 years, the job 
market forces the worth of a job higher, yet companies won't raise YOUR salary, 
they'll have those "don't ask, don't tell" policies amongst employees so you 
won't find out easily that a new employee is making 3 grand more than you, and 
you're training THEM to do the work you have the experience on! Sure, you'll 
lose long-term benefits, extended vacations, etc, but then again, these " other 
people" get their salaries jacked up by moving around, them maybe settling 
down in 10-15 years once they're at a comfortably high salary level. Union jobs 
may be the exception, but even those get locked out and downsized today. 
(5 Expect your employer to "look after you" for the future". Right. 
The ONLY thing an employer looks out for generally is the "bottom line", so 
you can BET that your retiring early with a 6 or 7-figure income ISN'T on their 
minds! YOU are the only one looking after your best interests, and only you 
can make the determinations that will either let you reach a high-income goal, 
or make you work long into retirement age while others ply the golf courses or 
take trips abroad.
(6 Play the Lottery. yeah, I do this myself. Hey, SOMEONE hits 
it big once in awhile, right??? But, it's a gamble, and gamblers in the end 
are usually losers. I play for fun, in small amounts, and not expecting to win. 
If I do, then it's cool. If not, I still didn't spend myself poor trying to 
prove I'm stupid. 
(7 Become a rock star or Professional athelete. Well, how 
many times have we ALL had this fantasy? Give it up, those people are at a WHOLE 
different level than we mere mortals, and we will never be the one on the 
front page of Sports Illustrated or Rollling Stone magazine. So , ok, we can sing 
in the church choir, or have a 190+ bowling average in the Thursday night 
Beer N' Bowl league. That won't do much for the bank account. 

Very few people get rich working for another individual, or even 
themselves as sefl-employed, if the rewards and returns aren't high enough to justify 
the investment, and they rarely are. That's why the world isn't full of 
millionares. Very few opportunities present themselves freely to make a huge sum of 
money with little effort. Almost ALL self-made success stories come from HARD 
work, a LONG-TERM investment of resources ( sweat, work, etc. ), being in the 
right place at the RIGHT time, a product or service that isn't being provided 
by someone else but that is deemed highly desireable, etc. You can't always 
MAKE an opportunity arise, but you CAN be aware of what is desired, wanted, not 
being done, etc, and maybe try to act on that in the future. Using your own job 
or hobby skills outside of the 9-to-5 job to increase your income is the best 
way to supplement your income, and maybe start your own successful career 
outside a "job". JOB, by the way, thinking outside the box, is an acronym for 
Just Over Broke, which most of us are. I have no clue how to get rich, only that 
I want to, like most folks, or just to live extremely comfortable. Getting 
their is what will take hard work and dedication. I'm open to suggestions, LOL. 

Jerry in Virginia



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