Make money,We learn to make money.

By: Ed Bagley

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

Part 1 of this 2 Part series ends the synopsis of George Clason's book "The Richest Man in Babylon," but Clason raises an important question: Why should so few men be able to acquire so much gold?

The answer is because they know how.

One may not condemn a man for succeeding because he knows how. Neither may one with justice take away from a man what he has fairly earned, to give to men of less ability.

And so it was that the good king of Babylon sought out the richest man in Babylon to teach to others in his kingdom the secrets of his success.

This is a synopsis of what the richest man taught to the people of Babylon:

The Seven Cures for a Lean Wallet

1) Start your wallet to fattening. Save one-tenth of all you earn. Remember that a part of all I earn is mine to keep. Do this faithfully. Do not let the simplicity of this escape you.

When I ceased to pay out more than nine-tenths of my earnings, I got along just as well. I was not shorter than before, and, money came to me more easily than before.

2) Control your expenses. How is it that all do not earn the same yet all have lean wallets? Here is the truth: That which each of us calls our "necessary expenses" will always grow to equal our incomes unless we protest to the contrary.

Confuse not necessary expenses with desires. We all have more desires than our earnings can gratify. Examine which of the accepted expenses of living can be reduced or eliminated. Let your motto be 100% of appreciated value demanded for every dollar spent.

Budget your expenses so that your actual necessities are met without spending more than nine-tenths of your earnings.

3) Make your money multiply. Protect your growing treasure by putting it to labor and increasing. Money in your wallet earns nothing. Money that we earn from our money is but a start; it is the earnings generating earnings that builds fortunes.

When the richest man in Babylon loaned money to the shield maker to buy bronze, he said this: "Each time I loaned money to the shield maker, I loaned back also the rental he had paid me. Therefore not only did my capital increase, but its earnings likewise increased."

4) Guard your money from loss. Everyone has an idea of how to make quick money; few, however, have the evidence of making money to justify their idea, scheme or offer of quick riches. The first sound principle of investment is security for your principal.

Before you loan your money to any man assure yourself of his ability to repay your loan, and of his reputation to do so. Make no one a present of your hard-earned treasure.

Consult the wisdom of those experienced in handling money for profit. Such advice is often freely given for the asking, and may possess more value than the amount you are about to invest.

5) Make your home a profitable investment. When you can set aside only nine-tenths of what you earn to live, and can use a part of that nine-tenths to improve the investment in your housing, do it; owning your own home is also an investment that grows with your wealth.

Your family deserves a home they can enjoy and call their own. It builds a sense of stability and well-being.

6) Ensure a future income. Build income-producing assets that do not require you to work forever. We will all grow old and die.

You should prepare a suitable income for the days to come when you are no longer younger and cannot work as hard, and to make preparations for your family should you no longer be with them to comfort and support them. Provide in advance for the needs of your growing age, and the protection of your family.

7) Increase your ability to earn. Desire precedes accomplishment, and the desire must be strong and definite. When you have backed your desire for saving $1,000 with the strength and purpose to secure it, you can then save $2,000.

Desires must be simple and definite. Desires defeat their own purpose when they are too many, too confusing, or too difficult to accomplish. Cultivate your own powers to study and become wiser, more skillful, and more productive.

Here is more sage advice from Clason's masterpiece on financial matters:

The 5 Laws of Money

If you had to choose, would you choose tons of money or wisdom? Most men would take the money, ignore the wisdom, and waste the money. Here is the wisdom:

1) Money comes gladly and in increasing quantities to any man who will put aside not less than one-tenth of his earnings to create an estate for his future and the future of his family.

2) Money labors diligently and contently for the wise owner who finds for it profitable employment, multiplying unto itself in infinity if kept working diligently. Money multiplies itself in surprising fashion.

3) Money clings to the protection of the cautious owner who invests it with the advice of men wise in its handling.

4) Money slips away from the man who invests it in businesses or purposes that he is not familiar with, or which are not approved by those skilled in its keep. The inexperienced handler of money who trusts his own judgment, and puts his money in investments which he is not familiar, always pays with his money for his experience.

5) Money flees the man who would force it to impossible earnings, or who follows the alluring advice of tricksters and schemers, or who trusts it to his own inexperience and romantic desires in investment.

Here is the hard lesson of the 5 Laws of Money: You cannot measure the value of wisdom in bags of money. Without wisdom, those who have it quickly lose money, but with wisdom, money can be secured by those who have it not.

This ends the condensation.
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Ed Bagley is the Author of Ed Bagley's Blog, which he Publishes Daily with Fresh, Original Articles on Internet Marketing, Jobs and Careers, Movie Reviews, Sports and Recreation, and Lessons in Life intended to Delight, Inform, Educate and Motivate Readers. Visit Ed at . . . www.edbagleyblog.com
www.edbagleyblog.com/LessonsinLifeArticles.html

By: Ed Bagley

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

George Clason's book "The Richest Man in Babylon" reveals the fastest way to become financially savvy. It works today because money is governed today by the same laws that controlled it when prosperous men thronged the streets of Babylon 6,000 years ago.

Here is a synopsis of The Richest Man in Babylon and the important financial lessons it teaches:

A self-employed chariot builder becomes discouraged when, after years of hard work, he realizes that he will never become rich. He labors hard to build the finest chariots in the land, soft-heartedly hoping that some day the Gods will recognize his worthy deeds, and bestow upon him great prosperity.

He now realizes that the Gods could give a care about the work on his excellent chariots. He longs to be a man of means, and have the lifestyle of the richest man in Babylon, who was a childhood friend.

He confers with his best friend, a musician, who reminds him that it is not enough to have a fat wallet, as a man's wealth is not in the wallet he carries, because a fat wallet quickly empties if there be no golden stream to refill it.

The chariot builder decides to confront the richest man in Babylon, who he knew in his youth, and learn how he became so rich.

The chariot builder shares his lament with the richest man in Babylon, knowing that both he and the richest man in Babylon were once equal, played the same games in childhood, studied under the same masters, had equal talent and ability, and worked just as hard; now he works just as hard but his childhood companion has become the richest man in Babylon, while he still struggles.

The rich man replies, "If you have not acquired more than a bare existence in the years since we were youths, it is because you either have failed to learn the laws that govern the building of wealth, or else you do not observe them."

The richest man then explains that he had learned how to become rich from a moneylender, for whom he had provided a service in exchange for the moneylender's secret to success.

The moneylender said, "I found the road to wealth when I decided that a part of all I earned was mine to keep, and so will you."

The money lender tells the rich man, who was then a scribe in the hall of records, to set aside one-tenth of all he earns as his portion to keep.

A year later the young scribe comes back to the moneylender, who asks him if he has kept a tenth of all he earned.

When the scribe replies yes, the moneylender asks him what he has done with it.

The scribe says he has given it to a bricklayer who was going to foreign lands to buy jewels, which he and the bricklayer would sell for profit when he returned. The scribe ends up with nothing, as the bricklayer is sold worthless glass rather than fine jewels.

"Every fool must learn", says the money lender, "but why trust the knowledge of a bricklayer about jewels? Your savings are gone," continues the moneylender, "you have jerked up your wealth-tree by the roots. But plant another. Try again. And, this time, if you would have advice about jewels, go to the jewel merchant."

Another year passes, and again the scribe goes to the money lender, to tell him that he had saved one-tenth and given it to a shield maker to buy bronze, and each fourth month the shield maker pays him rental.

"That is good," says the moneylender, "And what did you do with the rental?" "I had a great feast and bought a beautiful scarlet tunic," replies the scribe.

"You squander your savings," admonishes the moneylender. "How do you expect your savings to work for you, and generate more savings to work for you? Get yourself an army of golden slaves to work for you, then many a rich banquet you may enjoy without regret."

Two years later the scribe again goes to the money lender, to tell him that he still saves one-tenth, invests it more wisely and now continues to do so. "Each time I loaned money to the shield maker, I loaned back also the rental he had paid me. Therefore not only did my capital increase, but its earnings likewise increased."

"You have learned your lessons well," says the moneylender.

"You first learned to live upon less than you could earn. Next you learned to seek advice from those who were competent through their own experience to give it. And, lastly, you have learned how to put money to work for you.

"You have taught yourself how to acquire money, how to keep it, and how to use your money to prosper. You are now competent for a responsible position."

The scribe goes on to become the richest man in Babylon.

It was apparent that no one could do for the scribe what the scribe had done for himself. Each man has to work out his own understanding of what needs to be done, and then prepare himself to take advantage of the opportunity to succeed in a big way.

The moral to the story The Richest Man in Babylon teaches this lesson: Proper preparation is the key to our success.

Article Source: ABC Article Directory
Ed Bagley is the Author of Ed Bagley's Blog, which he Publishes Daily with Fresh, Original Articles on Internet Marketing, Jobs and Careers, Movie Reviews, Sports and Recreation, and Lessons in Life intended to Delight, Inform, Educate and Motivate Readers. Visit Ed at . . . www.edbagleyblog.com
www.edbagleyblog.com/LessonsinLifeArticles.html

By: Ed Bagley

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley

George Clason's book "The Richest Man in Babylon" reveals the fastest way to become financially savvy. It works today because money is governed today by the same laws that controlled it when prosperous men thronged the streets of Babylon 6,000 years ago.

Here is a synopsis of The Richest Man in Babylon and the important financial lessons it teaches:

A self-employed chariot builder becomes discouraged when, after years of hard work, he realizes that he will never become rich. He labors hard to build the finest chariots in the land, soft-heartedly hoping that some day the Gods will recognize his worthy deeds, and bestow upon him great prosperity.

He now realizes that the Gods could give a care about the work on his excellent chariots. He longs to be a man of means, and have the lifestyle of the richest man in Babylon, who was a childhood friend.

He confers with his best friend, a musician, who reminds him that it is not enough to have a fat wallet, as a man's wealth is not in the wallet he carries, because a fat wallet quickly empties if there be no golden stream to refill it.

The chariot builder decides to confront the richest man in Babylon, who he knew in his youth, and learn how he became so rich.

The chariot builder shares his lament with the richest man in Babylon, knowing that both he and the richest man in Babylon were once equal, played the same games in childhood, studied under the same masters, had equal talent and ability, and worked just as hard; now he works just as hard but his childhood companion has become the richest man in Babylon, while he still struggles.

The rich man replies, "If you have not acquired more than a bare existence in the years since we were youths, it is because you either have failed to learn the laws that govern the building of wealth, or else you do not observe them."

The richest man then explains that he had learned how to become rich from a moneylender, for whom he had provided a service in exchange for the moneylender's secret to success.

The moneylender said, "I found the road to wealth when I decided that a part of all I earned was mine to keep, and so will you."

The money lender tells the rich man, who was then a scribe in the hall of records, to set aside one-tenth of all he earns as his portion to keep.

A year later the young scribe comes back to the moneylender, who asks him if he has kept a tenth of all he earned.

When the scribe replies yes, the moneylender asks him what he has done with it.

The scribe says he has given it to a bricklayer who was going to foreign lands to buy jewels, which he and the bricklayer would sell for profit when he returned. The scribe ends up with nothing, as the bricklayer is sold worthless glass rather than fine jewels.

"Every fool must learn", says the money lender, "but why trust the knowledge of a bricklayer about jewels? Your savings are gone," continues the moneylender, "you have jerked up your wealth-tree by the roots. But plant another. Try again. And, this time, if you would have advice about jewels, go to the jewel merchant."

Another year passes, and again the scribe goes to the money lender, to tell him that he had saved one-tenth and given it to a shield maker to buy bronze, and each fourth month the shield maker pays him rental.

"That is good," says the moneylender, "And what did you do with the rental?" "I had a great feast and bought a beautiful scarlet tunic," replies the scribe.

"You squander your savings," admonishes the moneylender. "How do you expect your savings to work for you, and generate more savings to work for you? Get yourself an army of golden slaves to work for you, then many a rich banquet you may enjoy without regret."

Two years later the scribe again goes to the money lender, to tell him that he still saves one-tenth, invests it more wisely and now continues to do so. "Each time I loaned money to the shield maker, I loaned back also the rental he had paid me. Therefore not only did my capital increase, but its earnings likewise increased."

"You have learned your lessons well," says the moneylender.

"You first learned to live upon less than you could earn. Next you learned to seek advice from those who were competent through their own experience to give it. And, lastly, you have learned how to put money to work for you.

"You have taught yourself how to acquire money, how to keep it, and how to use your money to prosper. You are now competent for a responsible position."

The scribe goes on to become the richest man in Babylon.

It was apparent that no one could do for the scribe what the scribe had done for himself. Each man has to work out his own understanding of what needs to be done, and then prepare himself to take advantage of the opportunity to succeed in a big way.

The moral to the story The Richest Man in Babylon teaches this lesson: Proper preparation is the key to our success.

Article Source: ABC Article Directory
Ed Bagley is the Author of Ed Bagley's Blog, which he Publishes Daily with Fresh, Original Articles on Internet Marketing, Jobs and Careers, Movie Reviews, Sports and Recreation, and Lessons in Life intended to Delight, Inform, Educate and Motivate Readers. Visit Ed at . . . www.edbagleyblog.com www.edbagleyblog.com/LessonsinLifeArticles.html