About the 2 Items in Warren Buffet's Wallet. Is he correct?

Have you ever wondered what’s in billionaire Warren Buffett’s wallet? 

I hadn’t. 
But yet…I clicked on an article that told me his 2 items.
 
However, the author of the article “buried the lead”. 
As it turns out, Mr. Buffett has habits which had me cheering wildly as I read them.

Here are just a couple of points about Mr. Buffett you might want to know.

  • He drives an “average” car.
  • He has lived in the same house for 60+ years, bought for $31,000.
  • 98% of the time he uses cash when purchasing items.

Wow. 

Burying The Lead

I was pleasantly surprised by what I learned.  No, driving a Ferrari or moving to a new home every 5 years isn’t wrong.  But “burying the lead” is that this billionaire lives semi-frugally when he could buy almost anything he wanted.

How Many Times Have You:

  • gone clothes shopping (shoe shopping, groceries, etc.) and didn’t remember what you needed?...
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Teach your teen to ROCK Relationship Challenges with this 1 move

“Playing well with others.” Didn’t you detest seeing that question on your report card? 

How did your young adult score on that as a child?  We can hear parents all across the fruited plain shouting their answers!  The “get along” challenge answers sound like this:

“Kicked to the Dorm Hallway Curb”
Did we ever tell you about this awesome freshman college co-ed that was basically “kicked out” of her dorm room because her roommate wanted her “significant other” to practically move in?
True story.  Frustrating 1stcollege year.
 
“I No Longer Talk to my Best Friend”
Best friends since 1stgrade began not speaking in High School. Why?

As we’ve taught high school students on a myriad of “life” topics, it gradually dawned on us that no one had taken the time to teach them how to approach conflict. 

Teens have and will experience conflict everywhere, from...

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Graduating? Moving? Here's Decision Help

A Tale of Two Cities

It's no surprise that not all cities and their living costs are equal.  It then follows that salary offers and their buying power vary greatly by city.  

Sadly few of us moving to a new city stop and think about the wide swings in standards of living we might encounter.

New graduates contemplating two different cities in which to live don't consider this phenomenon either.  

The Critical Question?  
How much buying power does one job offer have over another?
Wouldn't it make sense to consider this very question before and during salary offers and negotiations? 

Do you want to avoid mistakes, create a leg up on negotiation tactics?  Then this article is tailor-made for you or your upcoming graduate.

Do you want to know what the cost of living is in any particular city?  Then this article is also for you.  

The cost of living varies GREATLY between cities.  
One mom of our students said:

"My child was so excited to be...

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Still waiting on "that" college to accept your teen? Here's a Plan B to deploy

The "accepted" phone call didn't happen.  The email didn't come. 
The "acceptance" letter didn't come.  The website portal didn't update.
 
Other seniors were getting acceptances.  
But at our house? 
Well, time marched on....at our house.
 
This scenario plays out - everywhere.  It played out at our house.  We've seen it play out at many a student's house.  What do you do as you impatiently wait?

 Consider a Plan B Idea

Each school and situation is different, of course.  Consider these ideas.  

Point A:  It Isn't Over.

If your teen is still waiting to hear, then the positive is that they are still waiting to hear. It isn't a NO, it's a not yet.  That's the good news.  Every school operates differently, and uses different parameters on how many offers to extend.  Just remember, your teen is in the "not yet" category until you hear differently.

Point B: Send another Recommendation...

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3 Must Knows for Great Teacher Recommendations

What every parent wants to hear is . . . 

"Sign that young lady up!"
"Gotta have him at this school."
"Wow, this child sounds amazing."
 
And of course . . . 
"That kid must have great parents!" 
 
Every year our teens go in search of recommendations.  Whether it is to get into college, that organization, or that job, getting great written support letters are more actively sought than tickets to the latest hot-commodity pop star's concert.  (Side bonus point here:  this information can work for we parents too when we need to solicit support!)
 

How Do Our Teens Get Good Recommendations from Superiors?

It won't come as any surprise that having set up a good relationship first, where the teacher really knows your teen, is the best advice.  Perhaps your teen has already done so.  If not, the double payoff of helping your teen learn self-confidence through talking with their teachers and ultimately helping them when the...
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$190 million is missing. Can you relate?

Have you heard? 

This man from Canada sadly dies at an early age – the age of 30.  He was a currency-tech guy with approximately $190 million in cryptocurrency safely in what his company terms “cold storage”.  The big problem?  The tech-keys to unlock this currency were in his brain and his brain only, evidentally.  So all that money is tied up and can’t be reached. 

When I heard this story, my immediate thoughts were “you have got to be kidding”.  How could this happen?  

Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. 

This happens ALL THE TIME and it happens especially to our teens.

Hang in there with me for a minute. 

Our teens have so much talent, knowledge, and skills just waiting to be explored and developed but they often are never developed.  Is this worth $190 million?  Absolutely. Any time we as parents can give our kids the keys to build on all their unique talents...

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Learn From My Mistake

Why as parents are we afraid of those 4 words? 

But in reality, they are among the most 4 POWERFUL words when strung together. 

I’ve certainly had my share of mistakes. 
Unless you just landed from Mars, so have you.

In truth, being as honest as we can be with our kids on typical “growing up mistakes” we’ve made can catch their attention.

And isn’t catching our teen’s attention half the battle?

Do any of these scenarios ring a bell?

  • “I cut class”.
  • “I didn’t prepare enough when going out for the . . . . team.”
  • “I didn’t save my money as I should have for . . . . “  (here's an article on how to make their saved money grow, no matter how small the amount:  How Teens Can Grow Their Money
  • “I didn’t study for my . . . . finals.”
  • “I talked behind my best friend’s back.”
  • “I went to . . . . and I knew I shouldn’t...
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Your Teen Can Put Their Christmas Money to Work!

 As it turns out, your teen can do amazing things with small amounts of money.

It’s probably already burning a hole in their pocket.
They’ve been swamped by ads targeting their age – everywhere.

We parents know the temptation.

So do our kids.

But what if you could help them launch the $100+ that grandma gave them into an amazing, long term, educational AND exciting adventure? 

YOU CAN. 

Small amounts of cash CAN deliver a powerful punch.

Here are 3 pieces of advice we’d give them if they had even just $100 available.  These are not listed in any particular order. 

1) Micro-investing 

Yes, there are companies that will accept small dollar amounts and invest them for your teen. Generally, these companies will ask online questions to determine the best place to invest these small amounts.  You will, of course, want to be at the computer while your teen answers them.

Just think of the learning both you and your teen...

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Does College Location Matter?

Short answer?  It might.   
Big City, USA or Small Town USA?

Are you planning campus visits soon?

There is so much coming at you and your nearly-gone teen that it can make anyone’s head swim.  It’s much better to swim instead of sink without enough information.  

There are, of course, many factors that go into which college to attend, from financial to “my best friend” is going there.  But allow us to introduce you to a twist in thinking that every parent/student should consider.

Flash Forward to College Graduation Day

Does your shiny new grad have options?  Did they have internships and were they able to network with those in their chosen industry while in college?  Is the local community of this college thriving?  How active and successful is this college’s College Placement Center? 

We know, this might seem strange.  You are dealing with just helping them get into college. But there's...

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Did your teen miss the Historic Presidential Moment? It isn't too late.

1st Historic Teachable Moment in 12 years

These moments don’t happen often, thank goodness.  Think back to 2006.  That’s the last presidential funeral we’ve had in the United States until now. (Reagan, 2004 and Nixon, 1994).

Do you remember when they would wheel in those carts with tv’s on them during school so we could see the moon landings, the rocket launches, and other historic moments?  We do. 

But perhaps your teen’s school didn’t or doesn't do this.  It isn't too late to capture the teachable moment for your teen.  

Did you know that . . . 

nearly every detail planned for a Presidential funeral is historical?

  • Who had the first 16 cannon salute?  President George Washington
  • The first president to die in office?  President Harrison, 1841

Want more interesting information?  Here’s a great link to explore with your teens:  Hat Tip:  www.theenchantedmanor.com

Presidential...

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