47 things to know
1) "If you are buying something that you will use often and for a long time, never go cheap. You'll end up replacing it sooner or paying more in maintenance costs than if you had spent more on good quality in the beginning. Plus, you'll enjoy the nicer product throughout its lifetime, rather than cringing every time you use something that is falling apart."
2) You can never pick more than two from this list: fast, cheap or good.
3) Whether your money or time is being spent, never ignore opportunity costs: "The cost of an alternative that must be forgone in order to pursue a certain action. Put another way, the benefits you could have received by taking an alternative action."
4) Don't spend money on a credit card that you can't afford to pay back. The interest and late payments can put you in a hole that can take you years to pay back.
5) Compound interest is your friend. Saving even a relatively small percentage of your income each year, starting at 18, can leave you in much better shape by the time you're ready to retire.
6) Try to keep enough cash to pay your bills for at least six months in reserve. It will make your life immeasurably easier if your car breaks down, you have a surprise medical expense, or you get an opportunity to get a fantastic bargain.
7) There is no such thing as a free lunch. If it seems free, you may want to ask who's paying for it and why before you take it.
8) When a financial deal looks too good to be true, three good questions to ask are: how much risk is there, how sure are you that the deal is legit, and how is it that such a fantastic deal hasn't already been snapped up by someone richer than you?
9) If you get into a business deal with someone who goes to unusual lengths to convince you of how honest or Christian they are, watch your wallet and make sure you have an iron clad contract. They "doth protest too much."
10) If you're working with someone who can be bargained down on a price, it seldom hurts to try. The exceptions may be someone of exceptional talent, someone you're going to have to work with on a regular basis, or someone whose help you're going to need in a timely manner.
11) In a business deal, be very sure of the terms of a partnership and the person you are partnering with because partnerships go sour more often than they hold together, especially if things aren't going well.
12) Don't ever loan your friends money if you want to keep them as friends. After all, if they were good with money and were likely to pay you back in a timely manner, they probably wouldn't need the loan in the first place. If they really need the money, you want to help them, and you can afford it -- just give it to them.
13) If you ever get arrested, don't say anything until you talk to a lawyer.
14) If you get pulled over by the police, don't mouth off, keep your hands where the officer can see them, and don't make any sudden movements. It might keep you from getting shot or arrested.
15) If you think a doctor's wrong, don't hesitate to ask for a second opinion. Your health is vitally important and doctors make mistakes just as often as anyone else.
16) Don't ever say anything that may offend someone who is going to be serving you food. You never know what they may stick in it when you're not looking.
17) If you don't feel like you're being treated fairly by a company, don't hesitate to ask for a manager. Oftentimes, a manager has gotten to where he is in a company because he is good at pleasing customers like you in the first place.
18) If you have trouble telling people "no" or are dealing with a persistent salesman, the broken record technique comes in very handy.
"When the other person repeats their request to you, simply repeat the same words of refusal. You may have to do this a number of times, but eventually they will get the message."
19) Dogs are fantastic animals. They deserve to be called man's best friend. But, if you are under the impression that you just need to buy a collar and a bag of dry dog food every month and you're set, you're in for a rude awakening. Dogs tend to be much more expensive and time consuming than you'd think.
20) "Don't have any children or get married until you can support and love yourself first."
21) "Don't trade your vehicle in on a new one just a couple of years after buying it. Pay it off and ride it until (the wheels fall off), all while putting that car payment in the bank."
22) "I wish that I had known to check the oil in my vehicles and to have changed it regularly. It would have saved a lot of money that I spent on repairs -- directly due to my lack of changing the oil per the mechanic." -
23) "Things every person should have in his car: a car jack and spare tire, jumper cables, flash light, & a first aid kit."
24) Don't ever open a hot radiator cap or you can get seriously burned.
25) If you are cutting something, whether it be with scissors, a knife, a box cutter, anything sharp, make sure you are pulling the blade away from your body, not towards it. It may save you a trip to the hospital.
26) Here are 3 keys to keeping a reasonably clean house: don't leave any dishes in the sink overnight; every time you have a full load of clothes, wash 'em, and take out the trash every time the can is full. You do those things, wipe up your messes, and vacuum when the floor gets filthy, and you'll keep things reasonably neat.
27) When you move, sell, throw away, and give away as much as possible or you'll just end up moving boxes from one closet, where they have been sitting for five years, to another closet, where they'll be sitting for the next five years.
28) Here's the best way to get organized: make a list of things you need to do with the toughest things at the top. Do the toughest things first and work your way down.
29) When trying to decide between two closely matched alternatives, always have a bias towards action. In the long run, it'll lead to your having a lot more experience, great stories, and a richer, fuller life.
30) Write an advance medical directive, a will, and plan for your funeral. Your family will be eternally grateful if something happens.
31) "Never assume your loyalty to a company will be reciprocated"
32) Start looking for a new job BEFORE you quit your old job.
33) Don't take any job that only pays commission unless you're either an expert salesman or ready to spend months working without pay to gain the skills you need to become an expert salesman.
34) If you're not happy with the job market, the government, or the schools in your area, remember that you can always move to another city or another state. Lots of Americans do just that every year.
35) Don't put anything on Facebook, Myspace, YouTube, etc. that you would be uncomfortable with the whole world seeing.
36) The stories of people who have been fired after some jerk on the net contacted their job are legion. So, don't give out where you work or your work email on the net.
37) Women should never allow a boyfriend to take naked pictures. If it's on film, you shouldn't be surprised if it goes public in one form or fashion after a break-up.
38) If you're going to be drinking, have a designated driver. Additionally, if you're female and go to a party, always make sure you have at least one person who will look out for you if you're going to get drunk.
39) It's generally a very good idea to avoid writing email, letters, blog posts, or even having conversations with people when you are upset or very emotional. If you do anyway, usually, once you've cooled off, you'll wish you had handled things differently.
40) If you don't know the agenda of the people you're getting your news from, then you don't have the information you need to know if what they're telling you is true.
41) Your body language, posture, grooming, the way you dress, and the way you carry yourself are much more important than most people realize. That first impression you make on people, based on those non-verbal characteristics, will often define how they see and react to you forever more unless they really get to know you well.
42) "You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with."
43) There is a lot to that old saying, "It's not what you know, it's who know." Use that to your advantage when you can. A handshake and a hello at the office, a quick introduction at church, or a short conversation before dinner can get you more jobs, help, and good advice than you ever thought possible.
44) If you want to do something exceptional, don't expect anyone to believe you can do it until you've done it. Unless you're already perceived as exceptional, most people won't believe in you. That's doubly true for the people who know you best and have therefore seen you at your most mediocre, like your parents, family, and friends.
45) "You are more like your parents than you would like to admit." The same could be said of the person you're dating. If the family either of you came from is dysfunctional, don't be surprised to see the traits that made it that way crop up in your relationship.
46) "If you want to know what a woman will be like as a wife, it helps to meet her mother. If you want to know how a man will treat you in the years ahead, notice how he treats his mother now. If it isn't with deep respect and courtesy, beware. That's probably the treatment he'll be giving you down the road when you don't wear a halo anymore."
47) When men have a problem and they tell you about it, they want to know how to fix it. When women have a problem and they tell you about it, they just want you to listen.
2) You can never pick more than two from this list: fast, cheap or good.
3) Whether your money or time is being spent, never ignore opportunity costs: "The cost of an alternative that must be forgone in order to pursue a certain action. Put another way, the benefits you could have received by taking an alternative action."
4) Don't spend money on a credit card that you can't afford to pay back. The interest and late payments can put you in a hole that can take you years to pay back.
5) Compound interest is your friend. Saving even a relatively small percentage of your income each year, starting at 18, can leave you in much better shape by the time you're ready to retire.
6) Try to keep enough cash to pay your bills for at least six months in reserve. It will make your life immeasurably easier if your car breaks down, you have a surprise medical expense, or you get an opportunity to get a fantastic bargain.
7) There is no such thing as a free lunch. If it seems free, you may want to ask who's paying for it and why before you take it.
8) When a financial deal looks too good to be true, three good questions to ask are: how much risk is there, how sure are you that the deal is legit, and how is it that such a fantastic deal hasn't already been snapped up by someone richer than you?
9) If you get into a business deal with someone who goes to unusual lengths to convince you of how honest or Christian they are, watch your wallet and make sure you have an iron clad contract. They "doth protest too much."
10) If you're working with someone who can be bargained down on a price, it seldom hurts to try. The exceptions may be someone of exceptional talent, someone you're going to have to work with on a regular basis, or someone whose help you're going to need in a timely manner.
11) In a business deal, be very sure of the terms of a partnership and the person you are partnering with because partnerships go sour more often than they hold together, especially if things aren't going well.
12) Don't ever loan your friends money if you want to keep them as friends. After all, if they were good with money and were likely to pay you back in a timely manner, they probably wouldn't need the loan in the first place. If they really need the money, you want to help them, and you can afford it -- just give it to them.
13) If you ever get arrested, don't say anything until you talk to a lawyer.
14) If you get pulled over by the police, don't mouth off, keep your hands where the officer can see them, and don't make any sudden movements. It might keep you from getting shot or arrested.
15) If you think a doctor's wrong, don't hesitate to ask for a second opinion. Your health is vitally important and doctors make mistakes just as often as anyone else.
16) Don't ever say anything that may offend someone who is going to be serving you food. You never know what they may stick in it when you're not looking.
17) If you don't feel like you're being treated fairly by a company, don't hesitate to ask for a manager. Oftentimes, a manager has gotten to where he is in a company because he is good at pleasing customers like you in the first place.
18) If you have trouble telling people "no" or are dealing with a persistent salesman, the broken record technique comes in very handy.
"When the other person repeats their request to you, simply repeat the same words of refusal. You may have to do this a number of times, but eventually they will get the message."
19) Dogs are fantastic animals. They deserve to be called man's best friend. But, if you are under the impression that you just need to buy a collar and a bag of dry dog food every month and you're set, you're in for a rude awakening. Dogs tend to be much more expensive and time consuming than you'd think.
20) "Don't have any children or get married until you can support and love yourself first."
21) "Don't trade your vehicle in on a new one just a couple of years after buying it. Pay it off and ride it until (the wheels fall off), all while putting that car payment in the bank."
22) "I wish that I had known to check the oil in my vehicles and to have changed it regularly. It would have saved a lot of money that I spent on repairs -- directly due to my lack of changing the oil per the mechanic." -
23) "Things every person should have in his car: a car jack and spare tire, jumper cables, flash light, & a first aid kit."
24) Don't ever open a hot radiator cap or you can get seriously burned.
25) If you are cutting something, whether it be with scissors, a knife, a box cutter, anything sharp, make sure you are pulling the blade away from your body, not towards it. It may save you a trip to the hospital.
26) Here are 3 keys to keeping a reasonably clean house: don't leave any dishes in the sink overnight; every time you have a full load of clothes, wash 'em, and take out the trash every time the can is full. You do those things, wipe up your messes, and vacuum when the floor gets filthy, and you'll keep things reasonably neat.
27) When you move, sell, throw away, and give away as much as possible or you'll just end up moving boxes from one closet, where they have been sitting for five years, to another closet, where they'll be sitting for the next five years.
28) Here's the best way to get organized: make a list of things you need to do with the toughest things at the top. Do the toughest things first and work your way down.
29) When trying to decide between two closely matched alternatives, always have a bias towards action. In the long run, it'll lead to your having a lot more experience, great stories, and a richer, fuller life.
30) Write an advance medical directive, a will, and plan for your funeral. Your family will be eternally grateful if something happens.
31) "Never assume your loyalty to a company will be reciprocated"
32) Start looking for a new job BEFORE you quit your old job.
33) Don't take any job that only pays commission unless you're either an expert salesman or ready to spend months working without pay to gain the skills you need to become an expert salesman.
34) If you're not happy with the job market, the government, or the schools in your area, remember that you can always move to another city or another state. Lots of Americans do just that every year.
35) Don't put anything on Facebook, Myspace, YouTube, etc. that you would be uncomfortable with the whole world seeing.
36) The stories of people who have been fired after some jerk on the net contacted their job are legion. So, don't give out where you work or your work email on the net.
37) Women should never allow a boyfriend to take naked pictures. If it's on film, you shouldn't be surprised if it goes public in one form or fashion after a break-up.
38) If you're going to be drinking, have a designated driver. Additionally, if you're female and go to a party, always make sure you have at least one person who will look out for you if you're going to get drunk.
39) It's generally a very good idea to avoid writing email, letters, blog posts, or even having conversations with people when you are upset or very emotional. If you do anyway, usually, once you've cooled off, you'll wish you had handled things differently.
40) If you don't know the agenda of the people you're getting your news from, then you don't have the information you need to know if what they're telling you is true.
41) Your body language, posture, grooming, the way you dress, and the way you carry yourself are much more important than most people realize. That first impression you make on people, based on those non-verbal characteristics, will often define how they see and react to you forever more unless they really get to know you well.
42) "You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with."
43) There is a lot to that old saying, "It's not what you know, it's who know." Use that to your advantage when you can. A handshake and a hello at the office, a quick introduction at church, or a short conversation before dinner can get you more jobs, help, and good advice than you ever thought possible.
44) If you want to do something exceptional, don't expect anyone to believe you can do it until you've done it. Unless you're already perceived as exceptional, most people won't believe in you. That's doubly true for the people who know you best and have therefore seen you at your most mediocre, like your parents, family, and friends.
45) "You are more like your parents than you would like to admit." The same could be said of the person you're dating. If the family either of you came from is dysfunctional, don't be surprised to see the traits that made it that way crop up in your relationship.
46) "If you want to know what a woman will be like as a wife, it helps to meet her mother. If you want to know how a man will treat you in the years ahead, notice how he treats his mother now. If it isn't with deep respect and courtesy, beware. That's probably the treatment he'll be giving you down the road when you don't wear a halo anymore."
47) When men have a problem and they tell you about it, they want to know how to fix it. When women have a problem and they tell you about it, they just want you to listen.