(Note: This piece of writing shouldn’t be so hard for I was thinking: if a person does just about everything I didn’t do, he or she will certainly have money in her or his life, and plenty of it. It’s guaranteed.) So, start early in life and move over Mr. Buffet and Mr. Gates et al!
1 Concentrate all your energies on money & making money. Nothing else. (In other words: 24/7)
2 Never, ever give anyone anything, much less cash. It’s too hard to come by. Quickly cross the street if you see a beggar. (Don’t worry about what the Bible says.)
3 Eat a lot of foods raw to save on gas or electricity. They say it’s much healthier for you to do that anyway.
4 Don’t waste a lot of time reading, especially fiction. Where’s it going to get you? (Do you know any heavy readers who have money?)
5 Don’t marry anyone who is broke. Marry well, whatever the cost.
6 Don’t waste time watching TV. You’ll remain an employed (or unemployed) slave your whole life!
7 Don’t make friends with anyone worse off than you are. Make sure your friends are all superior economically. (If they like you, they’ll pull you up to their level. Of course, you must learn to say the “right” things.)
8 Don’t sleep so much. Time is money.
9 Act as if you had all of life’s answers. You know you don’t, but never, ever reveal that. (If you act as if you’re St. Peter’s personal assistant, you’ll be close.)
10 Dress for the job you want, not for the job you have.
11 Never take a real vacation if you have to pay for it yourself. It’s foolish.
12 Almost never eat out unless it’s simply impossible to avoid (rare celebration of birthdays or anniversaries).
13 Avoid malls and shopping centers like the plague. (Temptation to purchase)
14 Don’t ever pay a housemaid. (Make sure the person you marry can fulfill several functions: maid, cook, employee, parent, nurse, etc.)
15 Never give gifts that are too nice. When possible, give again a gift someone gave you that you didn’t like. (recycle)
16 Don’t go to college. It’s a big waste of time and money. Remember, some of the most important biggies dropped OUT of college. (You can buy an honorary Ph.D. later in life.) Plus, enormous wealth enables you to ruin your kids’ lives. Need I drop a few names?
17 Literally or almost literally, work your you-know-what off! Work as if you were the “immortal beloved.” (But thanks, Beethoven. What would we do without you?)

Comments
mykle | April 19, 2009 - 09:07
You forgot 'rob banks and don't get caught' :O)
Very dry humour, shoebox, it will be interesting to see how this piece fares.
Now if I'd read it 30 years ago...
FTSE100 | April 19, 2009 - 12:54
But does it make you happy? (It's only poor people who ask that question.)
It certainly makes you eccentric, or at least allows you to express your eccentricity. I knew a wealthy family. The dad employed an ex-army buddy as a chauffeur. Unfortunately he couldn't drive, so Mr. X used to drive the car with his buddy sitting in full chauffeur's uniform in the passenger seat.
His daughter had an American Express card to draw money without limit on one of her dad's companies (one of the shareholders' companies if you want to be more accurate.) She never got a bill. She thought it was a pretty standard arrangement (she went to Roedean school, so I suppose amongst her friends it probably was.) Why was anyone poor when they could just buy things with their card? She is now an Anglican priest, but she still has that card.
I offered to look after her five-million-pound pied a terre in London when I was living in a thirty quid a week bedsit. She thought I might be a little reluctant to give it back.
Her mother hanged herself from the bannisters in the family home.
See? Told you it doesn't make you happy.
Ewan | April 19, 2009 - 13:27
Here is 'The Ruling Class' by the wonderful Monochrome Set
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDfy4NxqoK0
FTSE100 | April 19, 2009 - 15:42
And here. for no particular reason, is Kevin Ayers with Girl on a Swing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18lg21-_Wd8&feature=PlayList&p=3B8E0CE586...
And why not indeed?
Dynamaso | April 20, 2009 - 07:01
Bugger, its too late for me then. :)
threeleafshamrock | April 22, 2009 - 18:47
Jeez, Now you tell me!!!