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Thursday, July 16, 2015

CASHFLOW

Have you ever encountered
a board game
that actually speaks of life circumstances
in a sureal way,
its elements can be used in real life?


Living pay check to pay check, always wanting a higher salary to make ends meet, always worried that your pay check is never enough and you can't save up because there's too many things to pay? Then CASHFLOW might just help you sort out a way for you to think otherwise.

With technology on steroids nowadays, it's huge effort to detach to a comfortable lifestyle of getting away from your android for a whole afternoon to "truly" connect to where you are and who you are with at the present. But here I tell you is something worthwhile of your time, most especially if you are planning to retire earlier than 60 years old.

With a purpose of financially educating the world, Robert Kiosaki had created a board game that could actually teach its players the importance of MONEY. I'm pretty sure we all have our own perception of what it's for. But it feels good when you are "financially literate".

After reading his book, RICH DAD POOR DAD, the co-publisher of the book, Sharon Lechter, wrote on its introduction that she was on the verge of finding a way of understanding her son when he said, "Is having a good life due to just by going to school and earning good grades? There's got to be another way. Surely having a stable life is not solely dependent on graduating with flying colours and landing a good job." She was stressed out and was finding this situation very frustrating. In her pursuit of the "other way" herself, she had come across this Monopoly like type of board game called Cashflow. Her husband had encouraged her to partake as a guinea pig of the creator to determine loopholes in the game. It was the answer she was looking for.

In life, there are 3 types of education, according to Robert Kiyosaki, there's:
1. ACADEMIC KNOWLEDGE - this is gained in school as we were taught of how to read and write, add and subtract, basically, the fundamentals that we need.

2. PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE - this is the specialty you gain when you finish as a bachelor. When you pursue further knowledge in a certain subject, and you become an expert out of it, the knowledge that you gained falls here.

3. FINANCIAL KNOWLEDGE is an understanding of the knowledge that you need to obtain to keep and maintain a lifelong security in terms of finances. This is the knowledge that only life and experience can teach. If you'd notice it, this type cannot be learned in school. Or in school alone for that matter.

You might ask, economics is being taught in school. Correct. But, it doesn't actually give you such awareness of why you should buy assets instead of gadgets and what are the reasons behind the huge gap between the poor and the upper rich. Moreover, it doesn't teach you what the basic laws of money are in which the secrets of the rich revolve in.

Well, here's an education made fun! The objective of the game is to get out of the rat race and experience how being an investor feels like theoretically.

What does it mean when I say, get out of the rat race !

If you'd look at the diagram on the left, a rat never stops running on the wheel. If I'd put a stationary cheese affront, the more it'd run like crazy. You, seeing the situation outside the box, know that the rat can never get the cheese. Now, let's have an open mind as I compare the majority of the working force to it.

An employed citizen goes to work, doing his best to keep his job and if possible doing extensive work to earn extra or to get a promotion. When he gets home, his day ends there and his earning power also stops. Meaning, when he doesn't work, he doesn't earn. He thinks that some changes will happen once he gets promoted but actually, it's just putting you to a bigger wheel for another longer race that just makes you more tied up and disables you to attaining financial freedom.

Now, let's look at what financial freedom means.

A T. Harv Eker Quote defined financial freedom simply as the "ability to live the lifestyle you desire without working or relying on anybody for money to sustain it". Who wouldn't want that?

So in order to win the game, Cashflow emphasises the importance of saving, earning passive income (income other than your current job), investing and reinvesting. It even follows an income statement wherein after you choose your random job, you have to balance out your income with your expenditures. There are some elements of surprise where you get a baby, you get laid off and a lot more. Now, a lot of us are in denial that we need some financial education. Well, in general, in order to resolve a problem is admitting that you have one. Answer the question in this diagram and you'd know what I'm saying.

Get out of it fast!
Well, this diagram actually shows a person who's tied up with his job for 40 years. His day pretty much goes about the same. He goes to work, then comes home and then watches TV for entertainment. Would you want to live such boring lifestyle? Of course not!

At first, learning the mechanics of the game was a work up. But as I played CASHFLOW 101 over and over, I tried to adopt some of the game's principles to win, into my own real life. And I never realised that I'd be bored with the mere fact of landing on to collecting my paycheck after knowing how to earn passive income in the game. When we started, nobody could get out of the rat race. Now, one of my friends can actually get out of the game in 20 minutes.

The beauty of it is that you can get out of the game anytime if you have to do something. And then just list down your investments and money at hand then just continue it whenever. It doesn't matter where your rat is at because it's just basically landing on the same thing again anyway. It is indeed a very smart game because the tool being used as per financial statement can even be used in real life.

For the people who are aiming to achieving financial freedom, you might want to give this a try. It is worth of your time and it will teach you a lot.

Financial statement being used in the game

Related posts:

1. A STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO SUCCESSFUL STOCK INVESTING WITH THE EIP COL EASY INVESTMENT PROGRAM - interested in buying stocks in the Philippines? Here's the broker, COL Financial, ready to cater and give you the best advices and deals.

2. 10 THINGS I LOVE ABOUT HONG KONG - Here are some of the advantages Hong Kong has that's why it's best to invest here.

3. RICH DAD POOR DAD - was written by Robert Kiosaki who also was the creator of the game, Cashflow.



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