Financial Sorcery: Four Tiered Targeting (Jason Miller)
Twice today I have been sent articles about finances, so I guess that’s what I am meant to write about today. One criticizing pretty much all financial advice as classist, and another critical of how the poor get viewed as lazy. Let me say first and foremost that most poor people are not lazy or unwilling to work. In fact I will go so far to say no-one is to blame for their plight, causes and conditions of birth and circumstance are such that shit just happens and its not fair. Even the genetic dispositions you have are inherited – you are not to blame. Unfortunately you are 100% responsible. Blame is not the same as responsibility. Blame is about who is at fault, responsibility is about who is gonna fix it – and buddy, no one gives enough of a shit to fix your shit but you.
On financial advice about saving and putting money in this-but-not-that, its not classist. It just may not be the right advice for you. Like most things advice is not universal. People telling the poor to stop frittering away money are idiots. Whatever small comforts people without a pot to piss in can manage make life bearable, so if you point to someones phone or shoes fancy salad as evidence that they are fiscally irresponsible I hope that person bops you in the nose. On the other hand, those who start making just a little more each month than the bills eat away often start finding things to blow it on rather than using it wisely. That advice is for them. You hit 6 figures? Congratulations, now log out of Amazon’s pre-black friday sale and log into a Vanguard account.
Because financial advice is different for people at different stages, I took a poll of Strategic Sorcery students last month about where they were financially along four main stages.
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73 Students were at the Fix A Broken Mess Stage– This involves getting out of debt, establishing a living income, and not having major economic crisis. This stage is commonly called getting your shit together.
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55 were Getting Comfy – This is about obtaining preferable living situation, income that allows savings beyond expenses, etc. Basically a general sense of satisfaction with the economic present.
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99 reported that they were Establishing Freedom – Having savings to cope with economic crisis, realistic plan for stopping wage work, college fund for children if you have them, Basically a general plan for economic future.
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Finally 19 claimed to be Building Legacy. This is about extending your wealth beyond your nuclear family. Substantial inheritance to leave behind, serious philanthropy, empire building, etc. Basically making a change in the world beyond the norm.
Now, lets talk sorcery. The methods can be basically the same, but its not just the magic that makes success, its what you aim it at. If you are at the Fix A Broken Mess stage, you do not need to be focused on saving money and cutting expenses – you need to be focused on making more. Period. You can’t cut bone. Stop listening to people who claim you can. Whether its a business, a promotion, a job change, a side gig – all your sorcerers effort needs to be spent on increasing income. Not saving, not investing, just make more money. If you are at this stage, I recorded a free video to give further advice. Nothing costs more than $20 and its completely free.
Are you in the process of Getting Comfy? NOW you should start doing Sorcery to constrain your spending, because when you are used to having nothing, nothing feels better than satisfying every whim you have just because you can. You should do it every now and then. If it becomes a habit you are gonna feel like MC Hammer on VH1: “Find out how he lost it all…”. Get the budget set, guard against pitfalls, and insure your trajectory. You are on a quest, treat it like one. Slave the dragons, claim the treasure, rescue the princess (or prince or whatever) I wrote a whole book for people at this stage.
Those who are Establishing Freedom have something in common with those at the Fix a Broken Mess stage – you both need an escape plan. Their primary concern is freeing their money, yours is freeing your time. Its a tougher plight in some ways because you can replenish your money and control its spending, your time however is being spent whether you like it or not. Your sorcery should be on making sure that you love what you do and do what you love. This is how to free time. Given the desperate conditions many live it it may seem classist to even treat this as a problem, but First world problems are still problems.
Are you lucky enough to be at that Building Legacy stage? First piece of advice is: “Are you Really?” Check out your situation, often when people feel like they are at the top of their game, the bottom is disappearing out from under them. Take a stark and sober look at your holdings against the realities of old age, three decades of post-retirement inflation, shifting political landscapes, etc.
Got all that? Good job your majesty! Once you have used your sorcery to sure up your castle you can start using it to improve the kingdom. Figure out what you want to change in the world and put your resources towards it. Despite what the cult of affluence says, you did NOT get here all on your own. Just like people wind up poor because of many factors beyond their control, you did not arrive at this point without others. What kind of world do you want to enjoy yourself in? One filled with healthy and free people, or one where you have to hide behind a wall? Your Financial Sorcery at this stage should be about what you are doing to change the world.