What I mean by this is the concocted wars created by left and right. There is no war, only facts. These are the facts.

#1
The number one problem is kids having kids irresponsibly. The most responsible way to have kids is to first have an income. You wouldn’t (or couldn’t) buy a car or a house without first having a means to pay for those purchases. Parental planning is key. You need to have a plan for the future. Don’t have kids without having first created a stable home. A Robin will first create a nest before laying eggs.

#2
Irresponsible use of mind altering substances. This could be alcohol, cannabis, or any other drug. This leads to problems at #1. A lot of kids have been made when you are out of your mind and not using protection. Passion does funny things to us. Its irresponsible to do this. It creates many other problems as well, like poor education, poor work life, and poor health in general. And don’t drink (or get high) and drive!!

#3
Having a support net. Believe me, the government shouldn’t be your support net. Your significant other is the first level support net. In my household, its divide and conquer. My wife and I have our own responsibilities. And when one of us is down, the other can pick up the slack. After 31 years of marriage, I don’t know how I would have made it without her. If you live life without that kind of commitment to someone, you have lost your first line support net. Even better if you have kids. You take care of them, they take care of you. I always think about my parents and in-laws. I know it will be my responsibility to make sure they are OK when they can’t care for themselves. Beyond that, parents, other family, community, church; these are all important pieces to your support net.

#4
Get an education. My rule through college to my Ph.D. was to never miss a class. Go to class and pay close attention. If you strive to learn it the first time, then it will save you so much time trying to catch up and do it on your own. I learned this in high school back in Kansas. Unlike where I graduated in suburbia in Michigan, I lived in rural Kansas where most of us had jobs. We were farmers, we baled hay, I worked in a train yard some times… we worked! So we didn’t get a lot of homework since our teachers knew we worked. You had to listen and do your work in class and in study hall because you didn’t have time to do it at home. An education is also learning a trade. Maybe your parents have skills as a plumber, welder, mechanic, seamstress, crafter, or other trade. Maybe it helps to go to a tech or vocational school. Or maybe you go to college, which I would say is generally less useful than the vocational school. Some majors in college don’t translate into a job. So if you go to college, know how it transitions into making money and a career. In my many years, I’ve learned on my own how to do brake jobs on autos and other skills. I know wood craft. I’m about to begin welding. With skills gives you opportunities. YouTube is great for learning. Then go apprentice with someone. You need knowledge. There is no excuse for not getting educated. Anybody can do it.

#5
Live by a budget. Have you read the book "Rich Dad, Poor Dad"? If you haven’t, you should. Just like you don’t get marriage advice from a celebrity, or take fitness tips from someone drastically overweight; don’t seek financial tips from a homeless person. Learn from a rags to riches story how to be successful. We see the flashy people out there who are new to money. But for many wealthy people, they drive a very modest car, live in homes they can afford, and don’t eat out all that much. Some wealthy people are very frugal with their money. Many of Dave Ramsey’s flock of financially literate people sacrifice a lot to be in a good position in life. I guarantee, if I walked around with someone who doesn’t make a lot of money, I could point out precisely the mistakes being made.
-Junk food and fast food; that includes Starbucks.

-Flashy clothes and shoes.
-Expensive travel that you can’t pay for.
-Buying and leasing autos you can’t afford.
-Paying for your home with Rent (BIG money down the drain)
-Buying too big of a house.
-Not buying in bulk or seeking wholesale prices.
-Not diversifying your sources of income.
-Not diversifying where you invest.

#6
Have an emergency fund. An emergency fund is essential. Before saving, before paying off debt, before anything; have an emergency fund. That should be at least 2 months of your expenses, preferably 3, optionally 4-5. This money is set aside and never touched. Its not your Cayman Island fund. Its not your new car fund. Its never to be touched unless you have an emergency. Its apropos to today. When done right, nobody should be in crisis.

#7
Get out of debt and never go back into debt. Though I list this as #7, its the #1 killer of wealth. Its like carrying a canteen of life saving water, but you have big holes drilled into the sides. The holes are debt. It sucks the life out of you. I know some people who buy things and take vacations completely on credit. That’s a huge STUPID NO-NO! Do you hear me? Don’t do it. Its STUPID. Create a vacation fund. If you are planning a big vacation and it takes 3 years to save up for, then that’s what you can afford. Create a car fund. Then buy your next car with cash. That’s how you live within your means. I’ve found the Dave Ramsey way to be the best way to snowball yourself out of debt. Take your smallest debt first and get rid of it; FAST! Then, use the amount you were using to pay that debt and even more for the next smallest. By the time you get to the last and biggest debt, you snowball all that money into the debt. Get rid of it! NOW! And never ever go back into debt. Save, save, save. Plan, plan, plan.

The government wants you dependent on them. The banks want to take what you own. You need to watch out for numero uno. Having kids outside of a committed relationship is extremely troublesome. It comes first down to firm personal beliefs and a value system. When you play with fire, you are bound to get burned. You go to a party, drink too much, inhibitions go down, and then you start getting busy with anyone and everyone. You can blame all the people you want for a poor start in life. It takes two to tango and both are responsible (for being irresponsible). But what it came down to is selfishness. You gave into your own pleasures. You had a poor understanding of your belief system. You had no self control. And you started skipping classes at school. You didn’t listen to teachers. And then you wonder why you are making minimum wage. It starts early. It takes a family who loves and cares for you to bring you up with those values and beliefs so you can succeed in life. It starts from infancy. It has nothing to do with a political or class war struggle. It comes down to personal responsibility. Refuse to be a victim. Refuse to be a token to anyone’s cause. Never seek handouts, only hand-ups. Seek people who help you reach your dreams. Seek positivity; not negativity. A winner always wins.

This is the truth!