From Rhymes to Riches
Spending money in itself is not really a crime
It only hurts if you're addicted, spending to your last dime
So I'm gonna break it all down like the best business schools
You want to keep your money? Then follow these simple rules
Number one: Before you pay light, gas and your rent
You should pay yourself at first, saving 15 percent
Making money doesn't matter if you're always broke
Credit cards and spending makes your bank account choke
Number two: Retirement is coming, so plan right away
Yeah, I know, you're only 20, but you should plan for this day
The years they creep by slowly, then quicker than heck
Saving after 40 is a pain in the neck
Number three: Think hard about job security
Cause a lot of U.S. jobs are sent right over the sea
If you've got the time, then use it to keep going to school
Investment in yourself, that's the number one rule
Number four: a good job is really nice, but you're being played though
When you own your own business, that's where you make the real dough
If you get that job you want, don't let the work stop there
Start a business of your own and you'll have money to spare
Number five: Before you get your car and your spouse
Save your money with your honey and buy your own house
People in apartments really don't get ahead
Cause you'll be paying rent for landlords up until you are dead
Number six: Before you even get your feet wet
Avoid the sweet temptation of credit card debt
Bad credit sneaks upon you like a thief in the night
It takes a second to destroy it, but years to get right
Number seven: While you're shopping for Gucci purses and socks
Take a sec and just reflect on purchasing stocks
A small investment in the Dow just a few years ago
Would buy more Guccis and Armanis than you ever would know
These are a few lessons from the finance guy
You're blessed to get a piece of the American pie
But America the pie can be American pain
If you don't commit yourself to be on top of your game
Start this while you're young, you'll be the cream of the crop
The money river, when it's flowing, it won't ever stop
Financial futures don't just happen, every step must be planned
So make the right decisions, and your life will be grand
Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Finance Professor at Syracuse University and author of "Financial Lovemaking 101: Merging assets with your partner in ways that feel good." He has given advice to millions in CNN, CBS, ESPN, USA Today and The New York Times. For more information, please visit www.boycewatkins.com.
