There are plenty of resources out there about money, from podcasts, books and blogs by money gurus that will get you acquainted with the basics about money. Personal finance matters are quite complicated, and there’s far more than just tracking budgets and balancing cheque books. Since life and personal finance are not mutually exclusive, to master your personal finance also means mastering yourself.
I have rounded my top 5 most interesting TED talks – all between 3 to 20 minutes long- that will change the way you think about money and how you put it to use.
In no particular order, here they are:
1 – Psychological tricks to help you save money by Wendy De La Rosa
Why it’s a must watch:
Wendy De La Rosa does a great job at breaking down the behavioural roadblocks that prevent us from saving money and thus shifting our perspective about it.
My favorite quotes:
1. The number one purchase people say they regret, after bank fees, is eating out. It’s a frequent purchase we make almost every day, and it’s death by a thousand cuts. A coffee here, a burrito there…it adds up and decreases our ability to save
2. We aren’t machines. We don’t carry around an abacus every day, adding up what we’re spending, in comparison to what we wanted. But what our brains are very good at, is counting up the number of times we’ve done something. So I gave myself a limit. I can only use ride-sharing apps three times a week. It forced me to ration my travels.
2 – This is the side hustle revolution by Nicaila Matthews Okome
Why it’s a must watch:
Nicaila Matthrews Okome changes your perspective about side hustles and highlights why they are great.
My Favorite Quotes:
1. People are multi-passionate. I want to stress that not every side hustle is started because someone hates their job. Many are started simply because people are interested in lots of different things. Lisa Price, who started a hair and beauty company, Carol’s Daughter was working in television production when she started side-hustling. She says she actually loved her job. It was the fact that she came home every day feeling good that led her to start experimenting with making fragrances and hair oils in her kitchen
2. We are always taught that we’re supposed to know what to do when we grow up. But, when you are multi-passionate you want to dip and dabble in those different things. It doesn’t mean that you’re not committed to your job, it just means that you have other outlets that bring you joy.
3 – An honest look at the personal finance crisis by Elizabeth White
Why it’s a must watch:
Elizabeth White opens up an honest conversation about living the fake life riddled with financial troubles that we may face and offers practical advice for how to live a richly textured life on a limited income. Highly relatable and quote surreal considering the age and economic difference.
My Favourite Quotes:
1. A friend told me that I am broke not poor, and there is a difference.
2. The cavalry’s is not coming. There is no big rescue, no prince charming, no big bailout in the works. To have a shot at something other than being old and poor in America, we’re going to have to ourselves and each other.
4 – Financial Literacy: Mellody Hobson TEDMIDWEST
Why it’s a must watch:
Aside from the fact that I totally love this woman – she is simply amazing and extremely motivational for me. Mellody Hobson shares four quotes which most impacted her life with beautifully woven personal stories of her own.
My favorite quotes:
1. As women, we are raised to have rescue fantasies and I’m here to tell you no one is coming”…I read that quote and I said to myself what if from this day forward I led my life as if no one were ever coming. That if I’m all I’ve got, what kind of decisions would I make and how would I do things differently.
2. I think about especially today all of these individuals who are risk-averse. They don’t want to take risks. They have their money sitting in cash which is basically making nothing or they say I’m scared of the stock market and I don’t want to invest. By being scared they actually lose out over the long term because over the long term the stock market has outperformed all other investments.
5 – A Rick Life With Less Stuff by The Minimalists TEDXWHITEFISH
Why it’s a must watch:
Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus from The Minimalists give a talk all about being happy with fewer things in your life. I started my minimalist journey last year and believe me, it was the biggest mind-shifts one can make to lead a richer and fuller life.
My Favorite quotes:
1. Imagine life with more. More time, more meaningful relationships. More growth and contribution. A life of passion unencumbered by the trappings of the chaotic world around you. Well, what you’re imagining is an intentional life. It’s not a perfect life, it’s not even an easy life, but a simple one. What you’re imagining is a rich life. The kind of rich that has nothing to do with wealth.
2. Everyone around me said I was successful, but I was only ostensibly successful. You see I also had a bunch of things that were hard to see from the outside. Even though I earned a lot of money, I had heaps of debt. But chasing the American Dream, it cost me a lot more than money. My life was filled with stress, anxiety, and discontent. I was miserable. I may have looked successful, but I certainly didn’t feel successful.
Image credits: Top by Freestocks.org via Pexels
Other related:
- 8 Personal Finance Tips for Start-up Entrepreneurs
- The Best Personal Finance Books You Should Read Today
- 5 Powerful Personal Finance Trends of 2017
- Why Every Graduate Should Take a Personal Finance Class
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