Welcome to R.E. White Consulting, this is our blog (web log), nothing overly complicated, just straight blog posts for the general public, in hopes someone can make good use of them for their personal or business finances. I am Marc William White USN-RET, owner of R.E. White Consulting. I always like to include the time and date of each post plus my location, I know it’s included under the title automatically but, just for the record today is Sunday, Easter, 03-31-2024, and the time is 2:51 PM CST USA. I am currently in Adairville Kentucky living in one of my own rental properties, but moving out soon.
As an investor myself I have always liked Forbes, this is from Wikipedia, “Forbes (/fɔːrbz/) is an American business magazine founded by B.C. Forbes in 1917 and owned by Hong Kong-based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014.” Through many decades of trial and error, I have learned and often relearn, that we either handle money and finances or it handles us, a concept so small and simple it’s very easy to overlook, in my opinion. One of my favorite books is The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, I truly believe it’s the small habits that make us or break us, quite literally.
Here is a link to an article at Forbes that leads us in to our main topic which is Americans running out of money before the end of the month, also known as “living check to check”. “Living Paycheck To Paycheck Statistics 2024” “A 2023 survey conducted by Payroll.org highlighted that 78% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, a 6% increase from the previous year. In other words, more than three-quarters of Americans struggle to save or invest after paying for their monthly expenses.” Retirement, or the ability to retire and stop working for money takes a lot of planning, I started planning when I was 4 years old.
According to another article in Forbes, there are “4 Pillars of Retirement”, which are: #1, your Social Security check, paying in for years or decades, then drawing out if you become disabled or by reaching age 62 or 63, or reaching your FRA or full retirement age. #2, a pension you can’t cash, this does not include a 401K. #3, investments including a 401K, cash savings, annuities, bonds, IRAs, SEP accounts, rental properties, royalties, precious metals, crypto currency, collectable art, and everything else. #4, surprisingly this one is “continuing to work” which many people get tired of doing or are unable to do.
It may seem as if I am bragging but I am not, and when I stated I have been planning my own retirement since age 4 I am not joking. Today, I am 58 years young, and all 4 pillars of my retirement are firmly in place with the exception of number #4, I struggle with it due to health issues and disabilities of which I have no shame at all. I receive a SS check, I have a pension / disability check from the Department of Veterans Affairs, I have a lot of assets and rental properties, land and crypto currency, cash savings and collectables, and a lot more, and I still enjoy working when I can although currently I am “capped” by SS.
Now, living check to check is a problem in America, and aside from the obvious reasons, there are many we don’t even consider each day. Not everyone is able to go and get a pension, it takes serious time, energy, and dedication to receive one, but the upside is they can’t ever be cashed out like a 401K can. There are many tens of millions of Americans who receive smaller than average SS checks each month, they have no pension whatsoever and are too old to get one now, they have little to no investments and or cash, and their ability to work is hampered by old age, disability, depression, and more.
One of our main aims here at R.E. White Consulting has always been to help others, and despite the many things we have been called through the years by anonymous people online, and or those with lower levels of education, we just keep doing what it is we do best. You are free to visit our “Giving” page located here. A new set of tires may not seem like a big deal to many of us, but to someone who needs a $1500.00 set of them, that doesn’t have the money to pay, it often is a great big deal, and an important one indeed!! We want to help everyone learn, work, save, invest, give, and have more than enough.
Many Americans, and perhaps people all over the world, are satisfied to simply “get by”, and as long as their bills are paid each week and month, then they might enjoy going home each evening and watching movies, drinking alcohol, over eating, or generally resting after a hard days work. We propose, the way for people to build wealth is to go above what the averages do, this will help them to stop living check to check. In simple terms, living check to check means at the end of each month there is nothing left to invest or SAVE. Savings is great, but it must also eventually be invested so it can grow.
I can’t believe that 78% of all Americans live check to check, but wait a second, I know how easy it is to spend money, especially if we don’t have an accountability partner in the form of a spouse, wife, or husband. If YOU can save even $10.00 each month after all your expenses are paid, you are no longer living check to check, this is critically important to get to this point. You also need a “cookie jar fund”, Dave Ramsey the financial guru calls it the Emergency Fund, your 1st one is $1,000.00 cash, the 2nd one is ALL of your yearly living expenses divided by 12 multiplied by 6 months. This way you have a cushion.
If 1 or 2 of your 4 pillars of retirement are too weak, or even non existent, then the other 2 or 3 need to be much much stronger. I know, old age will catch up with all of us eventually, and all of what I or Forbes propose may seem impossible, but please don’t give up hope, all things ARE possible through Jesus Christ. We need goals, without those we are dead in the water, the goal gives us vision, and combined with imagination, hard work, smart work, dedication, team work, Christian values, good habits, sobriety, giving, exercise, proper health care, and a lot more, we can all accomplish incredible things, I believe it!!!
I know it may not be easy, to get out of financial debt, or to find a better job, to move into a smaller less expensive place, or to sell that fancy car we like so much, but success depends on how badly a person WANTS it. I firmly believe if someone BELIEVES they can change and WANTS to change they CAN and WILL change!!!! Americans are being brainwashed into thinking food like products are real food, when in fact it is all mostly junk, its full of herbicides, pesticides, chemicals, growth hormones, refined white sugar, high fructose corn syrup, additives, blood, puss, insecticides, and a long list of other really nasty dangerous unhealthy stuff.
Sadly, we need to be realistic, hundreds of millions of Americans are suffering terribly from a very long list of problems and unhealthy habits which impact their finances, such as: neighbors hating neighbors, instant gratification, blame, hate, anger, aggression, divorce, dishonesty, lying, cheating, alcohol abuse, tobacco abuse, obesity, illicit drug addiction, over prescribing by doctors, unnecessary surgeries, clinical depression, greed and not tithing 10% each month, not exercising, slothfulness, a sedentary lifestyle, abusive controlling mothers, absent uncaring fathers, a corrupt judicial system, and much much more.
I have made many financial mistakes in my life, we all have, but we can always start getting back on track TODAY, it is never too late to start anew!! Work becomes a habit, saving becomes a habit, giving becomes a habit, investing becomes a habit, and living on less than we have coming in becomes a habit. I can’t stress enough, what it is we do each day, all day every day, this is what will make a difference in 1 year, 3 years, 5 years, 10 years, and 30 years. I am writing this blog post from a house that has been in my family for 5 generations, since 1947, because our habit is to NOT sell it, but rather keep it. A house is a serious investment, not always easy to obtain and keep.
In closing, today, and over the past 1.5 years, I have been able to give away 10% of ALL my income each month to church and charity, this is God’s work and extremely important, and I have also had the ability to save 25% of all my income AFTER the 10% is paid. WOW!!! I don’t live check to check, and you don’t have to either my friend, but you will need to make some choices, and maybe change some daily and weekly habits. Have I messed it up on some months? Sure, absolutely, I fail often, I am not perfect, but the point is I keep on trying, despite my failures, setbacks, and disabilities. Each new day is a chance to get it right, to work, generate money, and save then invest.
Got some junk you don’t need? GREAT!!! Jump on Ebay and sell it!!! Have a garage sale and buy some gold with the money instead. Don’t understand Bitcoin and crypto, easy, Google “crypto exchange” and pick one, create an account, buy it, then sell when it is at the top and you can “take profit”. Tired of the mindless easy job you got? Good!! Increase your skillset with a new education, go to college, take classes, get a degree, go to technical school, obtain a certification, invest in yourself and your mind, it will continue to pay off for the remainder of your entire life. “Upside down” in your car? Owe more than it’s worth? SELL IT, ride a bike, buy an older car, you can do it, don’t give up hope!!!
In closing, because I need to get back to work here myself, keep your nose to the grindstone my friends, never ever allow anyone to tell you that you can’t do something. Anyone who tries to break you down is NOT your friend, they are a frienemy, an enemy in disguise, and you should be aware of them. We become like the 5 people we spend the most time with, this especially true in dealing with finances, broke drunks hang out with broke drunks, and wealthy successful sober people hang out with other wealthy successful sober people. The last time I went to a “party”, a few weeks ago, was at a $1,500,000.00 house on over 1 acre, in the heart of Brentwood Tennessee!!!
These days, if I get the urge, I light up a $100.00 cigar like it’s really nothing (although I have not had a cigar in a week now probably), and my moving business, Lifted Moving Services pays me $80.00 to $160.00 an hour anytime I want, because I demand it, I am worth it, and my clients love me and also the services we provide. You too can live a life of luxury, trust me you can, and if I can book a Harbor View Suite at The Boston Harbor Hotel for 8 magical amazing nights and pay cash for it, then so can you!!! Get in touch, call or text 270-847-2955 today, and let us show you in more detail what it is we really do here at R.E. White Consulting!!
Thank you very much for visiting the website sir or ma’am, we very much appreciate you! Have an amazing day, stay PROactive, stay sober, stay solvent, stay teachable, and leave the blame for those who don’t even really want real success!!! THANK YOU!!!!
Mr. Marc William White, 58yo White Caucasian Male, 5′ 10″, 163 Lbs UFC Class “Welterweight”, USN-RET PDRL 30%, DVA 100% + SMC-S + P&T + PG1, DAV FPLM, AL Post 88 TN, SS 100% Disabled + BTWP, Triple J Round Rock Ranch Co-Owner, Sam’s Rental Properties Co-Owner, R.E. White Consulting Owner, Lifted Moving Services Owner, Lucille White Holy Bible Collection Curator.
Contact Info: Cell Phone Call/Text/VM: 270-847-2955 (24/7/365) Central Office Phone VM: 270-539-2043 (24/7/365) Snail Mail: R.E. White Consulting P.O. Box 60 Adairville KY 42202
Social Media Channels & Links:https://www.youtube.com/@ThisFightersLife https://www.youtube.com/@TripleJRoundRockRanch
https://www.youtube.com/@rewhiteconsulting
Our Private Websites:http://www.thisfighterslife.com/ https://muleshed.com/ https://rewhiteconsulting.com/ https://lucillewhite.com/ https://marcwhite.pro/ https://marcwhite.pro/cv/ https://liftedmoving.com/ https://triplejroundrockranch.com/
Thank you so very much!! God bless you!!