MAK: Welcome back to Money with Mak &G, this episode is for the week ending July 30, 2021.  After a historic ending the week before last, we didn’t see much change in the three indices.  The Dow dropped below 35,000 so we say it’s meeting some resistance. But, we’ve seen that for a while.  The S&P dropped under 4,400, so we can say….

GRANT: It’s meeting some resistance at 4,400.  And, the NASDAQ ended the week below 14,700 or down about 1%.  Nothing too crazy.  But, Bitcoin did jump over 23% last week and is now over 40% up for the year. It’s crazy.  Up and down and round and round.

MAK: For many, it’s advised to really only look at your investment balances once per month.  

GRANT: Exactly, if you have a SOLID plan, you have to let it work.

MAK: Couldn’t agree more big brother.

GRANT: Mak, last week we spoke about giving money to charity.  I know it feels great when you can give money to help someone that needs it. Then, Dad has just been telling us about a book called Happy Money by Ken Honda.

MAK: Yeah, it sounded really interesting.  Didn’t the author say that money has energy?  Do you think that all money has bad energy because “Money is the root of all evil”?

GRANT: That’s a great question.  As for the quote, it looks like it is a shorter version of something seen in the Bible, which says “The LOVE of money is the root of all evil”.  Placing way too much love and faith in money isn’t a good thing and can definitely cause problems.  Almost anything can be bad if you don’t have things in balance.

MAK: You’re right.  When you talk about balance, you almost sound like your talking like there is Zen in money.  Ommmmmmm. I really like this quote from Budha, which says ”Money is Numbers (pause).  Numbers Never End (pause).  If it takes money to be happy, your search for happiness will never end.” 

GRANT: Oooohhh, that was a good one. Super deep.  I like it.  So, I guess this guy Ken Honda wanted to explore the idea that money has energy.  Ken was raised in Japan and was a successful consultant and accountant.  While at a party, an older lady asked to see his wallet to determine whether his money was “smiling”.  

MAK: I guess it’s not that uncommon in Japan for someone to ask to see your wallet. That sounds pretty unusual.

GRANT: It sounds insane. Who would give you their wallet in this country??  You have credit cards, a driver’s license, cash, your insurance cards, and more.  Mom would never let anyone see her driver’s license. I guess it has something to do with a broken camera at the place where you get your picture taken.  Anyway, people keep all kinds of stuff in there, but I guess he let this lady look at his wallet. She took out the money and said it was all “Smiling”.

MAK: Mr. Honda found out that money has energy, and it can be good or bad. This older lady  went on to explain that money can laugh or cry depending on how it was GIVEN or RECEIVED. If it is given out of guilt, anger, or sadness, the money would be “crying.” 

GRANT: On the other hand, if money is given out of love, gratitude, or happiness, the money will be smiling—even laughing—because it will have positive energy from the giver. Remember the example that he gave about a kid using money to buy flowers for his mother.

MAK: I could see how that would make the money smile.  A child could easily give it good energy.  When I was buying gifts for mother’s day, I must have put a ton of positive feelings into that money for sure!! Giving money to charity would also give it great energy too.

GRANT: We’ve talked several times on the show about credit card debt.  It’s bad debt and something that drags on if only paying the minimum amounts.  The interest is very high, and it really works against you. Credit card debt is clearly UNHAPPY money. This sad money is designed to keep you on the endless treadmill of debt and minimum monthly payments.

MAK: Sad money has negative emotions: frustration, anger, sadness, despair. He says a salary from a job you really don’t like can be unhappy. For some people, like dad, they have negative emotions when paying taxes.  That could give the money some bad energy.

GRANT: You’re right.  The money mindset was about preparing yourself to create a positive financial situation. We know that’s a big part of moving in the right direction. Doesn’t it feel like anything you do that is worthwhile starts with your mind? Many Olympians have to use their mind to overcome barriers, stress, and many other items. 

MAK: That really makes sense. Dad had to get in the right state of mind for his diet, and he’s now lost over 15 pounds. It appears that having the right mindset goes a long way. Reminds me of one of dad’s favorite sayings:

MAK/GRANT: If you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right!

GRANT: The mind is pretty powerful, as we’ve seen.  Mr. Honda talks a lot about a key component of happiness is having….

MAK/GRANT: An attitude of gratitude.

MAK: You got that right.  Being thankful for what you have and receive is super important. Even when it sometimes feels tough.  Dad should know that without taxes, we wouldn’t have roads.  

GRANT: Maybe you should tell him that, so he can get his attitude of gratitude when paying taxes.

MAK: I think I will, maybe…. But I should probably wait until he’s done with last year’s taxes first!!  Being thankful and appreciating the money we have and what we can do with it puts out good energy. That’s one of Mr. Honda’s key points.  You have to say “Air-E-Got-O” a lot.  That’s Japanese for “thank you”. The more you say it, the more you appreciate it, and the happier you’ll be. Plus, the more money comes back to you too!

GRANT: I can believe that.  Happiness isn’t about how much we have either.  There are stories about very rich people who are very unhappy.  Howard Huges could be considered the Elon Musk of his era, back in the ’20s ’30s, and ’40s.   He was crazy rich and loved flying, setting speed records, and pushing the limits of his time like Elon is doing now with Space Travel.  He was known for being really unhappy. When he got older, he would literally lock himself into a hotel room for months on end and not see anybody.

MAK: Talk about quarantine.  Plus, he was a complete “germ-a-phobe”, and surely he would’ve been wearing a mask through COVID if HE was still alive.  Before we go, maybe we can hit on some of the other key points from the Happy Money book:

GRANT: Money has many emotions wrapped up in it.

MAK: Money can buy freedom.

GRANT: You never stop worrying about money, no matter the amount.

MAK: Money EQ is possibly more important than Money IQ.

GRANT: Do what you love and share it.

MAK: If you save money, imagine all the fun ways to spend it.

GRANT: Once you start spending more, it’s hard to go back.

MAK: Wealth gained slowly and deliberately tends to last for a long time.

GRANT: Compare yourself today with yourself yesterday and not against OTHERS.

MAK: Giving money away in a positive way or investing in companies that you believe in makes you feel better. If that’s the case, isn’t it worth trying more of it?  It couldn’t hurt, could it?

GRANT: I’d have to agree, little sister.  Thanks for being here, and we’ll see you next time for more:

MAK: Money with Mak & G. BYE!!