Marina Serova

Trick or treat?

Chapter 1 Know Your Blues

I wonder what all the same mood depends on every morning? It happens that you wake up, you don’t have time to really open your eyes, but already you feel that on this day everything will turn out right, even if you don’t try too hard. And the next day, it seems that you are doing everything as always, and you will take a refreshing shower, and you will brew a cup of aromatic coffee, and you will flip through magazines during breakfast, and you will treat yourself to something tasty - but for some reason, cats scratch your soul. My friend Sveta explains this solely by the location of the stars, and it even began to annoy me somewhat that she had an answer from everything in the horoscope: they say that today is an unfavorable day for Aquarius, it’s a fortune for Sagittarius, and for Gemini it’s neither etc. It’s not that I don’t really believe astrologers, but I just can’t recognize only the zodiacal explanation of all the oddities of life. How many times has it been, Sveta has called in the morning and begins to exhort: look, you better not leave your house today, there will be serious troubles. And on this day, on the contrary, I get lucky all the time, and even get large monetary rewards if Sveta warns her pockets to watch and be afraid of thieves. But we will assume that we are even with Sveta, because she, in turn, also does not take seriously my belief in fortune telling on magic bones, which often helped me in the most extreme situations. How is this supposedly cubes with numbers can warn about something or suggest important information from the future? But this, I tell you, is such a thing that only on oneself can one verify, and even then, if one knows how to ask magic bones the right and serious questions.

Oh, I think that about whether to start kefir diet for weight loss today, magic bones will not listen. About such things, as well as about the sexual energy of fans, Svetka usually pokes out on the planets, starting from the very early morning, tucking into his books and tables.

But my aunt Shura is one hundred percent sure that the mood depends on magnetic storms. She always has clippings from the Izvestia newspaper in her kitchen, where unfavorable days of every month are periodically printed. I think, because of this valuable information from meteorologists, or anyone else, she writes this newspaper from year to year, although she then does not read anything else from it. But the days of the alleged magnetic storms are known by heart and already the day before they feel weak, nauseous and dizzy. It seems to me that if wise people thought of reducing the number of unfavorable days to one or, in extreme cases, two numbers a month, they would preserve the abyss of health not only to Aunt Shura, but also to hundreds of the same suspicious readers.

But what’s interesting: Aunt Shura’s husband, Uncle Vasya, constantly taunts his wife’s magnetic sensibility. If you ask Uncle Vasya what his morning mood depends on, he will answer without hesitation: “From what I ate yesterday.” After the illness of the stomach, Uncle Vasya seriously became interested in all kinds of theories of natural healing of the body and especially became a fan of the famous Paul Bragg’s system with his installations for fasting and eating only natural products. “We are what we eat,” Uncle Vasya tirelessly repeats after the super-healthy American and cooks vegetables from morning to evening, bakes bread himself, sprouts wheat grains, eating all this strictly by the hour. He is sure that any fluctuation in his mood depends only on his physical well-being, and his physical well-being can only be shaken if Uncle Vasya could not resist and ate a piece of smoked fish or cookies at a party, that is, spoiled his body with “dead food”. But Uncle Vasya’s faith solely in vitamins and minerals allows Aunt Shura not to waste time cooking boils for him or frying meatballs, which is very important on days when she is under the breathtaking effect of magnetic storms.

It’s especially interesting to watch Uncle Vasya, if you remember that my father’s mood depends on whether there is meat, fish, sausage, lard and other food of “real men” in the house in the morning. If not, honestly, he literally becomes irritable before his eyes, even his face becomes somehow yellow and harmful, though only until the first plentiful breakfast.

And one of my friends, the artist, firmly believes that it is alcohol and vodka that burns harmful microbes from a person inside, thanks to which a person after an evening libation wakes up with a clean, sterile organism - and only from unusual purity it happens that the head is buzzing and the process of rejection is too rough for renewed vessel of life and inspiration of food.

And my former lover, Vitya Tarasevich, was sure that his inner emotional fluctuations depend solely on the quality and quantity of sex. If the night was spent with feeling and sense in this sense, then the next day Vitya need not worry. And if such joys begin in the morning, preferably with their eyes closed, then surely there will be solid successes and victories ahead, no matter what. And here's what is amazing: even one missed night could lead my friend into a state of real, deep depression, from which only an obedient female body could cure. As it turned out, Vitya in my absence the next day fell into terrible abysses of despondency and despair, whence he had to get out at all costs, clutching at the first turned up skirt. In such clinical cases, it is necessary to use a convenient, correct remedy - legal marriage, so that a portion of “doping” is always at hand and taken two to three times a day. And I would try to tell Vita that his gloomy morning state depends on the location of the planets, on the gases in his stomach or the weather - that would be a laugh!

I’m saying all this to the fact that the ancient thesis that a person needs to know himself for happiness and preferably not listen to anyone else, remains at the end of the twentieth century.

I wonder why all the same in the morning I have such a foul, gray mood? What did I eat special or who didn’t sleep with so that even a crow on a branch outside the window seemed half dead, coffee beans burned, wallpaper faded (it’s time to make repairs!), Slippers are cold. Here is something - in fact!

Although it’s a sin to hide - deep down I have one hidden explanation for the seemingly inexplicable morning blues. This happens if there is a big break in work, and now the pause between the last thing and this very dull morning lasted about ten days, no less. Say what you like, but my work as a private detective is a drug cleaner than any heroin, not to mention Uncle Vasina’s raw carrots for the night, good for digestion. After all, while I am engaged in a new and interesting business, there is no need to indulge in the mornings even thoughts about my own moods and listen to whether melancholy scrapes in my chest or, conversely, if joy breaks. At this moment, I am not interested in any horoscopes, diets, fortune telling, or malnutrition — nothing that can distract from the investigation of another complicated story. Although Tanya Ivanova is considered to be an overly ambitious girl, I know for sure that it was just me who was able to solve several high-profile cases in our city of Tarasov, and I alone alone, sometimes at the cost of tremendous internal efforts, which I prefer to keep silent about. More precisely, I talk about them, but only once - when I tell the client the amount of my fee and “per diem” in dollar terms, which sometimes causes some surprise in the presses. But in this case, I answer: then you got to the wrong address, call “02”, write a statement, give official testimony and all that jazz. You will be dealt with completely free of charge, as guaranteed by the Constitution.

More precisely, you will not be dealt with for free, but you can at least be comforted by this deceptive thought if you like it more. I deal only with those people who look at life realistically and do not try to scrape free cheese from a mousetrap, but know how to value someone else's work and especially these very internal efforts that cannot be measured in grams, centimeters or kilobytes . Therefore, I prefer to arrange pauses, which are not so beneficial for me, than doing pennies with small family squabbles, stabbing and other cops' daily bread. " But in moments of depression, physical activity, karate plus meditation helps to recover well. Maybe in my old age I’ll take up writing memoirs, I will describe the criminal life of a quiet

Vicki Robin, Monique Tilford, Joe Dominguez

Trick or treat? You control money or money control you

Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez

with monique tilford

YOUR MONEY OR YOUR LIFE:

9 STEPS TO TRANSFORMING YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH MONEY AND ACHIEVING FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE

Scientific editor Nadezhda Reshetnik

Published with permission of Viking, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, a Penguin Random House Company and the literature agency Andrew Nurnberg (Russia)

Legal support for the publisher is provided by the Vegas-Lex Law Firm.

© Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez, 1992

© Vicki Robin, 2008

© Translation into Russian, publication in Russian, design. LLC Mann, Ivanov and Ferber, 2016

Dedicated, of course, to Joe Dominguez (1938–1997), an invaluable mentor and companion in an exciting adventure. And to everyone he loved

Foreword

We bring to your attention a new edition of the book “Trick or treat? You control money or money control you ”, supplemented and adapted to the realities of the 21st century. New readers will benefit from a practical and transformational approach to making and spending money. Old ones will find in this publication everything that they liked in the previous one, plus new useful ideas and information. Since 1980, the program described in the book has helped hundreds of thousands of people around the world establish control over their financial affairs. Surely she will help you. Nowadays, major changes on a national and global scale complicate the task of managing money in personal and family life - and, therefore, planning a safe future. You know this very well without me, because you are convinced of this in practice every day. And this is the first reason why we decided to release an updated edition of this already become classic book. Now more than ever, the need for a new concept of making, spending, saving money and a good life is more acute. When this book was first published in 1992, the dot-com bubble was just inflating, and soon after it a real estate bubble began to form. The flow of bubbles expanded and spread. We became involved in acquisition, seduced by the newfound deceptive well-being in the wake of the boom. But times have changed, and many things too - not to mention many people.

Before moving on to the challenges of the new era - as well as to talking about how the book “Trick or Treat?” will help you cope with them - I want to note that most of the previous generations believed that for one reason or another the world is heading into the abyss. However, the current "abyss" portends a fundamental, and not just a cyclical shift in our way of life. Too many private crises have merged into an “ideal storm”: savings are melting, debts are accumulating, pensions are depreciating, incomes are no longer growing, jobs are moving to low-wage countries, and health and social insurance programs are ineffective. All this is against the backdrop of a rapidly changing climate, starting with the depletion of critical resources (for example, oil and water), population growth, outstripping the growth of food supplies, and numerous symptoms of instability of the global economy in itself. If you already feel nervous, you cannot but admit that there are more than good reasons for that.

According to an article in Christian Science Monitor, “More and more economists are finding that America is currently a transformational economy in which consumer spending will play a lesser role over time, as households, albeit belatedly, recognize the need for revision. his way of life. "

Global shifts, comparable in scale to the present, are gradually beginning to influence our daily lives. It is not necessary to understand monetary policy in order to notice that our incomes are far from growing as fast as expenses. It is not necessary to understand the mechanism of global warming or the methodology for calculating the “energy efficiency from energy consumption” indicator (a problem from the field of oil production and oil refining) in order to understand that summer is getting hotter and rainier and gas station prices are constantly growing.

For these and a host of other reasons, the enduring common sense embodied in this book is now necessary for us more than ever. And it’s not too late to listen to him. The first followers who started this program in the 1980-1990s are now much more protected from the effects of global instability than most fellow citizens, and it is never too late to switch to a more frugal lifestyle. As one friend of mine says, thrift, like the “little black dress,” is now even more in fashion, since we have never needed it before.

Trick or treat? You control money or money control you

* * *

Dedicated, of course, to Joe Dominguez (1938–1997), an invaluable mentor and companion in an exciting adventure. And to everyone he loved

Foreword

We bring to your attention a new edition of the book “Trick or treat? You control money or money control you ”, supplemented and adapted to the realities of the 21st century. New readers will benefit from a practical and transformational approach to making and spending money. Old ones will find in this publication everything that they liked in the previous one, plus new useful ideas and information. Since 1980, the program described in the book has helped hundreds of thousands of people around the world establish control over their financial affairs. Surely she will help you. Nowadays, major changes on a national and global scale complicate the task of managing money in personal and family life - and, therefore, planning a safe future. You know this very well without me, because you are convinced of this in practice every day. And this is the first reason why we decided to release an updated edition of this already become classic book. Now more than ever, the need for a new concept of making, spending, saving money and a good life is more acute. When this book was first published in 1992, the dot-com bubble only? Only inflated, and soon after it the real estate bubble began to form. The flow of bubbles expanded and spread. We became involved in acquisition, seduced by the newfound deceptive well-being in the wake of the boom. But times have changed, and many things too - not to mention many people.

Before moving on to the challenges of the new era - as well as to talking about how the book “Trick or Treat?” will help you cope with them - I want to note that most of the previous generations believed that for one reason or another the world is heading into the abyss. However, the current "abyss" portends a fundamental, and not just a cyclical shift in our way of life. Too many private crises have merged into an “ideal storm”: savings are melting, debts are accumulating, pensions are depreciating, incomes are no longer growing, jobs are moving to low-wage countries, and health and social insurance programs are ineffective. All this is against the backdrop of a rapidly changing climate, starting with the depletion of critical resources (for example, oil and water), population growth, outstripping the growth of food supplies, and numerous symptoms of instability of the global economy in itself. If you already feel nervous, you cannot but admit that there are more than good reasons for that.

According to an article in Christian Science Monitor, “More and more economists are finding that America is currently a transformational economy in which consumer spending will play a lesser role over time, as households, albeit belatedly, recognize the need for revision. his way of life. "

A trick or treat book gives advice   which make it possible to control finances, but not live solely for the sake of money.

Vicky Robin - About the Author

Vicky Robin - A public figure, speaker, organizer of many non-profit companies. Vicki has performed on a variety of television shows, including the Oprah Winfrey show. In her free time, Vicky Robin performs with improvisational performances.

Trick or Treat Book Review

Consumer society and the first step

To get rid of garbage in your life, you need to take nine steps.

First step - put up with the past:

- determine the amount of income for your life (try to get the most accurate figure possible - it will show what amounts you actually encountered from the moment you first earned)

- draw up a personal balance sheet of liabilities and assets (it can be called your net worth. Write down liquid assets - cash in cash and all that can be turned into them, tangible assets

- the value of the objects of your property, debts that you are more likely to give back, payments made in advance. Commitment is all your loans, loans from friends and debt. So, you are ready to calculate your value: for this, summarize the assets and subtract liabilities from the amount received).

Four aspects of money and the second step

We will immediately determine that money is what we are ready to change our energy for. Only you can decide how valuable they are to you. If a person is ready to spend so much time in the hated walls of the office, then he estimates the money quite high.

Second step   - control your energy:

- calculate the time and money that is needed to save your current job (these calculations will show the cost of your energy, as well as how much you get for hours worked. Think about how much money is spent on travel, clothes, food, rest after a hard day, vacation, treatment ... Write down the figures received, add the estimated additional hours that were spent on the work during the week, and subtract the costs from the average weekly wage - now you know how much you really earn)

- analyze what and how you spend money (it is important to monitor each ruble! The money received and spent should be in your control zone, and for this you will have to record how much money you specifically give for this or that purchase. Even if it’s about ten cents).
  Step number two will not only allow you to assess how financially good your work is, but also demonstrate which expenses are justified and which should be avoided. Congratulations! You are slowly starting to build new relationships with money.

Third step

This stage involves the preparation of a list of costs that characterizes exactly your lifestyle. If, performing the second step, you could define costs as “Food”, “Directions”, “Clothes”, then now smaller categories should be specified inside them.

Calculate how much money is spent during lunch breaks. If you often take coffee from a vending machine, include it in the list of expenses. Be sure to consider the "home" spending on food, including those purchased for the preparation of a festive dinner. Similarly, disassemble the remaining categories.

Fourth step

Fourth step   Our program is aimed at ensuring that you can determine your priorities and, based on this, distribute expenses and income. Answer just a few questions:

- am I satisfied with my life in accordance with the energy that I spend?
  - do these costs correspond to my goals?
  - what will change if I no longer need to earn a living?

You have already analyzed your consumer preferences and decided on the purpose and values. There are only two options for further action:
  - change its activities so that it is consistent with values;
  - change values \u200b\u200bso that they fit your business

Fifth step

The fifth step teaches us to schedule. Take a piece of paper. On the vertical axis, write down the money starting from scratch (the last digit should be large enough - as if your income has doubled). On the horizontal axis, arrange the months over several years (optimally - from five years).
  When the next month comes to an end, put the points corresponding to the income and expenses of the vertical axis. Connect them - that’s the whole schedule! Composing it for the first several times, people are clearly convinced that they spend much more than they can afford. But it’s quite possible to reduce incomes: three questions will help in this, to which you answered during the fourth step.

Savings are another form of independence. The money that you save will save during the dismissal, it is on them that you will live in hard times. Imagine a situation where you took a one-year vacation. This year you will not be paid a salary - will you have enough savings to spend this time comfortably?
  Always update the schedule! You need it as feedback, which will remind you of the current financial situation. It depends only on you whether you will be able to adjust it or remain in the red.

Frugality and the sixth step

The sixth step involves the rational use of money and energy, as well as the conscious minimization of costs. It is not so difficult to be thrifty in the modern world, if you wish, but in many respects the situation is complicated by the constant availability of the Internet. Now, to make purchases, you can not even leave your home, just click the mouse several times.

The author offers several ways, choosing which you are guaranteed to be able to save:
  - Stop being addicted to shopping;
  - live within our means;
  - take care of those things that you already have;
  - use things to the maximum;
  - do some things yourself;
  - assess your needs;
  - analyze purchases by quality, value, shelf life, options

Seventh step

The seventh step encourages you to value your energy and maximize your income. A person who appreciates energy, appreciates himself and his life. And this fact in itself already makes him a candidate for a wage increase, because a person who knows his own worth can show decent results. Work only then will bring income when you are accurate in your intentions, see a clear goal, are ready to act and are aware of what is happening around. These four components are indispensable success factors, especially for those who have not yet found a dream job that would allow them to invest energy and get the maximum pay for it.

Capital and the eighth step

Having taken seven steps, you will inevitably come to financial independence. But to fully achieve this goal without the eighth step is impossible. And here we need to talk about capital.

You already know what savings are (and you probably have them!). You save this money to use in the future. Capital, on the other hand, is money that brings money. When you invest them, for example, in a bank, capital turns into investments. It:
  - speculative instruments (stocks, etc.);
  - debt instruments (loans).

Ninth step

The last step is to ensure that your income can cover the needs for the future. The question is about long-term investment. What to do if you absolutely do not know what it is and how to act? It would seem that you can contact a specialist. However, we do not recommend implementing this decision.

There are several investment options:
  - investment funds;
  - index funds.
  But how to understand how successful the investment is? To do this, focus on such questions:
  - Does the option I choose correspond with my values?
  - what are the features of taxation?
  - How quickly will it be possible to sell part of the investment object?
  - what fees will I pay when performing various financial transactions?
  - is my income secured?
  - How much does the chosen investment policy correlate with the desired level of risk?

Gaining financial independence is the dream of many people. To do this, you need to learn to consciously use and control money, and not live for it. By changing your attitude to money as a result of following the recommendations described in this book, you will reach a new level of awareness of all financial issues, as well as gain higher competencies and will feel much more comfortable.

The book will be useful for everyone who wants to control their finances, and not live for money.

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Trick or treat? You control money or money control you
  Monique Tilford

Vicky Robin

Joe Dominguez

Gaining financial independence is the dream of many people. To do this, you need to learn to consciously use and control money, and not live for it. By changing your attitude to money as a result of following the recommendations described in this book, you will reach a new level of awareness of all financial issues, as well as gain higher competencies and will feel much more comfortable.

The book will be useful for everyone who wants to control their finances, and not live for money.

Published in Russian for the first time.

Vicki Robin, Monique Tilford, Joe Dominguez

Trick or treat? You control money or money control you

Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez

With monique tilford

YOUR MONEY OR YOUR LIFE:

9 STEPS TO TRANSFORMING YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH MONEY AND ACHIEVING FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE

Scientific editor Nadezhda Reshetnik

Published with permission of Viking, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, a Penguin Random House Company and the literature agency Andrew Nurnberg (Russia)

Legal support for the publisher is provided by the Vegas-Lex Law Firm.

  © Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez, 1992