My Gen X Playlist: Money (That’s What I Want) – The Flying Lizards

When I was younger, I used to think that debt was a part of life. I had multiple credit cards, student loans and a car loan. I also had rent, insurance and enjoyed going out with friends. Let’s not talk about my Vegas runs. More was going out the door than coming in. I felt like I was running on a treadmill at full pace and not getting anywhere. Then one day, I said, “No more.”

They never taught personal finance in high school or college. So I had to educate myself. I began reading personal finance books and later, listening to a number of podcasts. I’ve pieced together a number of personal rules I try to live by. They work for me, but may not be everyone’s cup of tea.

• Spend less than you earn.
• Automate savings. Pay yourself first. Have savings automatically taken out of your account first and then live on the rest.
• Before any major purchases, ask yourself if it is a want or a need. If it’s a need, buy it. If it is a want, wait 24 hours to see if this is an impulse buy or not. Just make sure you don’t rationalize a want into a need.
• Pay your credit cards off in full each month. If you can’t afford it, don’t buy it. It’s a simple sounding rule, but can be the toughest to overcome.
• You don’t have to keep up with the Joneses. They don’t care and neither should you. It’s easy to fall into this trap.

My transition wasn’t easy. One of the toughest things is behavior change. And that’s what this is – reprogramming years of behavior that’s tattooed on your brain. It can really hurt sometimes to make a shift. But once you get over that hump, it becomes habit. The first step, hop off the treadmill. Trust me, your future self will thank you.

When I read this prompt, a song started playing in my head. I wasn’t sure of the exact title and had no clue about the band name. With the help of Google, I found it. Money (That’s What I Want) by the Flying Lizards. Yet another song that I had no idea was a cover. This originally was a rhythm and blues song by Barrett Strong. Interestingly, the song came out of an improvised jam session.

The song developed out of a spontaneous recording session . . . in Detroit. Gordy and Strong began by improvising on piano and vocals and were joined by Benny Benjamin on drums and Brian Holland on tambourine. Authors Jim Cogan and William Clark only identify the guitarist and bass guitarist as “two white kids walking home from high school [who] heard the music out on the street and wandered in to Hitsville [and] asked if they could play along.” They add “Strong claimed he never saw the two boys who played bass and guitar again.”

– Wikipedia

Improvised music is beautiful and very cool when it works. It’s definitely art. Improvised budgeting, on the other hand, is a tough nut to crack and can lead to a train wreck. Trust me, I know. I lived it.

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For a complete playlist, please click here.

For the Spotify playlist, please click here.

The best things in life are free
But you can give them to the birds and bees
I want money
That's what I want
That's what I want
That's what I want

Your love is such a thrill
But your love won't pay my bills
I want money
That's what I want
That's what I want
That's what I want

Money don't get everything it's true
What it don't get, I can't use
I want money
That's what I want
That's what I want
That's what I want

I want money
I want lots of money
In fact, I want so much money
Give me your money
Just give me money