I confess: I love the comics in the newspaper. Most of the time, I simply enjoy the humor, but occasionally a strip actually contains a serious message. The Baldo strip that was published Sunday, Nov. 19, was quite profound.

Baldo is a teenage boy who has a part-time job in an auto parts store. In this strip, he and a co-worker are leaving the store. In the first frame, Baldo says, “have you noticed? We come to work and two weeks later we get a paycheck.” In the second frame, he says, “But it seems we never get ahead. It’s work, work, work …” and in the third frame, he continues, “Then spend, spend, spend.” The fourth frame shows Baldo observing, “It’s like a vicious cycle that repeats over and over and over.” Then Baldo and his friend are shown walking down the street. Finally, the last frame repeats the first.

The message here is far more important than two teenage boys who spend the money they earn from the part-time jobs. This is the lifestyle of millions of people who go to work, get paid, spend all their money (and then some), and repeat the cycle every week. They never build any financial security or independence for themselves and their families, and they’re teaching their children the exact same lifestyle.

The good news is that the cycle can be broken. You can get off the work-spend-work-spend treadmill. Yes, it takes knowledge, commitment, and work, but if you’re going to be working anyway, why not be working for yourself and your future?

Jackie
Chief Blogger
Wealth Intelligence Academy