The first state on the #MoneyProTour was Connecticut. I took off from Boston, where I’ve lived since I was 3 years old, in my 32 foot Class C RV, knowing that I would not only be “crossing” the country, but that I will actually be doing a big loop “around” the country. #25StatesIn25Weeks
The Northeast United States, in many ways, is a bubble. There are very highly educated communities, progressive liberals, tons of colleges and hospitals that attract students and doctors, and much more. The bubble I grew up in included high-quality public schools, safe neighborhoods, and opportunities available to me.
As I embarked on this tour, I expected a “culture shock” of sorts to occur – as I headed out of my comfort zone that I’ve gotten used to. Connecticut, however, was still New England, but I was able to get my eyes opened nonetheless.
My main stop in Connecticut was at Mohegan Sun Casino & Hotel. I reached this location in less than a couple of hours. This casino, in addition to Foxwoods Casino, are two very popular casinos that attract tens of millions of visitors annually, who gamble hundreds of millions of dollars. Massachusetts, as of the time of this post, had yet to open any casinos due to the state laws, so many Mass residents traveled down to CT for the chance to hit a jackpot.
On the floor of the casino, one of the people who caught my attention the most was a waitress on the casino floor. She saw that I was chatting with a few visitors to the casino, and she came by and chatted with me a bit.
What was so special about what she said? Well, as a full-time waitress of more than 10 years, she told me “I save everyday. Everyday I put money away faithfully.” When I asked her where she learned that from, she replied, “I struggled so bad for so long, I just said to myself ‘I’m not going to deal with this anymore.’ Whether it’s $10 or $20 or $30, I set money aside everyday.”
This is so important. Setting aside money from your earned income is critical! This is known as your “Gross Savings Rate” which means the Percentage Put Into Assets divided by Gross Income Earned.
“And I work 6 days a week, not 5 days. I’m not afraid to work, and I’m not afraid to save.” What a powerful sentiment. She even told me “I’ve saved $20,000 in 4 years.”s
You could feel a sense of pride from her. She was smiling. She was glowing. She was in control of her cash flow, paying all of her bills, and planning ahead for the future that she wanted to create.
How many of you reading this article can say that you are as diligent of a saver as this waitress on the floor of a casino?
Comment below – what do you think about a Waitress saving $20,000 in just a few years? Do you save diligently from each paycheck? Do you think anyone can save? Tell me below!
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