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How to make money – the entertaining way. Here are 5 movies to teach you how to make it, keep it, and not ruin your life. SPOILER ALERT!
You hear of yet another person who ‘made it big’ getting into property, trading forex, or just simply getting their investment act in order. You strike up a conversation with someone like this, or email them (or tweet them, whatever), hoping they'll tell you how to make money. What they tell you makes your eyes water, slightly. Like... glaze over. It’s the words, “There’s this book you can read…” Reading. Ain’t nobody got time for that (your response, not ours).
Learn How To Make Money Without Reading
The good thing is, everything that can be read can now be viewed as a video, infographic, or listened to as an audiobook. Throw in some popcorn, and a few big names, and you have a captive audience. And, we’re not talking about Warren Buffett, or even Richard Branson. We’re talking Leonardo Dicaprio, Demi Moore, and Will Smith. There are a lot of resources that teach you how to make money. Warren Buffett's annual letters, or The Intelligent Investor, by Benjamin Graham, and many others. But, nothing can compare to being informed without realising and being entertained, too.5 Movies About Money
1. Pursuit Of Happyness
This tearjerker teaches us that hard work always pays off. Pursuit of Happyness is based on a true story that sees door-to-door salesman Chris Gardner (played by Will Smith) have his dream for his family severely tested. Through his pursuit of a better life, he faces a broken marriage, eviction, homelessness, and just heartbreaking bad luck – all with his young son constantly at his side. But, Gardner, refusing to compromise on the possibility of a better life, pushes through and earns a coveted spot at an investment firm. He, eventually, goes on to found his own firm and became a multimillionaire in the process. This movie will inspire you and tear you to pieces. But, what it ultimately teaches you is that nobody owes us a cent and the world doesn’t always conspire to bring us success. Never give up on your dream, never give in to unfair circumstances, and always have a reason bigger than any excuse.2. The Wolf Of Wall Street
Always, always, always do your homework when investing money or buying shares (or anything for that matter). And, don't assume everyone has your best interest at heart. Loosely based on a true story (a book by the same name written by the Wolf himself), the film follows the rise and ultimate fall of a charismatic Wall Street stockbroker, Jordan Belfort. Belfort, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, uses his savvy (and scripted) sales pitch to bamboozle naive investors into buying worthless stocks. Belfort made a massive fortune off the back of this fraudulent practice and led a gang of similar-minded money sharks to do the same. They defrauded 1 513 ‘clients’ out of more than $110 million, which he is still paying back in restitution. But, if you have a good and honest product that will benefit people, this movie does offer some good sales tips. Just maintain your integrity and don’t fall into the wrong lifestyle.3. Indecent Proposal
Money should never be worth everything. What’s really important to you? When you really learn how money works, you realise it’s not even a real thing. It’s a form of IOU – a promise of reimbursement. It’s only worth what it can buy. So, essentially, it’s worthless. When a young married couple, played by Woody Harrelson and Demi Moore, lose all their money on a gamble in Las Vegas, they get an offer they can’t refuse. In Indecent Proposal, they’re forced to ask themselves what a million dollars is really worth when a billionaire, played by Robert Redford, offers them $1 million for one night with Demi Moore. There are no shortcuts to making money. If you’re presented with one, there’s likely a price you shouldn’t be too readily willing to pay. Also, don’t gamble.4. A Perfect Murder
Debt kills. Literally, in this movie (or does it?). Michael Douglas leverages his personal fortune for a business deal (what did we just say about gambling?). But, things go south and he loses everything. He discovers his wife, played by Gwyneth Paltrow, and heiress to a multimillion dollar fortune, is having an affair. Also, she’s thinking about leaving Douglas. In a twisted turn of events, Douglas blackmails the other man into killing his wife. All because of a bad investment strategy and the overwhelming debt that ensued. Never risk more than what you can afford to lose. And, stay out of debt.5. Minimalism: A Documentary About The Important Things
Contrary to learning about how to make money, this documentary teaches you to not fill your life up with material possessions in the hopes of happiness. We live in a hyper-materialistic society that’s more focused on Black Friday deals than the wellbeing of the shoppers we shove out of our way to get ‘up to 60% off all flat screens’. This film, which follows two men who found success but not the happiness it promised, asks the question: how might your life be better with less? Money doesn’t equal happiness; it should be a means to an end, and not the meaning of your life. Watch interviews with families, entrepreneurs, architects, artists, journalists, scientists, a former Wall Street broker, and the minimalists themselves, as they explore living a meaningful life with less.