photo credit: HarshLight
Countless hours were spent as a kid playing my favorite board game, collecting rent on apartments and hotels while negotiating for Park Place and Boardwalk. What type of Monopoly player are you? Do you play with the properties you land on or do you like to barter and make deals? Playing Monopoly might seem like a childish game, but it definitely has some sound money managing principles that teaches you to stay within a budget and not stretch yourself thin. In Monopoly if you can’t pay your rent, you must declare bankruptcy. In the end the bank forecloses on your property and the other players can pay off the liens.
The game of Monopoly may have been the first time that you learned some basics about budgeting your money. The rules are easy to follow, but how you play the game is up to you. You can simply roll the dice and pay rent or you can build up a vast wealth of apartments and hotels.
Even though Monopoly is just a game, what are some money management tips we can learn from it?
1. Cash is king. The bank in Monopoly only accepts cash. Building up passive income through property rentals can help you achieve your goal of building apartments or hotels. Today, you are payed by your employer in cash and it’s up to you on whether you invest the money or just pay your landlord rent.
2. Negotiate. You won’t get anything unless you ask. That goes for a raise from your boss or Board Walk that your friend currently owns. Will they sell it for $300 or $1,000? It probably depends on how they are doing in the game at the time. If you don’t attempt to negotiate and make a deal, you might not win the game. If the asking price is $2,000 for your future wife’s diamond ring, will you ask to negotiate? Did you?
3. Pay your bills on time. It’s funny how Monopoly imitates life. When you land on luxury tax, you must pay it or start selling off properties. The game comes to a stop until you take action. You don’t have a chance to pay the minimum on a credit card and move money towards another debt.
4. Being a landlord can be fun. Owning hotels on Park Place or Boardwalk can be very lucrative when a fellow player stops on your property. Owning property can create a passive income stream that can pay for your retirement or children’s college. In real life you obviously want to charge a market rate and not something expensive like Boardwalk that has the potential to put your tenant into bankruptcy.
5. An emergency fund is always needed. One roll of the dice and you could wind up in jail or owing a huge luxury tax. If you’ve overextended yourself and purchased property without an adequate emergency fund, you’ll wind up having to sell something. Having an emergency cash fund or rainy day fund can help you navigate through tough times. Having an emergency account in real life can help you fix a flat tire or purchase a new washing machine.
Do you have a favorite game you played that taught you money management skill?
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