Category: Personal Finance

Do you want to know the money secrets of the rich? Discover these secrets from one of the hottest game these days – Plants Vs Zombies.  This article reveals the money lessons out of this unusually popular game.  If you haven’t played this game, here’s your chance to find out why you should.

These days, my wife is staying out late in the night…not because of work, but from playing plants vs zombies computer game.  I was looking over her shoulder one time and noticed how concentrated she was playing the game.  Curious why she gets overly excited over a simple-looking game, I was intrigued.  While listening to her unravel the mysteries and strategies of the game, I realized there are 5 money secrets that can be learned from this hugely popular game.

Secret #1 – There’s a season for everything

There’s a season for everything.  Just like in the bible, there’s a season of planting and there’s also a season of harvesting.  At the start of the Plants vs Zombies computer game, you have to plant sunflowers.  And when they bear fruit in the form of sunlight (weird huh?) you get points.  The more you plant, the more you can harvest later on.  It’s as simple as that.

Unfortunately, in the real world, we often forget to plant.  We become impatient.  We want the fruits (a.k.a. sunlight) right away.  You want that new car, even if you don’t have any savings and you’ve just started a new job.  You say, no worries.  I can secure a loan anyway.  What’s your “sunlight”?  New house?  New mobile phone?  New LCD TV? 

In the midst of this obsession for chasing these things, we should also keep in mind the most important thing – where’s your plant?  Are you planting seeds that will turn into money machines that will bear fruit and give you money later on? 

Secret #2 – The secret to success is preparation

One time, my wife was complaining to me how she’s so frustrated at a specific stage in the plants vs zombies game.  Apparently, it’s already her nth time repeating that level and she could not get around the zombies.  These creatures always overwhelm her, no matter what she does. 

After some time, I was startled to hear her jubilantly scream “YES! I finally defeated the zombies”.  Without me even asking, she proceeded to tell me how when she gets overwhelmed, she just restarts the game on the same level AND THEN on the next try, she PREPARES way ahead of time.  She plants the necessary flowers and weapons, even before the hoard of zombies come.  So that once they finally come, her plants are more than ready to defend her house by throwing more fruits at the zombies, more fruits than ever thrown at any stage in the game.  Now, it’s the zombies’ turn to get overwhelmed.

While we cannot just restart our real life (that would be like filing for bankruptcy), it’s very important to learn how to PREPARE.  This is the reason insurance and emergency funds are important.  You need to prepare for these things even before you need them.  This is even more evident for life insurance, since the younger you are, the cheaper your premiums will be.  Unfortunately, when you’re young, you are not concerned with life insurance reasoning that you still have a lot of time ahead of you.  You say, that can wait.  But while you’re waiting, the zombies are planning their attack.  Be prepared.

Secret #3 – Use leverage

To win the game, you can use different kinds of plants.  Some plants throw only one ball.  Others throw two at a time.  Others don’t throw anything but block the zombies way, delaying time.  Sunflowers, on the other hand, can’t do anything to protect themselves, but they give the most important thing of all – points.  Points to buy the seed for your other plants.

In real life, some people are working their way using only plants with one ball at a time.  That would be like having a job.  Your job can give you money, and scare away some of your zombies (a.k.a. financial problems – like not having any money).  If you have a job, congratulations.  At least you have planted your way to one money machine.

But while having a job helps, it can only throw a ball one at a time.  It’s a slow process.  The richest men in the world, however, own big businesses.  Their plants throw millions or billions of balls at a time.  Take Bill Gates, the billionaire who built one of the biggest software company in the world today – Microsoft.  Or closer to home, you can look up to Henry Sy, the owner of the most successful malls in the Philippines.  They have planted a different kind of money machine – BIG businesses.  

Secret #4 – Don’t panic

At every level, you start off really slow.  You plant one sunflower.  Plant another one.  Then your third comes along.  You only need to concentrate on what you can do at the moment.  That is plant more sunflowers to make more money!  Then use more throwing plants to fend off the incoming zombies. 

But once the zombies come in, their faces make you scared.  In real life, zombies do not look like scary creatures.  Often times, they are just unexpected events or people you meet, who forces you to see a better way to live.  So there’s no reason to panic especially if you prepared to the best of your abilities. 

When everything fails, know that it’s ok to restart on the same level.  In real life, this is equivalent to the many lessons you learn about money when you ACT.  When you start your first business, you may find that not a lot of people really need or want the thing you’re offering.  Your business fails.  So when you restart on the same level, like opening up a new business, it would do you good to do market research first to ensure a lot of people would love to buy what you have to offer. 

The most important thing is to just have the bias for action.  Take action.  Even if you fail.  Learn the lesson and try again.  If you fail, restart the game, take a more intelligent action.  Act again and again until you succeed and scream your hearts out to say “Yes! I’ve defeated the zombies!”

Secret #5 – Enjoy playing

If you don’t enjoy playing plants vs zombies, do something else.  Play Farmville instead. Or Restaurant City!  Play Cashflow 101.  Get up.  Get running.  Do something. 

In life, if you’re not enjoying what you do, it will all seem like an uphill battle and a huge waste of time.  Are you trapped in a job that you don’t even like?  Are you working 9am – 5pm on something that your heart is not passionate about?  Maybe it’s time to do something else.  Find your passion.  Life is too precious to waste your time doing something you don’t love.

If you’re young, the world is yours.  There’s no better time to be alive.  A lot of opportunities abound for the passionate mind.  Bless the world with your talents.  Help other people with your gifts.  The more people you help, the more the universe will give you what your heart truly desires.

Now, go play!

P.S.  Do you want to learn how to play the game of money better? Join Bo Sanchez’ Truly Rich Club NOW!