D'Arruda All Evil

Often people forget things they deal with every day. A great example is the investment banker. Working on big figure deals which greatly impact global commerce and markets, sometimes can lead to forgetfulness. Namely, if the brand name bank you work for can function off a constant stream of lending and borrowing, why can’t you?

I find myself asking this question after reading about Pete D’Arruda, a personal finance consultant who has taken leveraging his personal credit worthiness to a level few people consider. This very average individual has taken it upon himself to resort to the same strategy used daily by the bulge bracket banks of Wall Street, proving in fact that not only does capitalism work, but it often works best for the little guy. Provided that he uses his head and controls his impulses.

I think that sometimes in the rat race to make the absolute maximum amount of money, we can easily forget that it is not just about inflows of cash, but outflows, as well. Though $200K in Manhattan sounds better than $100K in Milwaukee, the purchasing power and a multitude of other fiscal factors more than even things out. In fact, having the experience of both…I would take Milwaukee every day of the week if my goal was to stack my chips as quickly as possible.

That’s why guys like D’Arruda are my favorite financial industry stories. They do not exemplify the typical way to the top, but prove day in and day out that success is what you make of it and not what a pre-set guideline says. Perhaps he wasn’t as sharp or well connected as many Wall Street guys but he found his own niche and now he’s carved out a very nice piece of real estate for himself. Not only has he essentially given himself the perks of a power broker, but he runs his own firm and now has a highly marketable set of skills… which he can sell easily and to the masses.

Stories like this are not only a great motivation for many monkeys in their job search, but for those who long ago landed on The Street and are climbing the gilded ladder to success… while hating every second of it. There are tons of ways to make money, guys. The real secret is doing it in ways you enjoy. Though the previous sentence has become fortune cookie fodder, it really is true.

The truth is always really simple and simply said,I have a lot to learn from guys like Pete D’Arruda about maximizing my dollar. I often find myself spending more than I should on a bunch of little things and the occasional big one. This story and others like it have motivated me to start keeping a spending journal and see precisely whether I can take advantage of the same shortcuts as the big boys do.

In the meanwhile, if anyone wants to contribute some suggestions for thrift and money maximization methods that they have had success with, feel free to chime on my dime.

Get the most out of your checks this week, folks. Don’t spend them all in one place.