🎟️ Lottery Dreams

I thought about buying a lottery ticket last week when the jackpot hit a billion dollars.
I didn’t do it. The odds weren’t in my favor, and I didn’t feel like throwing away $20.

I am not being righteous. I’m just allergic to throwing money away. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t dream. I imagined winning, wondered what I’d do with all that money. It felt so real for a second. I imagined the paralyzing joy you must get when you realize you have the winning numbers.

The dream was so amazing, I was slightly disappointed to be back in reality. I just thought it’s fine “I’ll just work for the life I want.” And just like that, the dream was over.

I’m not being righteous. My disdain for throwing away money is just greater than my curiosity of beating the odds. Still, I’m happy for whoever won. But I do wonder what they’ll do with the money. Obviously pay things off, but then what?

It’s a lot of responsibility, that kind of money. Do they know that?

🚨 Fast Money, Slow Collapse

I also wonder what happens when you’re catapulted from the lowest class of society to the highest class without merit. That kind of shift overnight and without preparation can be destructive.

That’s why most lottery winners lose their winnings.

There’s a certain level of conscientiousness wealthy people attain that poor people don’t have. We try to control things on a micro level and never realize the macro level is actually easier. It’s more forgiving. You can strategize. You can pace yourself. The micro-level thinking robs you of exploration and planning if not done right.

🍲 The Power of a Crockpot & a Plan

Let me give you a small example.

Meal prepping has been the biggest life changer for our family.

I cook. I used to cook every day. And I loved it, but cooking breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day eventually gets stressful for a working family.

I cook Cuban food. So, my old schedule was like: I soaked beans overnight. While the beans soaked, I would throw meat in the slow cooker and rice in the rice cooker before bed.

Instead of waking up to coffee, I would wake up to the aroma of a delicious fricase de pollo ready to eat. I tossed it all in Tupperware and before heading to work, threw the beans in the crockpot and voilà, dinner is ready.

By the time I got home, the beans were done. I now had rice, beans, and chicken. I could add salad, bread, banana, or whatever.

That was our “fast food.” But even that was tiring.

Now? I meal prep. I cook ONCE! This allows me to take my time resulting in very enjoyable meals. It allows me to add variety. I freeze meals into “TV dinners” we enjoy all week. It works! We eat better, and I’m not stressed. That’s the amazing thing about planning: you are in control.

🧠 Stress Eating

When you don’t plan, you end up doing things that are not in your best interest. I know that is obvious, but let’s continue with the meal planning example. We already know McDonald’s isn’t healthy. No one thinks it’s nutritious, yet how many people eat it often?

You know it’s slowly killing you. You know it’s draining your money. But you have to lie to yourself to justify overlooking the negatives.

Some people call that stupidity or laziness. My point is that the issue is deeper than that. I think it’s spiritual brokenness.

We’ve accepted the worst truth: that we’re just human. “We all make mistakes.” “Nobody’s perfect.” But you’re not just human.

You’re a soul. You’re a spirit. If you understood that, you’d know what’s feeding you and what’s draining you.

When your seed or spirit is affected, everything around you starts making less sense. That’s how people live imprisoned by desires, stress, food, debt, and old habits.

💡 Feeding Your Spirit

Micro thinking is not wrong, it’s just misapplied. If you look at your life at the macro level and organize your life, micro thinking becomes necessary. Taking one day at a time is a must. Celebrating small accomplishments helps water your seed. Each day you get stronger with each small step you take.

So last week, we talked about the savings plan. Let me remind you:

K.E.Y. METHOD:

• Open two savings accounts.
• One linked to your checking, in case of true emergencies.
• The second is an out-of-reach account that doesn’t exist. It’s invisible.

By year’s end, you’ll have $1,200 in the main savings, and $480 in the one you don’t touch.

Let’s start planning what to do with that $480.

💥 From seed to sprout

This account is special. It’s going to help you build wealth.

I won’t explain too much yet, because honestly it may sound too good to be true.

But it’s not. We will take micro steps, so you don’t get overwhelmed.

Once you open the accounts, celebrate! That tiny effort you made? It was huge! You moved. You changed. You are bringing sunlight to your seed. You showed your spirit that something new was possible.

Now we shift the mindset.

📞 What to Do With the $480?

When that time finally arrives and you have $480 in your account. You’re going to call or go online with Vanguard, Schwab, or Fidelity.

You will say:

“I have $480. I want to start investing.”

If you don’t know what you’re doing, TELL THEM. Let them break it down for you. Say:

“I have no idea what I’m doing. I need you to explain it to me like I’m brand new.”

I did just that. My advisor was so kind.

You can ask them to help you get into a mutual fund or an ETF.

Start small. Do this every year with your out-of-reach account. You can add to it with tax returns or bonuses but only if you want to. You won’t be led by fear because this wasn’t even money you were depending on.

So as the market goes up or down, you won’t flinch.

Because this money is tucked away.

You almost forgot it existed.

🌱 Small But Mighty

This plan pulls you out of poverty.

It’s small but it’s mighty.

This is for the ones who feel stuck. Who want to progress but don’t know where to begin. Who feel like they’re spinning in circles and just need guidance.

This is it.

The K.E.Y. method can be your guide to remind you of the importance of KNOWLEDGE and EXECUTION. That is what we are doing, while making sure YOU are the part of that equation. Reminding to ask yourself always, "how does this improve my life significantly?"

Next week, we’ll talk about what to do with your main savings.

This plan will help you stabilize your household and your life.

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