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How I bought a property by switching to GREEN TEA!

DrewBetts

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Sep 15, 2007
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Hi everyone,

I recently read an excellent marketing book called Made to Stick. There were so many great points in it that I entirely re-vamped my joint venture partner presentation. One of the things I included in the new presentation is a story. It`s been so increadibly effective, that I wanted to share it with you. Feel free to use it in your presentations and materials if you like it. Here`s how it goes...

I was recently reading about something called "The Latte Factor". Now, we all love a good latte. Just a short stroll down the block, Starbucks is the perfect escape from the office. A quick swipe of the stripe and seconds later you`re holding a delicious, enticing latte. It almost doesn`t seem like you`re spending money at all!

But you are spending money. $3.20 to be exact. Say, for example, you`re one of the many who drinks a coffee a day (after all, one a day isn`t bad right?). That`s $96 a month, $1,168 a year, or $5,840 over 5 years. When you add it up like that it seem shocking, and it truly is. Doesn`t it make you wonder, what else you could be doing with that money?

I`m going to use this example to show you how changing a single habit, like drinking a coffee a day, can change your financial future. That`s a bold statement, for sure. But pay careful attention to the numbers and I`ll show you how true it really is. In this example I`m going to use an investment property in Grande Prairie, Alberta. This is a real property that I already own.

The total investment to own this property is $67,000. Instead of using cash to buy it, you get a home equity line of credit on your home and use the bank`s money. The monthly interest payment on your line of credit is $265.21 ($67,000 * 4.75% ÷ 12). Your new property produces positive cash-flow though, and this rises over time as we increase rents. This partially covers your interest payments. Over the 5 years you hold the property, the total interest you pay is $15,912.50 and your total projected cash-flow is $11,609. Subtract one from the other, and the actual interest you pay is only $4,303.50.

But we`re missing one BIG part of the calculation. You`ve stopped drinking lattes! Add back the $5,840 you saved and actually still have $1,536.50 left over. Here`s the kicker. The $1,536.50 you have left is $0.87 a day over 5 years. That`s enough to buy a green tea, so really all you need to do is switch from coffee to green tea and you can own a cash-flow investment property in one of the hottest real estate markets in Canada!

This is just a fun example to put things in perspective. It`s important to realize, though, how powerful it can be to change one small habit and the positive impact it can have on your financial future. It`s my greatest desire for you to have all the health, wealth and happiness in your life that you desire. One of my mentors once told me something that`s really stuck with me over the years, "Success is merely a series of small, incremental steps in the right direction. Each one starts with a choice." I`ll let you ponder that while I enjoy a delicious green tea... Until next time. All the best!
 
There is a reason that you are so successful... you`re ability to find reasons WHY to do things rather than WHY NOT!

Great Post
 
It`s funny how us westcoasters tend to refer to lattes on a regular basis.

I like the story, it is simple and straight forward. I would have issues claiming it as my own but it does prompt me to think of creative ways to relay the message.

On a side note:
The was a survey done in Vancouver last year asking:
"Which of the following does Vancouver have more of? Starbucks or sushi restaurants?"
Answer: Sushi restaurants
 
Thanks Drew. It does boil investing down to the lowest common denominator. This is what I was trying to do in the thread about the value of a REIN membership

As for taking this story as one`s own, it has been around for many years. I first came across it when experimenting with network marketing 15 years ago. The story can be revamped as a simple example, rather than "your story", if doing that makes you feel more comfortable.
 
Excellent article:

I am familar with this concept and have just recently decided to skip the many restaurants I do on a daily basis. I am stunned how much I have saved so far. My money is going to a new rental property! This is easy to do and EVERYONE should do it. Good Article!
Charly


QUOTE (DrewBetts @ Aug 28 2008, 12:47 PM) Hi everyone,

I recently read an excellent marketing book called Made to Stick. There were so many great points in it that I entirely re-vamped my joint venture partner presentation. One of the things I included in the new presentation is a story. It`s been so increadibly effective, that I wanted to share it with you. Feel free to use it in your presentations and materials if you like it. Here`s how it goes...

I was recently reading about something called "The Latte Factor". Now, we all love a good latte. Just a short stroll down the block, Starbucks is the perfect escape from the office. A quick swipe of the stripe and seconds later you`re holding a delicious, enticing latte. It almost doesn`t seem like you`re spending money at all!

But you are spending money. $3.20 to be exact. Say, for example, you`re one of the many who drinks a coffee a day (after all, one a day isn`t bad right?). That`s $96 a month, $1,168 a year, or $5,840 over 5 years. When you add it up like that it seem shocking, and it truly is. Doesn`t it make you wonder, what else you could be doing with that money?

I`m going to use this example to show you how changing a single habit, like drinking a coffee a day, can change your financial future. That`s a bold statement, for sure. But pay careful attention to the numbers and I`ll show you how true it really is. In this example I`m going to use an investment property in Grande Prairie, Alberta. This is a real property that I already own.

The total investment to own this property is $67,000. Instead of using cash to buy it, you get a home equity line of credit on your home and use the bank`s money. The monthly interest payment on your line of credit is $265.21 ($67,000 * 4.75% ÷ 12). Your new property produces positive cash-flow though, and this rises over time as we increase rents. This partially covers your interest payments. Over the 5 years you hold the property, the total interest you pay is $15,912.50 and your total projected cash-flow is $11,609. Subtract one from the other, and the actual interest you pay is only $4,303.50.

But we`re missing one BIG part of the calculation. You`ve stopped drinking lattes! Add back the $5,840 you saved and actually still have $1,536.50 left over. Here`s the kicker. The $1,536.50 you have left is $0.87 a day over 5 years. That`s enough to buy a green tea, so really all you need to do is switch from coffee to green tea and you can own a cash-flow investment property in one of the hottest real estate markets in Canada!

This is just a fun example to put things in perspective. It`s important to realize, though, how powerful it can be to change one small habit and the positive impact it can have on your financial future. It`s my greatest desire for you to have all the health, wealth and happiness in your life that you desire. One of my mentors once told me something that`s really stuck with me over the years, "Success is merely a series of small, incremental steps in the right direction. Each one starts with a choice." I`ll let you ponder that while I enjoy a delicious green tea... Until next time. All the best!
 
Thanks Drew, that`s a really cool analysis/analogy. Quite amazing what kind of results we can achieve by changing just ONE small action!

Keep up the awesome posts!


Glenn
 
Thanks for sharing.
...you are outside the box.
Keep up the good work.
Bryon
 
Great motivation Drew. Your posts are insightful and enlightening. You often come at things from a unique perspective and thereby give us a different view of our world.

Thanks for taking the time to put your thoughts down for us.
 
I`m a Tim Horton`s man myself. However the story hits home. I`m a 4-5 cup man per day. Thanks for the wake up call!

Doug
 
So what does drinking my pot of homemade green tea net me? Can you help me with the math?

style_emoticons


Regards,
 
Ok, but now you`re stuck drinking Green Tea instead of enjoying the luxury of a Starbucks latte! There IS a way to drink Starbucks AND buy property!

HOW TO BUY MORE PROPERTY AND STILL END UP WITH YOUR LATTE:

We began investing in Real Estate when we were $100,000 in debt (I mean REAL personal debt, not including our mortgage). In order to pay this down as fast as possible we cut back in every area of life. I even remember my wife coming home crying one day because she didn`t feel comfortable going for a tea with her good friend because finances were so tight.

For two years we kept our grocery bill ultra-low by eating very simple dishes and never buying things that weren`t on really big sales. We ate out once a week at Wendy`s just so we didn`t go crazy from financial restrictions. We had a 1-year-old daughter and so we scheduled it so that my wife worked days and I worked nights so that we didn`t have child-care expenses.

In just two years we eliminated our debt and were financially free. Our plan for intense short-term delayed gratification got us to where we wanted to be in a hurry, and then we began eliminating those restrictions one by one.

Seven years later now I eat out whenever I want BECAUSE financial freedom for me is the freedom to be able to spend money on the things I enjoy without feeling restricted.

Now that we`re in a better financial position I focus on negotiating $10,000 - $50,000 in my favor on a deal and finding some great sales on upgrades for my properties rather than worrying about a couple bucks on a latte.

(It`s funny because my dad is with me on most of the renovations I do and he always packs a lunch. You know what? I WISH he would let me take him out, but he`s so stuck in the frugal mindset that he can`t get out of it. ***He showed up as I`m writing this, so I took a picture of him with his lunch http://tinyurl.com/6mowm4
)


So, pass up the lattes if that`s part of your plan and where you`re at financially today, but I do hope you`ll get the to point where your thriftiness is better spent finding bargains on your properties, your dream car or vacations to exotic locations that include all-you-can-drink lattes!


"Start out small with big things in mind and then earn the right to grown into them."
 
Great post Drew. It reinforces, that when there is a will, there is a way.
Love the whole story.

Todor
 
if you had to take a loan out to fund the investment and give up enjoyable lattes just so they have the bragging rights that they own a rental property - that really doesnt earn them money after they pay the loan-are they ahead?

i get your idea but if i was pitched that i would run the other way,
if i have to give something up i want a real clear gain
 
Hi Albainstar,

Is a 15-20% return on your money (or much higher if you use a LOC) not a "real clear gain"?? Point of Drews story is that it doesn`t take much of a lifestyle change to invest in something that could truly change one`s life in a postive way.

Question to ask oneself or challenge a JV partner...do you have $3.20/day to invest in you and your families financial future?
 
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