This could have been a real dry book about personal finance. Instead, it’s short and sweet with distilled wisdom. It’s a collection of stories that are allegories about principles of personal finance.
For instance, here are a few:
The 7 Cures for a Lean Purse
1: Start they purse to fattening
Save at least 1/10th of your income as payment to yourself and your future estate. This part of what you earn belongs to you.
2: Control thy expenditures
Learn what is necessity. Don’t waste away money that could better be used in your life.
3: Make thy gold multiply
Use your money to make more money. Do not risk your principal.
4: Guard thy treasure from loss
If a venture is too good to be true, it probably is. Follow the advice of people with knowledge in finance. Combine in ventures with people with track records of return.
5: Make thy dwelling a profitable investment
Your home is a worthwhile place for investment. You’ll have something to enjoy and a return for your investment.
6: Insure a future income
Some day you will be old and unable to work. Prepare for this moment. Invest money that will grow over time until this far-future moment.
7: Increase thy ability to earn
Make investment in education. Keep skilling up. Open new doors of opportunity. Be industrious.
And, a bit of restatement:
The 5 Rules of Gold
1: Gold cometh gladly
If you put away 1/10th of your income, you’ll keep growing your gold. Create an estate for yourself and your family.
2: Gold laboreth diligently
If you’re a profitable servant, you’ll put your inheritance, your gold, to work. It will “create children”.
3: Gold clingeth to the cautious
You’ll not lose your investment if you follow the advise of wise financial men. Don’t trust brick layers to anything but the brick business.
4: Gold slippeth away from the unfamiliar
If you don’t have the skills or knowledge in a venture, you’ll lose money in it. Become familiar or get help.
5: Gold flees impossible earnings
The stats are not good for your financial outlook if you follow get-rich-quick schemes. Don’t follow your romantic desires in investments.