My New Crush and Inspiration – Hugh Hefner

I am kinda embarassed to admit it, but I have a new crush and it’s on Hef. I was channel surfing a few weeks back and came across the Girls Next Door, and was absolutely fascinated.

I couldn’t look away, as the show seemed to present an intimate view of life at the Playboy mansion and yet there’s so much that’s not answered. Like how does he decide who he’s going to sleep with on any given night, are they on a schedule or is it just as the mood and personality of the girl takes him? Does he sleep in each of the girls rooms when he’s with them, as Holly shares his room with him? Or do they sleep together?

Who knows? But Hef really comes out of this as a real gentleman, and I was intrigued enough to google the girls to learn more.

I want to the Playboy site, where there’s an ‘Ask Hef’ section where the man himself delivers his philosopy in bitesized video chunks. Most fascinating were the pieces where he talked about his upbringing, his early career, and how he started Playboy. (He didn’t even know if he would be able to afford to run a second editio when he first launched the magazine).

I am honest enough to admit I am a voyeur in watching the show and wondering about their private life, but I would be much more interested in a show where Hef describes in detail his success philosophy.

His humble attitude and gratitude for all his success make hime so very inspiring and endearing.

Never though I’d say this, but here’s to HEF!

Why do we think it’s okay to have large amounts of personal debt?

I remember my aunt telling me how she and my uncle had scrimped and saved every penny to buy their first home. Every stick of furniture they had was donated by more established family members, and they replaced those items only as they could afford to buy them outright. So, the donated sofa and beds stayed around for a number of years. 

I was amazed at her, ‘Why didn’t you just get a mortgage or at least a loan for nice things for the house?’ I would have been mortified to have second hand items in my little house, all furnished with a loan from those nice people at the bank.

Seems things were different back then, and debt was considered shameful. Not so today. 

Personal debt in the UK, as of 1^st November 2007 stood at $1,380billion. We certainly aren’t ashamed to get into debt today. In fact, Britain’s personal debt is increasing by £1million every 4 minutes. 

Everyone is doing it, that’s why we think it’s okay. In fact, we even have the wonderful media to sooth us, by making us think we’re not doing so badly.  There are now a plethora of programmes that show us overspenders, or ‘spendaholics’  the cuddly media phrase for these people who have out of control debt issues. 

We sit back in the comfort of our living rooms and think,  ‘we’ll I’m not as bad as them on the telly,  I only owe £5000 and they’ve got nearly £30,000 on their credit cards.’ God, we’re so easily duped! 

We then accept that we really don’t have that bad a problem. Until it spirals…  And it nearly always does. 

Why? Because of the wonderful Rule of 75, or compound interest as it’s known in the trade.  Most banks, credit card companies and loan agencies lend you money using compound interest, because it makes them so much more money back again. When you incur the loan, or spend on your credit card, interest is earned on interest from that moment on!

I’ll write an article specifically about compound interest later. 

So, why don’t we get out of debt? Well, lack of resources to start with. The average interest paid by each household on their total debt is approx. £3,718 each year, equating to 9% of take home pay. 

Since taxation is rampant in UK and USA, the government takes between 50-60% of your pay cheque in the form of one tax or another.

Erring on the side of caution, we’ll say they take 50%. So, the government takes 50%, and you’re left with half of your pay packet to live on.

So what do you have to pay out? Don’t forget you still have to pay the capital of the debt, your mortgage etc. , your utilities,  your food, gas and clothes, any social events you may want to attend.  

Oh, and still there’s the 9% of your wages just to cover the interest on your personal debt! So after tax, interest on your personal debt takes up a fifth of your available funds. 

Aren’t you angry yet? You’re left with almost no option but to take out more debt to live the lifestyle you should be able to afford if it were not for undue taxation and obscene interest charges. 

Personal debt is a huge problem in both UK and USA, something needs to be done, but don’t look to your government or the banks to help you. They’re too busy feathering their own nests. 

If you truly have had enough and want a way out, that’s going to get you out of debt quickly and permanently, then look to the Ultimate Entrepreneur, a financial programme the like of which you’ve never seen before.  

Visit www. wealthfreedomfighters.com to learn how to cancel debt, reduce taxation and gain a cash rich income alternative.  You’ve nothing to lose and everything to gain!

If you want more information on the most recent debt statistics for the UK, go here.