star wars

5 Debt Lessons From Darth Vader

Ben Edwards — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 10:36:30 +0000

One of the most evil heroes in science fiction history is Anakin Skywalker, aka Darth Vader. He went from being a great man and good friend to betraying everyone he loved and becoming a sinister Sith Lord. Ultimately, the story of Anakin Skywalker is one of redemption. We can learn a few lessons about debt from his tumultuous tale. Anakin's life was full of ups and downs just like your journey to pay off debt. Although things seemed bleak and beyond repair, good forces kept up the fight and triumphed in the end. Here are five lessons about debt we can take away from the Jedi who finally brought balance to the Force. (See also: 21 Personal Finance Lessons From Harry Potter)

1. Debt Often Entices You Bit by Bit

Anakin didn't turn to the dark side all at once. No, he was enticed a little bit at a time. Debt is the same way. You consider buying something small with your credit card, telling yourself that you can pay it off soon. Then you buy something else. Soon you are making increasingly large purchases. You tell yourself that you will pay it off in two or three months, but you don't. One day, you wake up and realize that you are so deep in debt that you're not sure you can get out. This is just like when you realize that you're so deep into the dark side that your only option is to kill off nearly all of the remaining Jedi.

2. Debt Becomes Your Master

When Anakin became Darth Vader, it seemed as though he had all the power. In reality, though, he was merely the apprentice. His master was the Emperor. While you're racking up the debt, it might seem as though you are in charge. You feel great about all the stuff you have. However, debt can become the real master. Your financial resources are claimed by the principal and interest payments. Over time, you find that you have less at your disposal — just as Darth Vader's will was subservient to the Emperor's.

Don't let debt rule your life. It is oppressive, but you're not a broken person just because you got into debt. To borrow a quote from the "Get Out of Debt Guy," Steve Rhodes, "you ain't your f*$#$*# debt".

3. Blaming Others Won't Help Your Problem With Debt

I'm going to go into the prequels a little bit for this one (sacrilege, I know, but it makes a good point). Anakin blamed others for his problems, especially Obi-Wan. Rather than owning his issues and facing his demons, he retreated into the comforting idea that his difficulties were someone else's doing. With debt, you need to take ownership of the problem and recognize some of the behaviors that put you in this situation. Until you face your own debt demons, you won't be able to overcome them.

4. Beware What Seems Too Good to Be True

When Anakin is filled with self-doubt and worried that his wife will die, Chancellor Palpatine takes advantage of this weakness and makes promises that are too good to be true. Palpatine claims that he can teach Anakin how to save his wife's life and keep her alive. All Anakin has to do is follow Palpatine and listen to what he says.

Unfortunately, when you're in debt, the bad guys come after you in full force, making lots of promises they can't keep. Don't get taken advantage of by people trying to sell you shortcuts out of debt. If you fall for them, the shortcuts will end up putting you even more in the hole than you were to begin with.

That being said, don't rule out alternatives to getting out of debt until you've done your research and understand the pros and cons of each approach. Our society has a stigma about bankruptcy and some of us avoid it at all costs — which could end up hurting you and your family in the long run. Your best option is to learn about what you owe and what your payoff options are — then choose what makes the most sense.

5. It's Possible to Conquer Debt

Ultimately, the best debt lesson to learn from Anakin Skywalker is that debt can be overcome. In the end, Anakin managed to throw off the persona of Darth Vader, defeat the Emperor, and die his own man. While you don't have to die to reach debt freedom, you can overcome it and reclaim your financial resources. In the end, Darth Vader turned himself into a hero. You can pay off your obligations, free yourself, and become a debt hero. Are you ready?

To read about 21 real life Debt Heroes who got into and out of large amounts of debt check out my new book Debt Heroes. Put together with Jeff Rose as part of the Debt Movement this book walks you through your own personal journey to pay off debt, giving you success stories for example and motivation!

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This article is from Ben Edwards of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

9 ways Star Wars can inspire you to save money.

Paul Michael — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 19:02:56 +0000

Ok, so I admit it; I’m a Star Wars geek (although I’m certainly not alone). I was watching my favorite of the original trilogy last night, The Empire Strikes Back, when I had an epiphany. A moment of clarity, if you will. These Star Wars Jedi and rebels know a thing or three about frugality. And now I’m going to let you in on my fairly pointless, but fun, revelation.

The astute amongst you will notice I’m referring only to the good guys. The Empire is anti-frugality in almost every way. They build enormous, no-expense-spared Death Stars; they have fancy shiny uniforms; they own the latest technology; they’re not exactly thrifty. But the good guys, well, that’s another story.

Of course, this is all to be taken with an enormous grain of salt, but here’s where I found my inspiration (and if you’re not a Star Wars fan, some of this will sound really odd):

1) They do their own maintenance and repairs.
Rebels don’t take the x-wing into the local Space Lube Garage. They do their own repairs. Chewbacca can fix a light-speed drive with his own two hairy hands. Next time you’re ready to hand over $30 for an oil-change, consider doing it yourself for less than half the price.

2) They build things from scratch.
Anakin built his own droid and pod racer from scratch. Luke made his own lightsaber; probably because he couldn’t pop down to Jedi-Mart for an off-the-shelf number, but still, it’s a good lesson. My dad would build things for our home instead of buying them; we were never short of a coffee-table or shelf-system. It’s not ideal for everyone, but if you’re handy, get busy. You’ll save lots of cash.

3) They find multiple uses for objects.
A lightsaber is not just a defensive weapon; it’s also a handy tool for heating water, melting metal doors, killing bugs (they love that blue light) and even chopping wood. Alton Brown from Good Eats won’t buy anything for his kitchen unless it has multiple uses. Consider that next time you buy a one-use item; could something else, maybe something you already own, do the job just as well?

4) They share.
Han Solo was happy(ish) to let Lando Calrissian take the Falcon into battle. The Jedi share their knowledge and their training…there’s never a charge to learn Jedi skills. I think that’s more than applicable in this day and age. Become a mentor to someone who needs your help, or get involved in ride-sharing and save some gas, money and the environment. It may sound all old and hippie-like, but so what. It’s good for everyone.

5) They recycle.
How many owners did C3PO and R2D2 have? They just kept getting handed down through the years. Old droids were ravaged for parts and turned into new droids. Lightsabers were kept in the family. And even the Star Wars storylines were recycled from ancient myths and legends. One easy way to get into recycling is to check out freecycle.org , it’s a great resource.

6) They barter.
One of the best ways to be frugal is to barter; don’t take face value for anything, and don’t be satisfied with a good deal when you can get a great deal. Han Solo did his fair share of bartering; Chewbacca just had to growl to make people reconsider the terms; Kenobi was great at playing the haggling game (but then again he was using the Force, something you won’t have access to just yet.) Still, there’s nothing to stop you negotiating next time you’re at a local flea market or even a regular retail store. You’d be surprised at what the manager will throw in for free if you’re buying a big box item like a new TV or washing machine. And always try for free shipping.

7) They don’t give a hoot about costly fashions.
The bad guys have it going on. Slick black or white outfits, shiny shoes, cool helmets. They know how to be evil in style. But the rebels? C’mon, most of the Jedi knights dress in brown sack-cloths with hoods because, well, they have risen far above fashion. “Care not do we for such trivial pursuits” as Yoda might say. It’s said that Einstein had 12 sets of identical outfits so that he didn’t have to expend any thought on fashion. I buy all of my clothes in the sales, I buy out of season styles and I’ve bought clothes at charity stores. I’m not quite ready for brown cloaks just yet though.

8) They protest.
If the Empire represents big corporate interests, the rebels are out there protesting in every movie. They’re not ready to lie down and take any of the Empire’s BS. Similarly, protesting is another great aspect of frugality. When consumers get together and raise a stink over bad customer service, wrongful charges, poor products or deceptive advertising, good things can happen; Just ask The Consumerist .

9) They don’t need expensive entertainment.
There’s nothing wrong with game or two of a Dejarik Holochess (don’t play with a Wookie, he may pull your arms off). Sitting around a campfire or chatting with friends over a bubbling drink is also popular. And why not? I think we often get caught up in wanting bigger, better nights out but I still like the simple forms of entertainment. I just found a great deal on Deluxe Scrabble…add a bottle of $10 wine and my wife and I will spend a few hours enjoying the game and the company.

By the way, Amazon has Dejarik Holochess (kind of) for under $50. A nice collectible for any Star Wars geek…like me.

Star Wars Dejarik Holochess Set Sideshow Toys Expansion Pack

So, there you have it. A bit of fun, but with a point I think. Saving money is not just confined to our humble planet…it’s in every corner of the galaxy. May the savings be with you.

This post is dedicated to Greg Go (thanks for the Star Wars gift my fine fellow).

This article is from Paul Michael of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread: