7 Money Lessons We Can Learn From Beyoncé

ShareThis

Beyoncé Knowles is a wealthy person. With a net worth of more than $250 million, she clearly knows a little something about generating and keeping money.

Not all celebrities have the financial wits to keep an eye on their cash, but Beyoncé has not only built an empire, she has also protected it. And her lyrics offer great lessons for women looking to become financially independent.

Here are seven ways that Beyoncé has offered some sound money lessons.

1. Men Don't Have to Be the Breadwinner

Beyoncé's husband, rapper Jay-Z, is very successful in his own right. But rest assured, she doesn't need his income to get by. And many of her songs convey the idea of women being responsible for their own finances. Consider the song "Flawless:" You can have ambition, but not too much...You should aim to be successful, but not too successful...Otherwise, you will threaten the man...I took some time to live my life...But don't think I'm just his little wife.

2. Invest Wisely

Unlike some notoriously spendthrift celebrities, Beyoncé has taken time to think about the future, so she's set financially even if she decides to stop working. "I have a lot of property. I've invested my money and I don't have to make any more, thank God, because I'm set," she told the UK Mirror in 2009. "I'm now able really to be free and just do things that make me happy."

3. Beware of the Moocher

Back when she was a member of Destiny's Child, Beyoncé warned against the partner who casually borrows your money and things. Remember "Bills, Bills, Bills?" And now you ask to use my car...Drive it all day and don't fill up the tank...And you have the audacity...To even come and step to me...Ask to hold some money from me...Until you get your check next week.

4. Know Your Worth

Beyoncé knows how popular she is. Her most high-profile shows have been at halftime of the Super Bowl, the most watched television event of the year. A few years ago, she dropped a new album on Apple's iTunes without warning and made it impossible to buy just a single song. (The album sold more than 828,000 copies in just three days, setting a record.) Now there's speculation that she will drop her next album exclusively on Tidal, a streaming music service that she partially owns.

5. Diversify Your Skill Set

Do you want to make yourself irreplaceable like Beyoncé? Learn more than one skill. Beyoncé is a great singer and songwriter, but she can also dance better than nearly anyone on the planet and has acted in movies and television shows. What's more, she has fashion lines for adults and kids, and makes millions off of endorsements. Her diversity can serve as a lesson to the rest of us, who might benefit from finding different ways to leverage our skills and talents to make money.

6. Financial Independence Is Satisfying

In her song, "Independent Women, Part 1," Beyoncé touts the good feeling of building your own wealth. If you're gonna brag make sure it's your money you flaunt, she sings. Depend on no one else to give you what you want.

7. Capitalize on Opportunities

Ms. Knowles recently released a sexually-charged song called "Formation," in which she talks about taking a man to Red Lobster. Red Lobster then saw a 33% spike in revenue after Beyoncé performed it at the Super Bowl. And the uptick may have been even more had the restaurant not been a tad slow in mentioning the song on social media. You never know when an opportunity will present itself. When it does, be prepared to strike.

Anything else we've learned from Beyoncé? Please share in comments!

Disclaimer: The links and mentions on this site may be affiliate links. But they do not affect the actual opinions and recommendations of the authors.

Wise Bread is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.