8 Financial Lessons From Adele
Adele is the hottest thing in music these days, as her new album 25 is setting all kinds of sales records and receiving ubiquitous radio airplay.
The British songstress has some amazing pipes, but there's some evidence that she's also pretty savvy with her funds, and can teach us a thing or two about money management. (See also: The 3 Best Pieces of Financial Wisdom From Oprah Winfrey)
We may not become multi-millionaires living in large castles in the English countryside, but following the singer's financial lead could mean extra dollars in our wallets. Here are eight financial lessons we can learn from Adele.
1. Know Your Worth
When Adele released her latest album, 25, she refused to allow it to appear on streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music. That's because she had an instinct that people would be willing to pay for the full album itself. And she was right, as it recorded 3.4 million sales in the first week alone.
2. Own What You Create
Adele is wealthy not only because she sells a lot of albums and concert tickets, but because she gets other revenue from the ownership of her music and lyrics. In fact, her company, Melted Stone, has a publishing arm that pulled in more than $7.8 million in 2014.
3. Use an Old Phone
No fancy iPhone for Adele, it seems — at least not if her music videos are any indication. In the video to her hit single "Hello," Adele is seen talking into a flip phone. A flip phone! It's unclear from what antique store she bought the phone, but she's probably not concerned about overages on her data plan. While Adele may or may not have a more updated phone in real life, the premise is still valid — don't buy new technologies you don't actually need.
4. Shop at Thrift Stores
British newspaper The Sun reported that Adele isn't keen on shopping at fancy stores, despite her vast wealth. She's been known to frequent thrift stores near her home in the English countryside. "Adele is like any normal girl — she loves a bargain," a source told The Sun.
5. Dress Simply and Flexibly
There's no doubt that Adele will be pushed to set some fashion trends, but she seems most content keeping things basic, especially during performances. The singer is most often seen in simple black dresses, and even the music video for the hit song "Hello" shows her in versatile items like a checked coat, plaid shirt, and printed scarves. "Not only are Adele's vocals in the video beautifully powerful but her fashion choices are attainable," the website Mashable reported.
6. Avoid Crazy Lifestyle Inflation
Okay, so she moved into an $8.5 million mansion. That's a big step up. But Adele claims that she isn't suddenly spending extravagantly on luxury items. She told the Daily Mail that she did begin shopping at a higher-end online grocer, but only got a flat-screen television not long ago. "That's probably the biggest change, honestly," she told the newspaper. "That's about it, really. I got a plasma [television ]. I used to have that big thick one up until recently."
7. Find a Good Formula and Stick With It
Adele has achieved great success by sticking with what has worked for her: singing big, powerful ballads about love and loss. She does it better than anyone else, so why mess with a good thing? This approach can be applied to investing, where it's often best to buy stocks and mutual funds that have a good track record of success and simply letting them do their thing.
8. Take Care of Your Health
People don't always think of health as a personal finance decision, but it is. It's hard to work and earn money if you are injured or ill, and ignoring seemingly minor health issues can lead to big, expensive procedures later. Adele underwent surgery on her vocal cords in 2012, and while the ordeal put her on the shelf for a while, it preserved her voice and allowed her to continue her record-breaking career.
Anything else Adele can teach us about personal finance?
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