For many people, a trip to the movies is a chance to escape from it all. However, watch closely, and many of your big screen experiences are sharing some very important life lessons. One thing that many people have problems with is personal finance. There’s a long list of resources available for learning about this subject, but one of the best ways to get a handle on it is by watching how other people learn. Understanding motivations, emotions, the mistakes and truths can be inspiring.
Many of the movies you watch are pure fiction, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be responsible for disseminating some valuable information. Here are three movies you should watch if you’d appreciate some guidance on your personal finances.
- A Christmas Carol
There are many different versions of this movie, but the same message runs through them all. Written by Charles Dickens, it’s the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserable man who hoards all his money. None of his neighbors or coworkers like him. Until, that is, he’s visited by the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future. They remind him that money isn’t everything, and when he learns to give his money away to help others, he finds happiness.
- Confessions of a Shopaholic
This romantic comedy tells the story of a writer who lands a job as a financial advice columnist. However, she might be good at handing out sound financial advice, but she’s not very good at taking it. Any disappointments she has in her life are handled by overdosing on retail therapy, to the detriment of her credit card bills. It’s only when her debt threatens to ruin her career and credit score that she finally heeds her own advice.
The life lesson to be learned in this movie is to be careful with credit cards and how debt can impact on your financial wellbeing. There are plenty of options available when you need to borrow money. Find out more by reading this Blue Trust loans review.
- Pursuit of Happiness
Will Smith stars in this movie with his son. It’s based on a true story about a man who is forced to face a series of obstacles that would test the patience of a saint. First, they are evicted from their home, living life from a series of transit station restrooms and homeless shelters. There is one point in the movie when father and son have just $22 to their name. Gardner (played by Will Smith) soldiers on, continues to work and eventually wins a job at an investment firm. From there, he goes on to found his own brokerage firm and earns millions.
The lesson from this movie is that we can all find ourselves down on our luck but shouldn’t give up. Continue to work hard, look for opportunities, and you’ll find success. Happiness in life isn’t guaranteed, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be a winner if you pursue it.
Apply the lessons you learn from watching these films to your own life.
