The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, act as legal, financial or credit advice; instead, it is for general informational purposes only. Information on this website may not be current. This website may contain links to other third-party websites. Such links are only for the convenience of the reader, user or browser; we do not recommend or endorse the contents of any third-party sites. Readers of this website should contact their attorney, accountant or credit counselor to obtain advice with respect to their particular situation. No reader, user, or browser of this site should act or not act on the basis of information on this site. Always seek personal legal, financial or credit advice for your relevant jurisdiction. Only your individual attorney or advisor can provide assurances that the information contained herein – and your interpretation of it – is applicable or appropriate to your particular situation. Use of, and access to, this website or any of the links or resources contained within the site do not create an attorney-client or fiduciary relationship between the reader, user, or browser and website owner, authors, contributors, contributing firms, or their respective employers.
Credit.com receives compensation for the financial products and services advertised on this site if our users apply for and sign up for any of them. Compensation is not a factor in the substantive evaluation of any product.
Movies can teach us all about different aspects of our life — and can be a great option for a cheap night out. Whether you are watching a comedy, a drama, a thriller or even a children’s movie, you can often learn financial lessons without even trying.
And while movies are intended to be entertaining and not educational (for the most part), they can often impart some lessons you can take with you into the real world, and even into your personal finances. Consider applying the following financial lessons from popular films to your real life.
Whether it is a love story without riches or a tale of lonely wealth, this is likely the most common lesson we can learn from movies. Films such as Aladdin, Titanic and It’s a Wonderful Life show us that character and relationships are far more important than the numbers on your bank statement. Even as we try to do our best financially, it’s important to remember that it is not the most important measurement in life.
Films like Jerry Maguire and Charlie & the Chocolate Factory remind us that doing right by others can help us in the long run. If you care about your clients and co-workers or other people in general, these movies show you can be better respected and likely reap financial rewards, even if not immediately.
Whether a character loses their job, as in The Company Men, or an unanticipated death leaves someone strapped for cash like in Winter’s Bone or Places in the Heart, we see how important it is to plan whether it’s with an emergency fund, a life insurance policy or even your credit. Not planning ahead can get you into a bind if you don’t try to build good credit, for example, and then unexpectedly need to finance a new car when your old one breaks down. You can see where your credit stands for free once a month on Credit.com.
With movies like Catch Me If You Can, The Wolf of Wall Street, and even some that aren’t starring Leonardo DiCaprio, we see cheaters and law evaders facing punishment on the big screen. Gangster movies that include or end in jail scenes and stories of professionals who think they can get ahead by bending the rules remind us that risks aren’t always worth it.
The larger theme that you can’t put off the inevitable holds true for those living on credit. Films such as Confessions of a Shopaholic feature characters overspending, living beyond their means and falling into debt.
Without offering a “how-to” or guide, films meant for entertainment can provide plenty of value for our daily lives – you just have to look closer. Plenty of them feature themes that can help us be more responsible with our money and set ourselves up for future financial success.
Image: Digital Vision
March 11, 2021
Personal Finance
March 1, 2021
Personal Finance
February 18, 2021
Personal Finance