Mark Aucamp Editor of Talk Money Blog

Hello! My name is Mark Aucamp and I’m sure you are wondering what authority I have to publish a Money Saving Tips and Talk Money Blog Blog discussing money saving tips, credit card consolidation, debt management, secured homeowner loan, quick mortgage and other personal money issues ?

I’ve been fortunate to have had a fair amount of earned money go through my hands in my lifetime and I have realised that money is a game and you need to know the “Rules of the Game!

Rule Number One is not to make money your God, money is there to enjoy and to make our lives more comfortable.

I was born in South Africa under apartheid rule and brought up in Nairobi in Kenya during the Mau Mau uprising in Kenya. At the time Kenya was under British rule until Kenya was granted it’s independence in December 1964 and Jumo Kenyatta became President. I was fortunate enough to have gone to private schools in Kenya and in South Africa. I suppose you could say I had a privileged upbringing.

In the late seventies I took Maggie Thatcher’s advice and got on my bike and went to work in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates there the money game was bigger than in the United Kingdom and they knew how to spend it and they still do! After five fantastic years in the United Arab Emirates I returned to England to further education as a mature student. I achieved a rack of qualifications in Business Finance and Hotel Management and since then I have been qualifying for my PhD from the University of Life.

After leaving further education as a mature student, I worked as a Hotel Manager for Premier House Hotels, part of the Greenall Whitley Group, for the following ten years. For the past last ten years I have owned a Debt Management business and for the last seven half years I have worked in the mortgage industry as a mortgage consultant, the last three of which I have run my own mortgage company. Doesn’t that sound great – well there was only me, me and me working for me. The reason I never expanded my company was that I did not want the extra responsibility of staff and my income was great without any added responsibility.

Rule number Two is to know when you are happy, strive to live with the least amount of stress…then Enjoy life!

This was all part of my continuing PhD qualification. Actually all joking aside I learnt a lot about money and debt and at one time I felt I was the best qualified person to advise people. What has always surprised me is that I have never been bankrupt and have always managed to duck and dive – this is something that most of us do for most of our lives.

Next time you drive past the good looking guy or the girl in the fast car of your dreams just think of their little feet.

Many of us know people we believe are successful because they drive smart cars and live in big houses and have lots of foreign holidays. Naturally we believe they are doing really well – after all they have all the trappings of success. However, when you are privileged enough to peel away the layers of their finances, as I have been, you realise that not everybody who looks really successful is. Actually most people are like the ducks on a pond. On top of the pond the ducks look like life is great; but deep under the water that little duck is kicking its feet so hard and so fast just to stay afloat. So next time you drive past the good looking guy or girl in the fast car of your dreams, stop and wonder what their little feet are doing.

Next time you drive past the good looking guy or the girl in the fast car of your dreams just think of their little feet.

Over the last twenty five years we have had it so good compared to any other time in history. The problem is that as we have all started to earn more and spend more things have started to cost more! We all want the best things in life – the best holidays, the best homes the best cars. Unfortunately for many of us we have found ourselves becoming a slave to the banks, the lending institutions and the government – most of us are just ducks on a pond in slavery to the lenders.

Rule number Three is don’t be a slave to money. Remember money is a game. Learn the rules and then play the game on your terms.

Your thoughts, experiences and comments are welcome. You can join the discussion below and leave your thoughts and experiences.

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