4 Financial Lessons from Inventing Anna

Who says tv shows and movies are not educational? Sometimes you learn about the psychological toll your brain puts you through when you keep suppressing your sadness. Other times, you learn about how NOT to manage your money (or lack thereof) because you might end up in jail! In case you don’t know, I’m talking about Netflix’s Inventing Anna, which is based on the true story of the fake heiress Anna Sorokin. So, let’s see how you can financially save yourself before it’s too late!

1.      Fake it till you make it

This advice could work wonders when it comes to boosting your confidence. But it doesn’t have the same effect when it comes to financing. Pretending that you have money when you’re broke - or maybe you’re a millennial in Egypt - will not do you any good. It’ll only put you in deep debt. So don’t go splurging all your income just because everyone is also financially illiterate.

2.      Learn how to network

What does networking have to do with financing? As much as one would like to believe that luck plays a huge role in any business, the people you know, and the connections you make, bring you the opportunities you thought you’d never have. Just like Anna used her mentor’s connections and their connections to make her grand scheme, you can do the same without the scheming part.

3.      Friends are not for sale

Anna’s friends lent her money not just out of the good of their hearts, but because they knew her as an heiress and they were sure they’ll get their money back. However, before you lend money to anyone, make sure that it’s a dispensable amount and that you don’t need it right now. You should also check the borrower’s credibility, not just look at their lifestyle or how much they spend. Looks can be deceiving, you know!

4.       Turn on the fraud alarm

Don’t try to ignore the signs of a fraudster around you. Are you the one always paying for their things because they ALWAYS forget their wallet? Are they always having trouble accessing their bank account (in the 21^st century) with zero explanation? If the bank won’t let them take their money, why would you give them yours!