Money. Just the word itself can induce a feeling of excitement, nervousness and power, for me, it says opportunity. Money, theoretically speaking, is just a piece of green paper with someone’s face on it holding no actual value. The faith we put into it and the amount of power we inject into the actual paper makes it invaluable to us. The world cannot survive without money and neither can I, not when I was in elementary school, not when I was in middle school and not when I entered high school.

I remember first receiving money from my grandfather and he gave me ten dollars and he said, “Invest it.” I was about 8 at the time and noticed that with these ten dollars I can make 100 dollars. I bought a box with a unique design on top, some markers and some glue and began to work my magic. The idea was simple: color on the box, put glue on it, let it dry and then peal it off and sell it. It was a hit right of the bat in my small community. Kids would knock on my door and ask for this small item, which can practically serve only as a bookmark and nothing more. I sold each slab of glue for 1 dollar. In a month, I made 100 dollars and bought an extra box and my profit doubled. That was my first experience in making money.

In my first year of middle school, I studied the general likes and dislikes of my fellow peers and came up with something new to sell: gum. All kids loved gum, it can last, it came in bulk and it had sugar. Every week with my mom, I would attend the grocery store and buy about thirty packs of gum, all different brands and flavors and soon, it was booming business. I would set aside 50 percent of the profit I made throughout the week and buy myself some more gum. I soon realized that I could hire kids in different areas to sell for me. I gave each of my employees’ ten stacks each and give them ten percent of what they made. The idea caught and kids began to copy me and competing for sales and completion emerged. I had to think of a new idea for my profits were dropping. It then hit me like a ton of bricks, the greatest idea in the world, something most kids wouldn’t dare do, especially in their free time: doing homework.

Probably one of the most profitable investments I ever made, doing kids homework was a blazing job and not one kid dared follow me. I priced the homework quite cheaply at firs: a dollar a homework. Within the first day I was booked making a large sum right off the start. Although my new ‘business’ just opened up, I raised the prices times five from the first day. I also priced projects 20 dollars that was another engulfing experience. Some nights I would not even sleep but I would be doing projects and homework for students.

As high school emerged I put my silly selling methods aside and got a real job. I earned my lifeguard certificate and began to lifeguard making twelve and hour as well as giving tennis lessons to anyone living in the building. At the same time I was working in a clothing store as well as being a seasonal sales representative at Jacob Javitz trade show.

Money was almost everything to me and I knew how to obtain it. Bill Gate’s once said, “If you’re born poor it’s not your fault but if you die poor than it’s your fault.” This quote motivated me throughout high school to make money and be able to pay for some of my own things instead of relying on my parents. Money is extremely important, no matter how cynical or greedy that sounds, the little green paper we put so much faith in, is invaluable. `