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The Propeller – DO NOT BEND. Photo Inside – 10-26-2025

Finance: The 50/30/20 Rule: A Simple Blueprint for Your Money

Managing money often feels overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. One of the most effective and beginner-friendly budgeting methods is the 50/30/20 Rule; a system that helps you allocate your income in a clear, balanced way.

What Is the 50/30/20 Rule?

The rule breaks down your after-tax income into three categories:

  • 50% Needs → Housing, groceries, utilities, insurance, transportation.

  • 30% Wants → Dining out, entertainment, hobbies, vacations.

  • 20% Savings & Debt Repayment → Emergency fund, retirement accounts, investments, extra debt payments.

This approach ensures that your essentials are covered, you enjoy life today, and you still prioritize your future.

Why It Works

  1. Simplicity – You don’t need complicated spreadsheets.

  2. Balance – It prevents overspending in wants while still allowing enjoyment.

  3. Flexibility – Percentages can be adjusted slightly to fit personal goals.

It’s a great starting point for anyone who struggles with where their money should go.

Quick Example

If you bring home $3,000/month after taxes:

  • $1,500 → Needs

  • $900 → Wants

  • $600 → Savings/Debt

This structure gives you a roadmap to follow every month.

How to Get Started

  1. Track your current spending for one month.

  2. Compare where your money is going against the 50/30/20 framework.

  3. Make small adjustments — even shifting 5–10% can make a big difference.

Consistency is more important than perfection.

Investing: The Risk Isn’t What You Think It Is

People tell me all the time “The stock market is too risky!!”

This is the “risk” for the past 150 years: 

 


 

The biggest risk is NOT investing.

Life/Travel: The Supersonic Legend

If frequent flyer programs had a Mount Olympus, Fred Finn would be sitting on a throne made of boarding passes, sipping champagne at Mach 2. This English businessman didn’t just travel; he conquered the skies in a way that makes today’s TSA lines look like medieval torture chambers.

Fred Finn earned his place in aviation lore when Guinness World Records crowned him the most-traveled man alive in 1983. His mileage tally? Over 15 million miles; that’s roughly 31,000 hours in the air. To put that in perspective, if you tried to match him today on a budget airline, you’d need about 7 lifetimes, three emotional support animals, and a PhD in patience.

 


But here’s the kicker: his most jaw-dropping record is one that will never be broken; 718 flights on Concorde. Yes, the needle-nosed diva of the skies, the aircraft that made the Atlantic feel like a puddle jump. Fred was there for the first Washington-to-London flight in 1976 and the last New York-to-London run in 2003. That’s like being at aviation’s birth and funeral, all while wearing the same smug grin.

For Finn, Concorde wasn’t a luxury; it was a weapon. While the rest of us today are stuck debating whether to pay $12 for Wi-Fi that barely loads email, Fred was using supersonic speed to bend time zones to his will. He could leave London in the morning, crush a full workday in Manhattan, and still make it home for dinner. On one legendary occasion, he completed three round trips between London and New York in just 12 hours. Meanwhile, most of us can’t even get through a single JFK security line in that time.

And then there’s seat 9A; Fred’s personal throne. Why? Because that’s where the refreshment service started. While modern travelers fight for overhead bin space and pray for a free bag of pretzels, Fred was first in line for caviar at 60,000 feet. His preference became so famous that crews would hold the seat for him. That’s not loyalty status; that’s aviation royalty.

Today, we romanticize the golden age of air travel, but Fred Finn didn’t just live it; he defined it. He was the guy who turned the Concorde into his personal commuter jet, while the rest of us are still wondering if our boarding group will ever be called.

What I Read This Week

I don’t talk about mindset much.  Not because I don’t believe in it…But because sometimes it’s hard to connect the dots with my favorite topics of Tech, Investing, and aviation.  And some people use it as an excuse to hide behind when they don’t want to do the work.  Yet it’s a crucial ingredient in the recipe for success.

Your mind is a magnet.  Your thoughts can attract certain things while repelling others.  Friends, clients, money, status, opportunity, and recognition…This principle applies for better and for worse.

Therefore:  Learning to harness this hidden power can make writing daily emails much easier… or much harder.

In fact, there’s one book by Steven Pressfield that totally transformed the way I think about and approach many aspects in my personal and professional life.  And no, it’s not The War of Art. (although that one’s great too) Instead, the book is called:  Turning Pro: Tap Your Inner Power and Create Your Life’s Work.

Inside, he draws a very clear line between two kinds of people:  The Amateur and The Professional.

One dabbles while the other commits.

One waits for permission while the other leaps headfirst into the unknown.

One treats their career like a hobby while the other knows their livelihood depends on it.

This is such a powerful frame.  To take it a step further…

Here are 20 ways to define the mindset of a professional outlined in the book:

1. The professional shows up every day

I’m willing to bet after reading that list…There’s a part of you that knows exactly where and how you’re falling short.

Because as entrepreneurs, it’s impossible not to read that and immediately recognize the truth in it.

That’s the power of feeding your mind the right raw materials.  Best part is:  Like most of Steven Pressfield’s books, It’s a fast read and only 130 pages long.  You could finish it in a single sitting if you wanted to.  So if you could use some new and empowering reading material, and want to cultivate an unshakeable writing mindset, Then I recommend you check it out.

You can pick up your copy of the print, e-book, or audio book here:
 https://amzn.to/47Fd8Ue 

Quote of the Week

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
— Thomas Edison

 

Failure isn’t the opposite of success; it’s part of it. Each misstep is a refinement, each setback a lesson.

Edison’s genius wasn’t just his intelligence; it was his persistence. He kept moving forward when others would have given up.

When something doesn’t work, don’t lose heart. You’re not failing; you’re narrowing down the path to what will.

Congrats on reading this whole email…

 


This is re-published from the weekly email sent by Leonard Mack entitled The Propeller.  To subscribe, visit https://www.LeonardMack.com/subscribe and read it every Sunday evening.


This intellectual nourishment is intended for informational purposes only. One should not construe anything herein as being legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.


My rule is this – I have no advice to give, only experience to share. I have no interest in being a guru or telling people what they should do. Rather, I share my own experience because there is no right or wrong. Your mileage may vary.