Investments

What do I think about when I hear that my friend has a legitimate plan for the next 20 years?
I question him, why?
This guy, who just got dumped btw, did his research about investing because he had planned to marry and needed to make sure he could have a stable life.

I learned a lot about how to make money from talking to him.
I learned that if you want to make money, you don't just get an university degree and work hard.
No, you are taught that in school, but (he said:) the 'people' doesn't want others to make money.
They want them to:
1) Spend money the way they are told to.
2) Not know how to spend money, and get help from 'experts'.
Either way you choose, you obviously lose.

Now about how to actually make money through investments.
Basically, you can to have a good cash capital.
Basically seeing your assets, and how much you have.
Not like the assets I learned about from Gr12 Accounting.
House. Car. XBox. Computer.
They are NOT assets.
Assets are belongings that bring you money.
House requires payment, mortgage, etc.
Car, game console, computer.... Sure you can sell them, but they will always decrease in price when you do.
These are actually liabilities.

Assets are things that can bring you money.
Examples such as a business, or mutual funds, or even renting out some rooms.
The guy separated them into Paper, Business, and Housing.
Paper include mutual funds, bonds, stocks, etc.
Business, are any kinds of businesses you can own.
Housing, basically rent.

There aren't only 3 kinds of assets, but those were the ones he told me.
Now, what to do with them?
Maybe centralize on 1 kind? Or maybe be well-rounded?
It's the latter, you want to diversify.

The idea is to play it safe.
You wouldn't want to invest all your money into the Paper, cause what happens when the stock market crashes for a few years.
There goes your money.
Therefore you want to diversify your money investments, making sure that even if 1 fails, you still have something else to keep you funded.

- - - - -

Another helpful thing is that these investments can bring your loved ones money even if you die.
Instead of relying on your physical body for working a job, you can be dead, sleeping, or on vacation and you will still be getting money.

Now, going back to reality.
Does this really matter?
Wouldn't life be easier if I just live and do my job, making things simplier?
Yes and no.
Maybe it is simpler to ignore these things.
But at the same time, I want to be using my money efficiently.
I just got my first paycheck, and I have around $500 in my room, for working around 2 weeks.
And I want to make sure I use that money well.
$400 for paying back OSAP later, and $100 for my miscellaneous. Give or take $50.

But what can I do with my money?
Do I buy stuff, like games, clothes, drinks, etc?
Cause that's investing in Liabilities.
Or go for Assets, where my money will generate more money?

Obviously I would choose the latter, anyone in the right mind would see the better of the two choices.
But at the same time, I know that I should be aware that there needs to be investments in both Assets and Liabilities, not just in the economic terms.
That comes from seeing how I can use my $100 to invest in eating out with friends, or going to movies.
Friendships need investments too.
And yeah.... I think money is going to be a big motivation for me.
I wonder if this is going to change me for the worse.