Last weekend a good friend of mine and I were talking about the cars we planned on buying this year. I mentioned how I plan on trading in my car for an Infiniti and he tells me that he's actually in the middle of buying a car, a Range Rover to be exact. And then, the sentence that inspired this post was said: "An Infiniti, that's "quiet money." I need to stunt on these niggaz."
What is "Quiet Money," you might ask? QM refers to the more established (read: white) view on finances and perceptions of worth. It's adverse? "Loud Money." The flashy, evil twin whose sole purpose is to let everyone know they have (read: had, and most likely currently don't) the money to make things happen. We as African-American people, and more specifically, as Black Men fall victim to being Loud Money all of the time.
While QM is wearing generically labeled clothes, they're also putting them on after walking out of the one of 6 bathrooms in the 2.3 million dollar (and paid for) home they own. LM is wearing $700 Prada shoes and sleeping on the floor next to one of their 5 roommates in their lovely unfurnished 2 bedroom apartment. We all know LM. He's our friend who never wants to be seen in the same outfit twice. Who can't pay rent, but just came back from a 5 Star hotel. Who's two days away from having his '08 Benz repossessed, but laughing at our '02 Civic.
To further break it down:
QM=Mutual Fund\LM=No Savings Account
QM=2001 Volvo, paid in cash\LM=2010 Escalade on 28s with TVs in the rearview mirror that won't be paid off until 2020
QM=Shares in Gucci Stock\LM=Shared Gucci Shades (because you couldn't afford them, so you had your best friend go half on them and you take turns wearing them)
Are we catching the distinction yet? I hope so.
We (including me, because I too fall victim to Loud Money every once in a while myself) need to shove LM out of the way, because he's currently blocking our future. When we focus on LM, we never get a chance to plan for the upcoming. Loud Money is impulsive, in the moment and so is the high one receives when acting like Loud Money. Ask Loud Money what he's doing next year with his life and he can't tell you. He can however, show you his new iPhone and the pictures of the $800 jeans he's saving for.
The risk with being Loud Money, is that just like you, somebody else wants to be him too, and you've made yourself an easy target. So trust me, your Loud ass, will be Quiet Money by force if anyone else chooses to make you such and really, how Loud is No Money?
This year, I'm leaving Loud Money in the dust and hopping in bed with Quiet Money. I'm putting her in my Top Friends, my MyFaves list, and on my Christmas Card list. I'm subscribing to her blog and watching all of her videos on Youtube. I'm making her a part of my everyday. She seems to have things going for herself and plans for the future, and since I claim to surround myself with like individuals, the obvious choice is her. She'll have my kid's education paid for, and my retirement fully funded. She'll remind me of the power of money's potential tomorrow and scold me for being lured by it's fickleness of today. She'll show me the power in silence.
2008, and 9 and 10 and damnit, every year hereafter, I'm getting my silent stocks, my quiet quarters, and my muted millions. I'm on that Quiet Money.