Money lessons for poor people from a moderately smart African:
1. Don't invest your money in a business you do not understand well. Not even in firms like Google, Nvidia etc.
2. If you are not confident that your investment will outpace inflation & currency devaluation, do not do it.
3. Invest your money in a business you know well, typically one you control. If you are not skilled enough to start a business, go back to learning.
4. Invest your money first in learning, then in distribution (potential reach & sales network), then in your actual business. Each one pays for itself and the next step.
5. Participate in the largest possible economy you have access to and an interest in.
6. Keep your expenses low and bare until you have mastered a skill.
7. Don't keep amorphous “rainy day” savings. Save for a particular short-term goal if you need to. Otherwise, plow as much as you can into your learning, or distribution, or business.
8. Once you achieve a financial breakthrough, don't rest on your oars. Reinvest in another cycle of learning, distribution and business.
9. Marry a man or woman of great character, typically one similar in mindset to you. Do it early and do it simple.
10. Try not to borrow, especially if you don't have a certain way of repaying in a short window. Avoid anything that could cause a significant damage to your current financial cycle. Don't even borrow for your learning, or distribution, or business if the potential risk is significant.