Cashflow Game Popularity Worth It?
The Cashflow game is an incredible game made by the Rich Dad, Poor Dad brand that exemplifies the principles found in the book. It combines aspects of nostalgic games like Life and Monopoly, but relates them directly to real life. Using strategies in this game is intended to help in real life as players build their financial foundation.
Cashflow Game Mechanics
The Cashflow game is broken down into two games, the Rat Race and the Fast Race. All players start in the Rat Race. They randomly draw an occupation that contains a list of income and expenses. With this information, the player fills out the income statement that shows the players income, expenses, assets, and liabilities. The player rolls the dice to move their character around the rat race.
Each place on the Rat Race board relates to an event that is likely to happen in a persons life. For example, there is a spot that gives a player a child, upping their expenses. Other spaces include Deals, Doodads, Market, and Pay Day which repeat around the track. There are also one offs, like a child thrown into the mix.
As a player goes around, they are able to get paid as they pass Pay Day, and use their money to buy deals to help increase their cashflow. Every deal made or expense incurred is recorded on the Income Statement. The goal of the game is to get out of the rat race by having your cash flow exceed your expenses.
Once your cashflow exceeds your expenses, you’re able to move off the rat race track and onto the fast track. Using a calculated amount for your new cash flow, you are on a loop that alternates between dreams and deals. To win, you either buy your dreams or increase your cash flow by $50,000.
Cashflow Game Pros
This game is great for young people or new investors. It highlights the possibilities of making your money work for you. One thing it helps discourage is the purchase of Doodads because it hinders your cash flow goal. As it is said in Rich Dad, Poor Dad, the rich make their money work for them and they spend money on assets and not liabilities.
This game is a mix between Monopoly and the game of Life. It will get players excited to invest their money in stocks and real estate, while showcasing the benefits to accumulating these assets in the long run. Who wouldn’t like $10,000 in passive income?
Cashflow Game Cons
While this game does very well at highlighting the positives of making your money work for you, it does have some pitfalls. For one, there is a large misconception when it comes to stock investing. One quick way to move from the small deals to the big deals is accumulating a lot of money, not cash flow, quickly. One of the best ways to do that is through the stock offerings.
Unlike the real world, the game stocks show a range the stock will trade for. So, if the stock has a range of $10-$30 and its currently selling for $5, the best bet is to purchase as much as possible. This could be very bad for someone doing that in real life. Imagine if you did that with Blockbuster.
Also, with the stocks, you can buy the stock at $1 and sell it for $40 the next turn. As amazing as that would be, it is not likely in the real world without taking huge risks in penny stocks (which most fail).
Overall Worth It!
Though the cons section is longer, I think the pros significantly outweigh the cons. This game is incredible for those who are looking to gain financial independence. Learning the principles in this game will help players understand how to calculate their expenses, where to invest your money, and understand how to leverage debt to build wealth.
I would advise getting this game for teens or young adults to help them make sound financial decisions.
Disclaimer
Once again, I am not a financial advisor. These tips are some things I have validated with my own personal experiences. If you feel you need more personal advice, please consult a professional financial advisor. Dont forget to check out the Book List for published authors on this topic!