What The Beatles can teach you about finance

The Beatles and finance — sounds disconnected? Well, turns out you can adapt their approach to music to your finances. Curious? Read on!

No, we're not going to say "All You Need Is Love". This article has more to do with what one can learn from the way the Fab Four approached their music. So, tune in and learn how you can get your finances in perfect harmony!

ECONOMICS IN MUSIC

When we think of economics, we naturally think of money and finances, but the term lends itself to various aspects of life, including music. Economics, in a general sense, is more about a sense of optimally utilising a certain resource.

In their case, The Beatles used their songwriting to tell stories. What set them apart from the rest of the musicians was their approach. Thankfully, we can study their approach towards music and adapt it to better manage our finances.

Here are 4 lessons from The Beatles that we can apply to finance and possibly a lot of things in our life.

KEEP IT SIMPLE

Apart from Paul McCartney's impressive command over the bass guitar, The Beatles were not really accomplished musicians. None of them was a virtuoso, musically. But did that stop them from making awesome music?

No, sir! What worked for the Fab Four was their ability to tell a story effectively by using simplicity. They never approached songwriting with the intention of 'impressing' listeners with their skills. Rather, they just achieved the right balance of elements to create iconic and accessible songs.

What we can learn from this: It doesn't matter if you don't earn a super-heavy paycheck or are well-versed with micro details of finance and investment - you just need to do your best based on your situation - and that'll give you desirable results.

Make practical investments, maintain a well-balanced portfolio, spend according to your purchasing power and, most importantly, enjoy the way you deal with your money - your heart's gotta be in it to win it!

KEEP AN OPEN MIND TO NEW THINGS 

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Within a short career span of 8 years, The Beatles managed to explore music styles ranging from radio-friendly pop to full-blown psychedelic rock, and they did it well. If you revisit their discography, you'll notice that no two albums sound alike.

That's because the Fab Four approached music with a fresh perspective each time. It's fascinating to note that the band that wrote "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" is the same band that accidentally created one of the earliest heavy metal songs, "Helter Skelter".

What we can learn from this: Just because one approach works for your finances, it doesn't mean you should close your doors to newer possibilities. For instance, let's say you're doing just fine without a Credit Card.

That's great, but if you choose to dismiss the possibility of ever stepping into the credit world, you're likely to miss out on a lot of great things.

For starters, building a credit history in today's financial world is very important. Secondly, banks save most of their awesome offers and deals for Credit Card users. These are just two of the many reasons why you should keep an open mind to trying new things when it comes to your personal finances.

FIND YOUR STRENGTH AND LEVERAGE IT 

As discussed earlier, The Beatles weren't exactly the ideal musicians from a technical perspective. However, their ability to sing in unison was second to none - some say it hasn't been topped even today.

The Fab Four's intelligent utilisation of vocal harmonies can be seen in songs such as "Help", "Please Please Me", and a number of other hits.

It's clear from this that these boys knew their strengths and weaknesses pretty well - this explains why you don't have extended, indulgent instrumentation in any of The Beatles' albums; they just weren't made to play that way.

Instead, they stuck to their guns, brought out their best attributes and managed to create memorable bits of music that continue to win hearts.

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What we can learn from this: Not everyone is a born investor or an organisational wizard. One has to take an inward journey to identify strengths and weaknesses when it comes to financial habits in order to progress.

For instance, some may be great at saving while others may be better at making their spending habits work to their advantage. The bottom line here is - find your strength and make it spearhead your financial journey.

We hope you're inspired enough to give your financial plan a much-needed boost with these lessons.

If you're unhappy that you didn't know these things earlier, just whisper these words of wisdom - "Let It Be". "Yesterday" is done and dusted; and you can now look ahead and use the above tips to make your money work for you. In a matter of time, you'll be dancing to "Twist & Shout".:)

This article was first published in BankBazaar.