I first played Rich Dad’s Cashflow 101 game way back in 2007, after I found Think Rich Pinoy Seminar attendees who organized their own cashflow 101 game sessions. I was hooked ever since. I play cashflow 101 whenever I get a chance to do so as part of “sharpening the saw”. I believe that the cashflow 101 game effectively simulates one’s  journey out of the rat race and I would like to share here what I have learned from playing what I consider to be a “life changing game” and its practical applications in real life.

Here goes my Top 7 lessons learned from playing Rich Dad’s cashflow 101 game…

Cashflow 101 game board

A photo of the cashflow 101 board game courtesy of Earth del Mundo

1. Simplify and get out of the rat race faster
I noticed that whenever I played the cashflow 101 game and was able to choose a “simple” profession like a truck driver for example, I was able to get out of the rat race faster. This happened during the Think Rich Pinoy Seminar I attended last August 2007. As a truck driver, although my salary was low, my monthly expenses were also very low. Because I had  low monthly expenses, I already had a positive cashflow and all I needed to do was just get those passive income generating deals. After each payday, I had more money to invest, and with just a few passive income generating deals, I had enough passive income that exceeded my monthly expenses, and I was able to get out of the rat race faster.

In real life, I am applying the same strategy by reducing my monthly expenses by leading a simple life. This was also described by Bo Sanchez in his book “Simplify and Live the Good Life ” and T. Harv Eker in his book “Secrets of the Millionaire Mind”. My family and I lead simple lives, which explains my very low target monthly passive income which is why I know I am going to get out of the rat race in real life very soon!

2. Start with small deals first, and the big deals will follow
In the beginning of the game, I always chose small deals even if they produced little cashflow. Later on, when the market presents good opportunities, I was able to sell or “flip” these small deals and then I used the profit to buy the bigger deals that produced greater cashflow, allowing me to get out of the rat race.

four-green-housesMy four “green houses” which I’ll exchange for a “red hotel” during a recent game I played with Earth. I was not able to get out of the rat race during this game but we only played for an hour due to time constraints.

In real life, I am also following the same path. I focus on single family homes or properties which may produce little cashflow at  the very least, but can actually generate significant profits if “flipped” or sold through “rent-to-own”. I can then use the profit later when they are enough to get bigger deals that can produce bigger positive cashflow.

3. Over-leverage often leads to bankruptcy
During the game, we often encounter great deals that produce a lot of positive cashflow but require a big downpayment and it is tempting to borrow money from the bank just to be able to buy those great deals. However, there is such a thing as becoming over-leveraged which can produce negative cashflow situations because of the high monthly payments for those loans. Even if one’s passive income is enough to cover the monthly payments for those loans, imagine if something happened and the monthly income of one’s investment properties were affected, suddenly the monthly payments for the loans cause a negative cashflow and can lead to bankruptcy. The same can also happen when one is downsized. This is the reason why one should avoid deals that lead to too much exposure or over-leverage.

Applying this is real life is a no brainer. I would not dare buy those multi-unit apartments unless they were in the same price range as the single family homes I focus on. As mentioned in lesson number 2 above, I can go for those bigger deals later when profits from my small deals are enough.

4. It is better to wait for a good opportunity than settle for those not so good deals
In the game, good opportunities come in the form of deals that have big ROI potential, and can be bought with little or no downpayment, while producing positive cashflow. If any of these elements are missing, I consider a deal as “not so good” and I pass them up and just wait for the good deals.

In real life, I do the same and patiently wait for good opportunities. If a not so good deal comes my way, I can either look for ways to make it into a good deal, or I just pass it up and wait for another more worthwhile deal to pursue.

5. Learn how to spot a good deal and grab it
One of the biggest challenges one faces in the game is how to spot those good deals so that you can grab them. Sometimes a good deal is right under your nose and it slips away because you didn’t realize soon enough that it was a good deal.

I believe spotting good deals is a skill and you can only learn this skill by continuously analyzing deals. Once you get the hang of it, you will start seeing those good deals more often. Normally those deals would have normally slipped away without you knowing it. If you see good deals often, it’s just logical that you will eventually grab one of those deals right?!

6. Learn how to protect your investments
I distinctly remember games where apartment buildings getting toppled by mud and all the cashflow generated by these properties are gone, unless I am covered by insurance.

Does Ondoy and Pepeng ring a bell? Who would have thought that a game like cashflow 101 actually teaches us to protect our investments from such disasters and calamities. Better get your investments insured with “Acts of God” coverage pronto!

7. Net worth is worth less, cashflow is king
Once you play cashflow 101, you will notice its emphasis on the importance of cashflow over one’s net worth. You will see that it really is more important to have positive cashflow from passive income. What is the use of having a big net worth if you don’t have any positive cashflow?

In real life, we should apply this by focusing on building our positive cashflow with income generating assets. Even if we have to use leverage to buy these assets, it really is okay. We call this good debt. Don’t be afraid to have good debts that buy real assets that produce the cashflow we need to get out of the rat race for real!

Get out of the rat race in the game, and in real life!

So you got out of the rat race when you played cashflow 101. So what?! That’s useless if you don’t take action and apply the lessons you have learned from the game in real life. But playing a game is one thing, doing it in real life is an entirely different thing… or is it?

I can truly say that Robert Kiyosaki’s Cashflow 101 game is a “life changing” game because my life has really changed ever since I decided to apply in real life the lessons I have learned from it. Take note that I only listed the top 7 lessons I have learned and I can assure all of you that there are more lessons one can learn from this game.

People may find it hard to believe that one can learn so much from a game and can have such a huge impact in life. I guess you just have to play the game and experience it for yourselves.

How about you, have you played Rich Dad’s cashflow 101 game? What did you learn? Are you applying them in real life?

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My vision – financial freedom for all!

Jay Castillo
Real Estate Investor
Real Estate Broker License #: 20056
Blog: http://www.foreclosurephilippines.com
Click here to contact me via E-mail
Mobile phone (Call/SMS): +639178843882
Twitter: http://twitter.com/jay_castillo
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Text by Jay Castillo. Copyright © 2009 All rights reserved.

PS. If you are a new visitor, please start here to learn more about foreclosure investing in the Philippines.

PS2. Larry Gamboa and Bo Sanchez will give the Think Rich Pinoy Seminar this November 21 at the Philamlife Building in UN avenue in Manila. Larry will discuss his unique Real Estate methods, buying foreclosed properties and turning them around for passive income. You’ll also get to play Robert Kiyosaki’s CashFlow 101 Game and learn! To attend, click here now!

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