Ocho Cinco
Alfonz24
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Chad 'Ochocinco' Johnson says he saved 83% of NFL earnings by wearing fake jewelry, flying commercial
Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson earned close to $50 million in his NFL career, and there's a decent chance he had a big chuck of that when he hung up his cleats.
The former Cincinnati Bengal said he regularly bought fake jewelry and flew commercial to save money while in the NFL.
"Fly private? I ain’t flying private," he said on Shannon Sharpe’s "Club Shay Shay" podcast. "Put me on Spirit. Exit row. Window seat. That’s all I need. As long as I get from point A to point B. I don’t need private."
"If you can get to a point in your career where your name becomes bigger than anything you can purchase, there’s your value," Johnson said.
In all, he estimates he saved 83% of his earnings with his thrifty spending.
Johnson has been well known to give four-figure tips for a quick meal at drive-in food joints.
Comments
I'll take the ocho ocho 0 over ochocinco everytime, night and day!.....What a RIG!.....Muy Rapido!!! Que Lastima!
Walker Texas Cat approves!
Yes, his tipping stories are legendary.
I don't know much about him as a person.
It was interesting when he joined the Pats and couldn't really catch on to the system.
Gronk has famously never spent a dime of his NFL salaries. He lives entirely off of endorsement money.
That story sounds at odds with the ones I've read about him through the years. Pretty sure he once paid someone like 10K to go get a burger for him or something.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
I always thought he tried too hard to be a soft diva type, not a bad guy from what I read about him.
Ocho Cinco's once birthday gift to himself...
Here is an estimate of the current net worth of my fellow Beav alumni Mr. Ocho:
https://www.sportskeeda.com/nfl/chad-johnson-net-worth-and-salary
Ocho played alongside fellow WR T. J. Houshmandzadeh in the greatest Beaver game of all in 2001 when da Beavs completely dee-stroyed Our Dame 41-9 in the Fiesta Bowl. Jonathan Smith was the Beav qb and is now the Beav head coach in their recent resurgence. It was poetry in cleats that day and one of the greatest sports events in Beav history. Was a good day I will never forget. Beavs went on to be 4th in final AP poll, ahead of Oregon in 7th (rare for Beavs ahead of Ducks).
Both Ocho and Houshmandzadeh then went on to play for the Bengals at the same time and continued their powerful duo role as WRs.
I was going to mention Gronk as well. Has the crazy guy image, but is very fiscally responsible.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
Gronkowski was perhaps the smartest NFL player in history, money wise. He saved all his NFL paychecks, $54 MILLION, and lived off endorsements. Others blew money left and right and are now penniless. Gronk looked and acted a little goofy, but he was a wise man to have had the inclination and determination to save and live a rather normal life while his bank account grew and grew. Now, at the age of 33, he's got the world by the tail.
My wife was once a Flight Attendant for a major airline. Her 401k began rather modestly, but we increased it year after year, until she was putting well over 40% of her pay into the program. I was adding as well to my then Thrift Savings Plan, the Federal Employee version of a 401k. Oftentimes my wife would tell me of little chit chat Flight Attendants would have and when a 401k issue would come up, she was shocked at how many didn't even put in enough to cover the airline matching contribution. BUT, they had their BMWs, God knows how many pairs of shoes, etc, etc. We are now financially set for life and probably won't spend all we have, well into 6 figures, other than forced RMDs (required minimum distributions). The airline once gave employees a bonus of stock. My wife got 459 shares, then worth $15.71 a share, the stock is now worth $39.42 a share. Lots of people cashed theirs in right away...go figure. We get 4 checks a month and can do as we wish, we could easily get by with one.
I think you either have it in you when you're young, to realize one day you'll be older and need money to enjoy life. There is a thing called "time value of money", and "compound interest"...almost impossible to instill into young people, but those who see the light will enjoy the benefits of sacrifice in their later years. I wish High School would have a mandatory class about money and the future or having it, or needing it and not having it. I suggest Index Funds, very low administrative costs, I am in a Small Index Fund and the S&P 500 Index Fund. So far, so good.
If you have young friends or relatives, saving for the future is essential to living the good life when the hair turns gray, or before, when you have a job or boss that is unbearable. Having ample funds makes some decisions very easy to make.
100% Spot On dissertation
Topps, that is too much common sense.
I know, I've wasted a fair amount of time on "younger relatives", merely suggesting to save 10% of what they made, then add a little each year. They looked at me like I was an idiot. Now, years later, they (the ones I've kept in touch with), are deep in debt, credit cards with horrific fees, not much to show for their labor, and still seem to think the future will never come, they won't get old, something will always be there for them. I don't say anything anymore, and don't listen to any sad stories.
I'm grateful for whatever inside my wife and I made us save and now have a very comfortable life.