.jpg)
The Waste: The 'Wig Money' Lesson Every Family Needs to Hear
- Reuben Lowing
- 1 day ago
- 8 min read
If you’ve been following the movement here at My Business Is Your Business/All Into Life, you know we don’t just talk about "budgeting." We talk about mission. We talk about stewardship. We talk about the Warrior-Steward mindset.
This past Friday, we launched the first episode of my new podcast series, "The Waste." It’s a raw, no-nonsense look at where your hard-earned capital is bleeding out of your life. Every Friday at noon, we’re going to be dissecting the tactical errors that keep families in a cycle of financial survival instead of financial dominance.
But today, I want to talk about "Wig Money."
Quick clarification before we go any further: medical wigs—also called cranial prostheses—are a positive niche. For many people dealing with hair loss from treatment or medical conditions, they’re not “vanity,” they’re health and confidence… and they’re often covered (in full or in part) by health insurance when prescribed/documented the right way.
So no—the wigs aren’t The Waste. The Waste is what usually surrounds the moment you need them: the unmanaged leaks that keep families living on the edge… then forcing a payday loan when life gets real.
And here’s the real-world version of this lesson—straight out of my own house.
My girlfriend was doing wigs and making about $450 per client. She was hustling—real work, real skill, real money.
And this is the pivot most folks need to hear: “Wig Money” can be a strategic revenue stream to be leveraged—not a source of debt. The wig work wasn’t the problem. The problem was the cash-flow leaks that were quietly eating up the month—then forcing predatory payday loans when timing got tight.
That’s what "The Waste" looks like in real life: not the wig business… the leaks + interest trap attached to the money.
And let me hit the deeper point, because this is where most people miss it: the real Waste isn’t just the interest you pay. It’s the opportunity cost—the lost gain. It’s the dollars that could’ve been building your Wealth Capacity, but instead got handed away because the small leaks never got plugged.
So I stepped in and helped her get set up with a business credit line at her bank—not another payday product, not another rollover trap—an actual bank line designed for business cash flow. We used that to wipe out the payday debt in one clean move (payday lender gone, pressure off, bleeding stopped).
Then we ran a Debt Rollup strategy—one organized monthly payment designed to clear the debt faster (without the chaos and rollover fees). And here’s the part that turns this from “debt payoff” into a real strategy: while we were paying the rollup down, we simultaneously started building an asset in a California Municipal bond fund—think a 5% guarantee with upside. So instead of all that wig money disappearing into lender interest, part of our monthly flow was now going into something that could actually come back to us.
That’s the Debt Freedom Flywheel in plain English:
Kill the bad debt (fast, on purpose, with structure),
Build a protected asset at the same time, and
Capture the “lost gain” that would’ve gone to the lender.
And this is also where the Shield / 0% floor mindset locks in. Whether that Shield is a properly-structured EIUL cash-value foundation or a conservative asset bucket like that muni fund, the point is the same: you’re building an unbreakable financial foundation—a place where your progress doesn’t get wiped out when life hits or markets drop. No more “one emergency and I’m back at the payday window.”
That’s the whole theme of this episode: turning a "wasteful" cycle into a Debt Freedom Flywheel—pay off debt and build an asset at the same time.
Whether you’re a barber in Detroit, a welder in Texas, or an HVAC tech in Idaho, this story is for you.
The Myth: “Wigs Are The Waste”
Let’s correct the misconception fast: the “Waste” isn’t a medical wig (cranial prosthesis). If anything, that’s a legit purchase that can be medically supported—and often insurance-backed when handled right.
The real Waste is the silent monthly leaks that push families into a corner:
cable/streaming stacks you forgot you’re paying for
random app subscriptions
“we’re too tired to cook” eating out 3–5 times a week
Those leaks don’t feel like debt… until they force debt.
Here’s the scenario: A woman needs a high-quality wig. It’s $200. She doesn’t have the $200 sitting in a "Shield" (a protected asset), because the month got bled out by subscriptions and eating out. So she hits a payday lender. She gets the "Wig Money."
She thinks, "It’s just $200. I’ll pay it back next week."
But then life happens. The car needs a tire. The kid needs cleats. That $200 loan doesn’t get cleared—it gets rolled over. Then rolled over again. With triple-digit interest on these products, that $200 need can turn into $800+ over time.
That $600 difference? That is The Waste.
In the Navy SEALs, we talk about "situational awareness." If you walk into an ambush because you weren't paying attention to the terrain, you’ve already lost the tactical advantage. In the financial world, "The Waste" is the ambush. It’s the money that leaves your pocket and goes to a bank or a lender, never to return.
When you lose $600 to interest, you didn't just lose $600. You lost what that $600 could have become.
The Myth: "I Can’t Afford to Save"
Let’s bust a myth right now. The biggest lie working-class families believe is: "I don't make enough money to start building wealth."
Wrong.
The issue isn't your income; it's your Capital Inefficiency. You are likely leaking money through high-interest debt, unnecessary fees, and the everyday Waste—cable/streaming stacks, subscriptions you forgot about, and eating out that turned into a habit.
As a Warrior-Steward, your job is to guard the gates. Every dollar that leaves your household should be an "employee" sent out to bring back more dollars.
And here’s the urgency: recapturing that specific Waste is how a lot of families fund a full retirement before age 60. Not by “getting rich quick”—but by stopping the bleed and redirecting the flow into Wealth Capacity.
Because your money doubles every 2.5 years when you treat it with the respect it deserves (Rule of 72: 72 ÷ 28.9 ≈ 2.5). That means money you stop wasting can potentially double four times in a decade—if you give it a job and protect it.
When you pay "Wig Money" interest (or any interest that came from leaks), you are sending your employees to work for someone else’s family. When you plug the leaks, “Wig Money” becomes leverage—income that can fund your Shield, grow your Sword, and build Asset Armor.
Navy SEAL Strategic Thinking: Slow is Smooth, Smooth is Fast
In elite military units, we don’t rush blindly into a room. We use the OODA Loop: Observe, Orient, Decide, Act.
Most people are stuck in a "Decide and Act" loop based on emotion. “I want the wig, I buy the wig.” They skip the Observe and Orient phases.
To eliminate The Waste, you have to Orient yourself to the reality of the math. We use the Rule of 72 to understand how fast money moves. If you have an asset growing at an average of 28.9%, your money doubles every 2.5 years (72 ÷ 28.9 ≈ 2.5).
Imagine if that $600 of "Waste" had been put into a vehicle with Wealth Capacity.
Year 0: $600
Year 2.5: $1,200
Year 5: $2,400
Year 7.5: $4,800
Year 10: $9,600
That $200 wig didn't just cost $800 in interest. It cost you $9,600 in potential wealth over the next decade. That is the true cost of "The Waste." When you start thinking like a SEAL: strategically, not just tactically: you realize that there is no such thing as a "small" financial leak.
The Sword and The Shield: EIUL vs. The World
Most "financial experts" tell you to "Buy Term and Invest the Difference" (BTID). They tell you to throw your money into the stock market and hope for the best.
But where is the protection? Where is the Shield?
In our framework, we use the Sword (Strategic Growth) and the Shield (Guaranteed Safety).
The Sword: Participating in large S&P 500 gains. From 2012 to 2026, the market has seen incredible climbs (over 400%). You need a tool that lets you capture that upside.
The Shield: This is the 0% floor. When the market crashes: like it did in 2001, 2008, or 2020: your Shield locks in your gains. You don't go backward.
The "Wig Money" trap happens because people have no Shield. They have no liquidity that is protected from market volatility. When an emergency happens, they have to go to the payday lender (the enemy) because their "investments" are either locked away or down in value.
An Indexed Universal Life (EIUL) policy, when structured correctly for high cash value, acts as both your Sword and your Shield. It gives you the "Best of Both Worlds": the growth of a VUL without the heart-stopping risk of a market crash.
The Warrior-Steward Mandate
Money is a tool of the Covenant. In Luke 16:11, it says, "So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?"
Finances are a test. Are you a faithful steward of the resources you’ve been given? Or are you allowing "The Waste" to consume the seed that was meant for your children’s children?
Consumer debt is a violation of the Law of Stewardship. It is a form of bondage. When you take out a payday loan for a luxury or a temporary fix, you are essentially selling your future labor to pay for a past mistake.
We want to move you from a state of "Financial Survival" to "Financial Peace of Mind." This isn't about being "rich"; it's about having Asset Armor. It's about knowing that whether the market goes up, down, or sideways, your family is protected.
Stop the Bleeding: Your Next Strategic Move
If you recognize yourself in the "Wig Money" story, don't feel guilty. Feel motivated. The first step in any rescue mission is identifying the point of failure.
"The Waste" is happening in your life right now in ways you might not even see. It’s in the hidden fees, the inefficient tax strategies, and the lost opportunity costs of having your money in the wrong places.
I am licensed in Texas, Michigan, California, Georgia, and Idaho. My mission is to help tradespeople and families in these states build a fortress around their finances.
Here is your direct next step:
Tune In: Catch "The Waste" podcast series every Friday at noon. We dive deep into these stories and give you the tactical maneuvers to fix them.
Assess Your Wealth Capacity: Stop wondering "what if" and start knowing. Your money has the potential to double four times in a single decade if you stop the leaks.
Book a Strategy Call: We don't do "cookie-cutter" plans. We look at your specific situation: your "Sword" and your "Shield": and we build a plan that fits your life.
Don't let another Friday go by where your capital is being wasted. It's time to take the high ground.
Your money doubles every 2.5 years when you treat it with the respect it deserves. Stop the waste. Build the shield. Become the Warrior-Steward your family needs.
Stay sharp. Stay disciplined. See you Friday at noon.
: Reuben Lowing Vice President/Agent, My Business Is Your Business/All Into Life
Comments