That's right. I said it. Beanie babies almost ruined the world. How could a poorly made stuffed animal ruin the world, you ask? Very simply...they were financially distracting.

They were a brilliant blend of non-flammable fibers, funny names, and peer pressure. They were one toy in a long line of "keep up with the Joneses" type toys. There were Cabbage Patch Kids, Tickle Me Elmos, PlayStation 3s, and Ninetndo Wiis. All of these things have become bigger than themselves. Is a Cabbage Patch kid that fun to play with? No, but people were chasing down trucks in Toys R Us parking lots to get them.

Many people have "valuable" Beanie Baby collections. They bought them in bulk. Like most things bought in bulk it was a poor decision (i.e. 55 gallon drum of Mayo). This is a great example of financial distraction. People were banking their financial futures on Beanie Babies. Why? I have no earthly idea. Hoot the owl shouldn' t help you fund your child's education. When they were included in Happy Meals at McDonalds, obesity went up 35% (okay I made that up). Just because they make a plastic case to hold Beanie Babies, doesn't mean that they are valuable. They were simply a huge financial distraction. A financial distraction is something that pulls you away from your fundamentals and your goals. What is your financial distraction?

Here are some potential financial distractions: cars, houses, clothes, stainless steel appliances, eBay, baseball cards, the Colts Super Bowl run, and the stock market. The stock market? Yes, the stock market. More people are pulled away from their goals by the stockmarket than any other thing in the world. You have no business trading alone in the stock market if you can't even mangage your household income. Don't let the commercials fool you. People do make money in the market, but it pulls them away from their goals.  You're main basic goal is to never speak the phrase, "I made ____ dollars this year, and yet I have no money to show for it." The more distractions you have, the more likely you are to speak that terrible phrase.

If you have time, go to ebay and look how much Beanie Babies are selling for. Nevermind...that is distracting.