10 Subtle (But Important!) Money Lessons from Disney Movies

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So I was watching Disney’s Up (for maybe the millionth time). And I died a little bit inside every time Carl and Ellie had to spend their Paradise Falls savings to cover a run-of-the-mill little emergency. And I thought that’s the perfect illustration for why you need an emergency fund separate from your dream fund. So I wrote a post about it.

But that got me thinking about all the subtle money lessons hidden in Disney movies. And I think I found some good ones!

So let’s jump right in! Here are the top 10 subtle (but totally important) money lessons from Disney movies.

Starting with that emergency fund from Up…

1. Have an Emergency Fund (Up)

Oh, the most heartbreaking of all the Disney/Pixar movies.

Carl and Ellie are saving their pennies for the adventure of a lifetime: a trip to Paradise Falls. But every time their savings starts to grow into anything substantial, life happens.

They need new tires, Carl breaks his leg, they need to repair the roof after a storm.

Life will throw emergencies at you without warning. And if you don’t keep an emergency fund separate from your dream fund, you’ll never save enough money to make your dreams come true.

2. Take Advantage of Supply and Demand (Frozen)

Yoo hoo!

Kristoff learns a little lesson in supply and demand when he tries to buy low-supply, high-demand winter gear in the middle of a snowstorm.

The shop owner, Oaken, explains that the price of the winter stock jumped from $10 to $40 because “supply and demand have a big problem”.

Of course Kristoff can appreciate the situation because he’s the one trying to sell ice when Arendelle is literally full of it.

It’s the oldest lesson in economics. When supply is low and demand is high, the price skyrockets.

Here are a few practical ways to take advantage of supply and demand in the real world:

• Build skills in in-demand fields. That will offer some level of income security. And you may be able to earn more money if you can do something few others can.
• Shop out-of-season. Clothes, holiday decor, BBQ stuff. Anything you buy that you can’t use year round can be purchased cheaper when it’s not so in demand.
• Travel in the off-season. Traveling in the off-season is my fave money-saving travel hack. Everything from flights to accommodations to food is cheaper. Plus you avoid the heat and the crowds. Win, win, win!

 

3. Leverage Debt (Lilo and Stitch)

Did you know Lilo had to go into debt to buy Stitch?

Yep, Nani gave Lilo a $2 loan so she could pay the shelter fees to get Stitch. It turned out to be a really important purchase when Lilo’s ownership papers saved Stitch from intergalactic deportation.

Here’s why this was a great transaction:

• The amount was reasonable. Lilo should be able to pay back the loan without much trouble.
• The interest rate was ideal. 0% in this case.
• And the item purchased was more valuable than the purchase price.

It’s not always a bad idea to use other people’s money to buy things!

Just make sure you can afford to pay it back, and you are getting a reasonable interest rate. Bonus points if you are fairly sure the item purchased will grow in value.

Check out a few examples of smart ways to leverage debt.

4. Don’t Neglect Estate Planning (Cinderella)

So Cinderella’s dad dies, and she’s left living penniless as a servant. Which super sucks for her because her dad was plenty wealthy when he died. And now she has to watch her family’s fortune squandered by her garbage stepmother and stepsisters.

If Cinderella’s dad hadn’t been so careless, he would have left a legally-binding will to make sure she would be taken care of in the event of his death. Especially since he had all that money and property.

If you have debt or assets, you should really make a will. It will make life easier for your family if you die. And if you have kids, you need to make a will to make sure your kids are financially cared for if you can’t be there to provide for them.

5. Commit to Your Savings Plan (The Princess and the Frog)

While Tiana’s friends were out dancing, she was working and saving her money. She dreamed of being able to open her own restaurant, and she was committed to her savings plan.

Want to be able to commit as hard as Tiana? Here are a couple tips:

• Figure out your “why”. Saving for a trip to Santorini or your kids’ college education is way more satisfying than just saving for a rainy day.
• Automate your savings plan to eliminate the temptation to spend. This is how you fool-proof your saving plan.

6. Don’t Get Greedy (Aladdin)

Gosh dangit, Abu!

The Cave of Wonders specifically said, “touch nothing but the lamp,” but the idiot monkey couldn’t resist the shiny thing.

The lesson here: don’t get greedy. Don’t invest all your money in Bitcoin, expecting to make a quick and easy buck. And especially don’t try to bend or break the rules to make more money: don’t try to fudge the deductions on your taxes, and don’t try to over-bill your clients.

7. Make Sure You Can Pay Your Taxes (Robin Hood)

We’re ignoring the obvious “rob from the rich and give to the poor” message Robin Hood hits us over the head with. And we’re focusing on the much more subtle money lesson from Robin Hood: tax planning.

Everyone grumbles about taxes. But they are a super necessary part of civilized society. You want the government to provide Medicare, build and maintain roads, and fund childhood education? Taxes make those things possible.

And remember, Americans pay super low taxes compared to many other countries. My US taxes were about 20% of my income after all my deductions were accounted for. In Germany, it’s a solid 40%. That’s the cost of providing education and health care to all citizens.

If you support taxpayer-funded education and health care, be prepared to have your taxes skyrocket to cover those costs. There is no such thing as “free education” or “free health care”.

Regardless of whether you’re in favor of small government and low taxes or big government and high taxes, as a citizen, you have a responsibility to pay your taxes. So plan for them!

This is especially important as more people side hustle. Side hustles are still income and still have to be reported on your tax returns. It’s up to you to make sure you set aside enough money to pay your income taxes on time.

8. Collectibles Might Not be the Best Investment (Toy Story 2)

Ok, collectibles like Andy, Jessie, Bullseye, and the Prospector can be an investment. But they’re not for everyone.

First, they’re hard to find. How much time do you think Al spent trying to put together his full set before flat-out stealing Woody from the yard sale? Then there’s the cost of the restoration work. And the time spent finding a buyer. And in the end, the toys never made it to the buyer, so Al was SOL.

Collectibles take a lot of time and money. And they are susceptible to getting stolen, damaged, or misplaced.

Plus, you often have to invest in a bunch of duds to make sure you have that one toy that, for no foreseeable reason, takes off.

Only invest in collectibles if it’s a labor of love, and you can afford to lose money on the deals.

9. Have a Back-Up Plan in Case Your Job Becomes Obsolete (The Incredibles)

When the world decided it no longer wanted assistance from superheroes, Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl were out of a job.

Helen’s backup plan was to manage her household with 3 kids. And she nailed it. Bob had a harder time finding his place in the world after his job became obsolete. He ended up struggling for years in a job he hated.

Advances in tech are rendering lots of jobs obsolete. Telemarketers, drivers, bank tellers, cashiers, travel agents…these could soon be a thing of the past.

If your job is in danger of becoming obsolete, be prepared to pivot so you aren’t forced to take a job that makes you miserable.

10. Unleash Your Entrepreneurial Spirit (Zootopia)

Remember when Nick (you know, the fox) got the Jumbo Pop from the elephant’s ice cream parlor, melted it down, refroze the liquid in mini molds, and sold the new “Pawpsicles” to the lemmings?

That is entrepreneurship in action.

The Jumbo Pop was $15. Nick made 90 Pawpsicles and sold them off at $2 each. Pretty good profit margin!

Sure, it was a little shady to pretend his business partner was just a little kid who wanted a Jumbo Pop from the elephant’s ice cream parlor. But the elephants were discriminating against him just because he was a fox. So I’ll allow that.

I can’t defend his forgot-my-wallet con though…he could have just invested the $15 to buy the Jumbo Pop knowing he’d get a solid return on that investment. Officer Hopps was right to bust him on that.

The lesson here is that there are creative ways to make a buck all around you. Embrace your entrepreneurial spirit and find a way to make some side cash.

Need some ideas to get started? We have 20+ weird ways to make money in your spare time.

What Did We Miss?

Can you think of any other subtle money lessons from Disney movies? Let us know in the comments!