And, there it was... perfect way to *invest* my refund: in myself -- with my very own home gym! Who doesn't deserve those Abundant Abs, that perfectly Toned and Sculpted Body... All for under $1,200, with payments under $35/month!

I was drooling. I had to have that gym! I deserved it! I'd wanted it for over a year now... Good things come to those who wait, right?

I found some even smaller print at bottom -- The APR was just under 22%! I exhaled. Slowly. It felt like someone had stopped Bob Seger's 'Beautiful Loser,' right at best part of song. The drooling stopped. The adrenaline retreated, waiting for next spending rush.

My sanity returned.

Still dazed, I followed efficient-looking tax lady back to her desk, all while calculating how much interest I would have paid for those Perfect Pecs... those Adorable, Abundant Abs. Just how tired would my bones be by time I had this home gym paid off?

Let's say "little capital" means something like $10,000. Suppose you invest that in stock market. You pick your own stock by watching finance channels, reading financial statements online, and keeping ahead on news events.

You diligently work 2 extra hours per day on these investing activities. And you make 15% annually which is well above average.

So that year with your effort, you made $1,500.

You would then be below minimum wage

Hmmm, $1,500 for about 2 hours/day. This comes out to about $2.88 per hour. But that is actually below U.S. minimum wage...

Say you make $60,000 per year. If you devote that extra two hours per day to your job, can you make more?

Would a 25% extra effort make you stand out from your co-workers?

You Bet!

You only need a 2.5% raise to beat your investment in stock market. If you are paid hourly, you can make up to $15,000 more by working 2 extra hours per day.

Moreover, this is a compounded effort. 25% extra effort devoted to your career could be difference between becoming president of your company or a division director one day.

15% percent pay raise is NOT even enough

However, when your "stock-investable" net worth exceeds your income then it is a whole different story. With $60,000 capital, a 15% return equates to a profit of $9,000 profits annually. And You will need a 15% percent pay raise to beat that.

The following table should make things clear:

CASE 1: Salary > Stock Investment

Specific Numbers: Salary = $60,000 Stock Investment = $10,000

Salary x (2.5% Raise) = (Stock Investment) X 15% Return Conclusion: It makes heck of a lot of sense to bang away at your career.

CASE 2: Salary < Stock Investment