If Mark Cuban suddenly had $100,000 to play with, he wouldn’t be watching the markets or chasing a shiny new startup. He’d be walking into a store with a shopping cart.
When he was asked that question years ago in a 2010 Forbes interview, his answer felt almost too plain. No hype, no clever angle. And no crypto. Just everyday items, people keep buying. Toothpaste was one of the examples.
The idea behind it was calm and practical. The safest money often sits in boring places. Things people buy without thinking tend to stick around longer than whatever is trendy that month.
He said the first thing he’d do is clear his credit card balance and take a close look at any other loans. Whatever was left would go straight into the bank. And that wasn’t the end of it.
Mark Cuban’s Best ROI on $100K with Toothpaste
From there, it stops sounding like an investment plan and starts sounding like a regular shopping list. Mark said, “I try to create as much transactional value as possible from that cash. I look at my annual budgets for everything and anything, and I look to see where I can save the most money on those items.”
He went on to add that “Saving 30% to 50% buying in bulk—replenishable items from toothpaste to soup, or whatever I use a lot of—is the best guaranteed return on investment you can get anywhere.”
The Role of Cash in a Simple Financial Plan
Cuban is not pushing people to hoard or overbuy. Mark is pointing out that everyday items don’t go away. If you pick them up when prices dip, you lock in a lower cost and avoid future hikes. That’s the whole play. No risk, no speculation. Just steady savings.
When the per-item cost drops on something you already use, the benefit is built in. You lock in a lower price now and avoid higher ones later. Over months, that difference becomes noticeable. Across a whole shopping list, it turns into steady savings you don’t have to gamble for.
The rest of the cash doesn’t go anywhere interesting. He doesn’t dress it up with financial products or strategies. He parks it in the bank and lets it sit. Even if the return is basically zero or minimal.
He’s fine with that money not growing because it stays available. It’s there when he needs it. He’s not being careless with it. He’s keeping it free so he can move fast when the right moment shows up. To him, access matters more than a small return.
Mark Cuban’s outlook is grounded in experience. Mark has repeatedly moved early on ideas that later became obvious. That pattern is what makes his advice practical rather than theoretical.
The Mindset Behind Mark Cuban’s Financial Advice
That same thinking shows up in how Cuban chooses advisers.
When asked what he looks for in an adviser, he didn’t talk about credentials or big names. He said he wants someone reliable, someone who occasionally brings new ideas, and someone who can quickly dig into his own and carry them out.
Cuban isn’t looking for someone to sell him things. He wants someone who pays attention, works through ideas with him, and moves when it’s time.
The bigger takeaway is simple. Take care of the boring stuff first. Get rid of expensive debt. Spend less on the things you already buy. Keep some money free so you can use it when it matters. Chances don’t announce themselves. You either have room to act, or you don’t.
Cuban’s point isn’t about toothpaste or cash accounts. It’s about staying unburdened. Fewer leaks, fewer traps, more room to act. That’s how you stay in control of what comes next, and that’s why toothpaste matters, as it represents predictable spending
