19 Things The Millionaire Next Door Won't Tell You
Warren Buffet
In fact, Reuters reports that in 2009 there are 7.8 million millionaires in the United States. That’s a lot of people and the odds are one or two of them are living near you.
Heck, one of them might even be your neighbor. In fact, the odds are very good that it is your neighbor.
1. He always spends less than he earns
In fact his mantra is, over the long run, you’re better off if you strive to be anonymously rich rather than deceptively poor.
2. She knows that patience is a virtue
The odds are you won’t become a millionaire overnight.
If you’re like her, your wealth will be accumulated gradually by diligently saving your money over multiple decades.
3. He serves his guests inexpensive coffee
When you go to his modest three-bed two-bath house, you’re going to be drinking Folgers instead of Starbucks.
And if you need a lift, well, you’re going to get a ride in his ten-year-old economy sedan. And if you think that makes him cheap, ask him if he cares. (He doesn’t.)
4. She pays off her credit cards in full every month
She's smart enough to understand that if she can’t afford to pay cash for something, then she can’t afford it.
5. He realized early on that money does not buy happiness
If you’re looking for nirvana, you need to focus on attaining financial freedom.
6. She knows the power of financial freedom
She never forgets that financial freedom is a state of mind that comes from being debt free. Best of all, it can be attained regardless of your income level.
7. He knows a thing or two about second jobs
He knows that getting a second job not only increases the size of your bank account quicker but it also keeps you busy – and being busy makes it difficult to spend what you already have.
8. She knows how to manage her money
She understands that money is like a toddler; it is incapable of managing itself.
After all, you can’t expect your money to grow and mature as it should without some form of credible money management.
9. He’s a big believer in paying yourself first
Paying yourself first is an essential tenet of personal finance and a great way to build your savings and instill financial discipline.
10. She understands that work is about enjoyment
Although it’s possible to get rich if you spend your life making a living doing something you don’t enjoy, she wonders why you do.
Life is too short.
11. He knows that failing to plan is the same as planning to fail
He also knows that the few millionaires that reached that milestone without a plan got there only because of dumb luck.
It’s not enough to simply declare that you want to be financially free.
12. She's not afraid to think big
When it came time to set her savings goals, she wasn’t afraid to think big.
Financial success demands that you have a vision that is significantly larger than you can currently deliver upon.
13. He knows the importance of hard work
Over time, he found out that hard work can often help make up for a lot of financial mistakes – and you will make financial mistakes.
14. She insures herself against risk
She realizes that stuff happens, that’s why you’re a fool if you don’t insure yourself against risk.
Remember that the potential for bankruptcy is always just around the corner and can be triggered from multiple sources: the death of the family’s key bread winner, divorce, or disability that leads to a loss of work.
15. He understands that time is an ally of the young
He was fortunate enough to begin saving in his twenties so he could take maximum advantage of the power of compounding interest on his nest egg.
16.She knows that you can’t spend what you don’t see
You should use automatic paycheck deductions to build up your retirement and other savings accounts.
As your salary increases you can painlessly increase the size of those deductions.
17. He works because he loves it
Even though he has a job that he loves, he doesn’t have to work anymore because everything he owns is paid for – and has been for years.
18. She's not impressed by unreasonable spending
She’s not impressed that you drive an over-priced luxury car and live in a McMansion that’s two sizes too big for your family of four.
19. He's actually a really good neighbor
After six months of asking, he finally quit waiting for you to return his pruning shears. He broke down and bought himself a new pair last month. There’s no hard feelings though; he can afford it.
So that’s it. Now you know what your millionaire neighbor won’t tell you.
Oh, and, um, would you be so kind to keep this just between you and me? I’d hate to ruffle anyone’s feathers or cause of any kind of neighborly spat.
