In my mid-30s, I hit the milestone of becoming a millionaire—what I like to call the “double-comma club”—and I did it the old-fashioned way.
No inheritance, no lottery wins, and no big windfalls. I didn’t even start a business.
Becoming a millionaire by your 30s might seem like a dream, but it’s totally possible with the right choices and actions. It’s not just about earning a lot of money; it’s also about having smart financial habits, making wise investments, and being brave enough to take some calculated risks.
Here are 16 choices that made me rich.
16 Choices That Made Me Rich
1: I chose a high-paying career field (information technology), not liberal arts.
2: I cut out the losers. All you want to do is drink? Bye.
3: I ignored the haters.
4: I never paid a single dollar in credit card interest in my life.
5: I was one of the first in the office daily (this works more than you think).
Choices 6 through 10
6: I never watched the news. The news is built around negativity. That’s not what makes us rich.
7: Rather than hating millionaires, I learned from them. I took notes. Rich people are great teachers. 8: I switched companies regularly. 15 to 20% raise every time. Easy money.
9: Exploited my 9 to 5. Got in early. Invested. Never complained. I got promotion after promotion.
10: Automated everything. Investing. Savings. Bill paying. Everything was on auto-pilot.
Choices 11 through 16
11: I didn’t care if my neighbor bought a BMW. I refused to keep up with their debt.
12: I stopped the bar runs. Booze ain’t cheap. Booze at bars is worse.
13: I prioritized well. Health > Family > Wealth. Without the first two, the third is meaningless.
14: I said “yes” to every opportunity, even if I didn’t know how to do it. I figured it out along the way.
15: My wife and I had “money talks” every day. We’d walk the dogs after dinner and talk money.
16: Index funds. No day trading. No picking and choosing stocks. Index funds = the Easy button to getting rich.
Millionaire Habits Get People Rich
Most people build wealth because of their choices, not just the things that happen to them.
For instance, many believe millionaires get rich because of an inheritance. While that does happen, inheritance is a relatively small reason. I call it the Inheritance Myth.
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