Millionaire Mindset: How to Spend Like the Wealthy

Did you know that a large percentage of today's millionaires have accumulated their wealth in one generation. No we are not talking about people who have some special education, or achieved superior investment performance, or won the lottery, or even people who inherited it. We are talking about people like you and me who work for a living but somehow managed to accumulate great wealth.

But how did they do it you may ask?
Their secret can be revealed in a saying my Uncle once shared with me, that he passed down from my grandfather (an Italian immigrant with no formal education). Here is what he said, "If you make $10.00 and spend $11.00 you will always be poor, but if you make $10.00 and save just $1.00 you will always have money." Believe it or not it is that simple. The majority of today's millionaires achieved that status by spending less than they earned over long periods of time.

The key difference is a change in mindset not a change in income or investment return. Most millionaires are more concerned with the independence and security that having money brings, than spending money to have the appearance of wealth.

According to recent research surveys most millionaires are not out to impress anyone with their shiny new toys. In fact, in one survey fifty percent of respondents had never spent more than $399 for a suit, $140 for a pair of shoes, or $235 for a watch. A similar survey showed that 50% of all millionaires had never spent more than $29,000 for an auto and had paid only $24,800 for their latest car. More than 36% owned cars that were at least 3 years old. When they did but a car, four out of five millionaires purchased it rather than leased it.

Most millionaires are our next door neighbors, they are living in more modest neighborhoods, and they have smaller mortgages. Millionaires understand that it is not about how much you make. It's about how much you keep.

So if you want to be a millionaire, learn to spend like a millionaire.