Act wealthy to get out of debt
What? Act wealthy to get out of debt? Yes, precisely – and if you’ve misconstrued what I’ve said then you’re probably in debt for a very good reason, so read on. 🙂
How will acting wealthy get you out of debt? Studies and experience in personal finance have learned me a very valuable lesson – if you want to get out of debt, you must put an end to frivolous spending – which is our basic definition of acting wealthy. Remember, most wealthy people are well-to-do for a very good reason… Acting wealthy = no frivolous spending.
Consider the following example by JD Roth, my friend and author of Your Money: The Missing Manual
In a recent article JD judges a friend who, despite a recent bankruptcy, continues to swim in the pool of bad financial choices. Although JD’s frustration toward his friend was spot on, it was actually a side note of the article that caught my attention.
While pointing out the mote in his friends eye, JD does not fail to recognize the beam in his own – and the details of the beam was the inspiration for this article.
Get of out debt by acting like John M.
John M. is JD’s millionaire next door neighbor, and on a recent 10 day cruise to Alaska… well here, JD tells it best:
As I began to silently judge Michael’s choices (JD’s friend,) I thought of my recent trip to Alaska. I spent ten days on the boat with my neighbor, the “real millionaire next door“, and in those ten days I often felt like I was being judged.
- Before the trip, I bought a $120 backpack at REI. My goal is to use this for much of my travel during the coming years. It fits in an overhead compartment, and is a great way to limit what I carry. John frowned when he saw the new pack and asked, “What’s wrong with a duffel bag from Goodwill?”
- On the first day, Mac and I tore a paper towel in half, and we each used our half as a napkin for several days. Eventually my napkin became grimy and gross, so I went to tear off another half a paper towel. When John saw me, he scolded me and told me I ought to use a cloth towel instead.
- Near the end of the trip, I threw a molding orange overboard. “I wish you hadn’t done that,” John said. “I could have cut out the bad part and eaten the rest.”
- On the last day, I went to the bookstore in Sitka and bought a copy of Bruce Chatwin’s In Patagonia, which I’ve been wanting to read for a long time. (After our trip to France and Italy this year, Kris and I hope to save for a trip to Argentina and Chile in 2012 or 2013.) When John saw I’d bought a new book, he shook his head. “I’ve got a lot of perfectly good books here on board,” he said, indicating his library of old paperbacks.
Throughout the trip, I felt like I was under pressure to, well, be more frugal, to make the same choices John would make. And you know what? That pressure sucked. It felt awful. I didn’t like the feeling of being judged, especially by somebody I look up to.
Get out of debt by curtailing your spending
Can you tell what inspired me? What did you think of JD’s neighbor? He’s a millionaire yet he shops at Goodwill and eats the good parts of bad fruit. That’s why he’s wealthy. The majority of wealthy people spend far less frivolously than the majority of those enslaved by debt, and John is no exception. Sure, as JD mentions, too much of a good thing can drive a patient man mad; but regardless, what John preaches is correct – and even if you don’t like it, it makes you think – and thinking is good.
Stop spending, cut your standard of living, start saving
Being wealthy is simple. All you have to do is spend less than you earn and give generously. As long as you sail that ship, how much you earn becomes nothing more than a variable in a personal finance equation that always ends up in the black.
Need some help? Follow JD’s lead and surround yourself with people who motivate you to succeed… even if they do annoy you every once in awhile. 🙂