Ignore The Hype, Do What Works.
Like our tagline says, we sometimes rant a bit on our blog. Well, today's posting is a bit of a rant. Specifically, one major complaint we have is that much of the content on the personal finance blogsphere isn't helpful for building wealth.
For our part, my wife and I have set the goal of having networth of $4,000,000 by the time we retire. Accounting for inflation that means we should worth about a million in today's dollars.
This also means that we are focused on getting rich. Unless you want to eat overcooked spaghetti out of a styrofoam bowl at your local senior center during your retirement, you'll do the same. To cut through a lot of the nonsense that out there, we've concluded it pays to say focused on tried and true methods of wealth building.
1) Live Below Your Means:
If you spend more than you'll earn, you'll dig yourself into a spending hole. This makes it tougher to build wealth. DON'T SPEND MORE THAN YOU EARN. Any expert you talk to will you tell you this. The math is super simple. If you have 10 dollars and you spend $11, then you'll end up in debt and you'll have to cough up the cash to pay the interest on the debt. If you have 10 dollars and spend $9, then you'll have a dollar left over. This dollar will be earning interest for you and putting money in your pocket. Its that simple. I can't say this enough: DON'T SPEND MORE THAN YOU EARN.
2) Save and Invest Prudently:
Saving is old fashioned, but it works. For example, Miel and I saved $30,000 and used it for the down payment for our apartment, we also saved $17,000 for our wedding. No credit cards or borrowing was involved. We scraped up the money the old fashioned way. Now we have the benefits of being married and living in a great apartment without the debt hangover.
Regarding investing: Buy real estate and shares in quality companies. Both of these have worked for us. In fact, we've made maybe $80,000 by investing prudently. Click here for the info on our investment property and here for skinny on our investment in Hansens.
Ignore the hype, do what works.
Best,
James
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3 comments:
I have been reading your blog for a few months and what I really like about you is you are realistic. You save and invest but you also live life and spend for things that are important to you. It's hard to find that balance. I have trouble spending ANY money at all. Anything extra I throw into stocks and mutual funds. It drives my husband crazy. But I also want to be at 4 million but retirement. Congrats to you for finding balance. Its something I am working on.
Method #1 makes me think of the SNL skit/commercial about a debt reduction book with the title, "Don't Buy Stuff You Can't Afford."
The skit was so funny because it's so obvious, yet so difficult for many people to accept...as if by ignoring this unavoidable truth, they will find the loophole to make themselves the exception.
In fact, it is easier to say than to do to live below one's means when there are so many credit cards out there. People are getting more and more accustomed to live in debt, spending more than they really earn and can afford. But yours is great advaice. I'll try to keep to it, thank you.
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