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An AMAZING thing happened to my INCOME when I traded-in my rusty Honda for a Viper

RHL

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It stayed exactly the same.

It's a well kept secret, a secret that many know from personal experience, as they get out of their leased C-Class at the end of the day and wring their hands wondering how they're going to pay the bills. Millions know this truth personally, but refuse to acknowledge that it applies outside themselves, when they look jealously at others and think they must be living the good life. This is the truth: What you drive, what you wear, where you vacation, where you live-in the world of endless high APR loans and "everybody's approved" financing, has nothing to do with your actual value or net worth. Every day, culture is telling you to look at cars, clothes, make-up, sunglasses, phones, watches, headphones, shoes, and more to see who's really made it in life. It's all a sidewalkian scam.

This is Lil' Bow Wow rocking the Murci:

Bow-Wow.jpeg


In case you're wondering about his net worth, he's flat broke, and had to drive his Bentley to his boss' office to beg for a hand out:

http://www.celebritynetworth.com/articles/celebrity/bow-wow-broke/

This is Eric Schmidt's personal car fitted with testing equipment for a project he's working on:

eric-schmidt-png_140450.png


He's a top executive at Google and is worth a touch over 8 billion dollars.

One of the biggest deceptions ever perpetrated on the public is the persistent notion that your value can be gauged by what you consume. That's as crazy as thinking that someone who eats a huge amount of food every day must be an athlete. The problem with that is that somebody who eats 6,000 calories per day can either look like this:

ronda-rousey.jpeg


Or like this:

Fat-2.jpg


But you have absolutely no idea which of the two they are until you see what they do with that energy-what they do with the resources they take in.

One of my first posts on this forum was about how I managed to parlay a low-paying slow lane job into a ball of money big enough to being my fastlane journey. I did it by waking up to this hoax and casting off the superficial trappings of the slow lane-that prosperity is defined by the amount you consume. A friend of mine is dating a broke, former convict, drug-addict bum who just got off welfare and now works at a pet store. He has a nicer car than I had until last year. He has an iPhone 5 with full data. I have the $100 Republic phone with the $25/mo plan. His (rented) house is as big as mine. He goes on nice weekend getaways almost once a month to Atlantic City, cruises several times a year, does regular clubbing, etc. I used to feel like I had no life by comparison.

One of the biggest barriers that you have to overcome is the sidewalk and slow-lane culture telling you you should feel like crap for not having the best phone, car, house, vacation, etc. you can afford. Every bit of success you get, it's crying out "Treat yourself NOW!" You can indulge NOW!" People need to recognize your success NOW!" Every cent you get, this mentality is just crying out for you to take it and consume-give it to someone else, because that is the only way that you can show your true value. For a long time, I felt mad that I had to conserve my resources while Mr. Welfare spent so freely doing all this fun stuff, and had all these cool toys. I was bitter about it until I realized the truth-My careful, production-focused spending wasn't something I had to suffer before I could reach success; it was actually a part of success.

Value and consumption are almost never tied together. Determine your value by looking at what's actually valuable-What you make, what you provide for others, what you do for the world. That is the way your value is defined, not by what you spend and consume.
 
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Iwokeup

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Alright! In the spirit of this thread, here are some other hard-won tips that I've learned over the years:

* Unless you're going into a professional area (Law, Medicine, Dentistry, Scientific Research), college is a big BIG waste of time. Take it from the guy who eventually graduated from the equivalent of the 27th grade.

* Getting a PhD in anything unless you are Really Truly Amazing is also a huge waste of time. This from the guy with a MS in Genetics who was asked to stay for the PhD. Really anymore the graduate school system exists to have a pool of ultra skilled & ultra low cost workers (for the scientists) doing the grunt work for their professors who in turn are working for the universities....whose ultimate game is to get grant money. Follow the money! Plus the job prospects for science PhDs is abysmal. I have many good friends who were simply brilliant scientists and few if any are working primarily in a research capacity anymore. It's frankly very depressing.

You can still get a Master's degree but it should only be for a very specific thing (to develop a skill set, etc), and is definitely not FastLane.

* If you went to college, please forget giving money to Alumni associations. Again, it's a way to use social proof and your feelings to rape you for money. Where is that money going? To scholarships? Hah! No, it's going to fund the salaries of administrators, their staffs, etc...

* For the young guys: That person or persons whom you worry about impressing, or who feel the need to tell you "You're crazy," or "You'll never make it," or "That idea is dumb"....in about five to ten years they will be stuck in their own sidewalk or slowlane hell.

I saw it after graduating HS, after getting out of the Corps, after college (friends from college still living in Slow Lane hell), after medical school (young MDs with a shit ton of debt buying blingy cars and houses right out of residency and absolutely trapped in crappy situations because they have bills to pay..and their employers/groups know it and screw them mercilessly for it).

* Don't get married until you've gotten all of your wandering/playing out of you. Then get married with a nice, good, passionate(!) person who is someone you can absolutely trust. Someone who is brave as well, because as you get further along in life's journey's you don't want to be held back by Mr/Mrs Fraidy-Cat.

And marriage is GREAT! Extremely difficult at times but WORTH IT. Also, a great woman will force you to grow up and man up in ways that you never thought that you needed to. Don't believe everything that the guy at BoldandDetermined.com says about women. That's one man's opinion. (He's right about a lot though. ;))

* Admit nothing, deny everything, make counter-accusations, and demand proof.

* 99% of TV is a waste. Most of the Internet is a waste. Video games (though I love them) are an even bigger waste. They're all variations on a them: vapid & mindless distraction from how much your life sucks! If you're doing these things instead of doing something productive then you're dooming yourself to mediocrity, sloth, a life of NOTHINGNESS and soul-sucking emptiness!!

Listen, the most alive that I've ever been in my life? When I'm taking risks, pushing the envelope out there, being waaay out of my comfort zone. It's awesome, addicting, and you grow so very much. So get off your a$$! Do! Fail! Do again! Just don't die. ;) Are you going to your grave saying, "I wish I woulda.."?

* While you're out there living your life, take care to do the things that are important to you. Even you young dudes don't have an infinite time on this Earth. Take it from a guy who's seen a lot of death and destruction....death comes for us all. Best that you've loved your loved ones, and really embraced life in the meantime.

Edit to add: and kids! When you're ready, you'll find that they're a joy and a pleasure. My kids and my wife are a big part of the motivation to be a better human being/Dad/Husband. When your 4 yo boy waxes rhapsodic about Spider Man and how he could totally crush Iron Man...that's pretty cool.

/soapbox
 
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socaldude

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I'm gonna share something on here that might be very controversial here at the forum:

I stopped being materialistic and stopped giving a damn about money.

And something amazing happened; my income went up.

It freed my mind to focus on the dirty work, being a producer to the max, the difficult and boring stuff that is rarely talked about in business.

Everyone is so obsessed with looks, cars, watches etc and using business as a way to get rich that rarely is the true purpose of business and its process exposed.

Wearing a Rolex while you make a sandwich does not make the sandwich taste better!

A friend of mine read TMF and now he wears expensive watches and leased the latest 3 series BMW. His facebook page says his occupation is "Entrepreneur" and yet he produces NOTHING. Its all just a show. It just a rotten obsession with looks and to displaying a certain image.

Don't get me wrong, Lambos are cool, watches are cool. You gotta live your life and celebrate your hard work.

But just food for thought. Are looks really that important? Do you have to be obsessed with displaying a certain image?

My happiness and productivity improved when I simply stopped caring about having "more" and showing off more.
 

Magik

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There is something that is more valuable than money, more valuable than things, and one could make an argument that it is more valuable than time. What is this one thing? FREEDOM.

As far as I'm concerned, freedom reigns supreme, but now the sad part? No one gives a shit about it anymore. Sure, if you ask 100 random yahoos on the street if they think freedom is important, they'll say "yes", yet their actions say otherwise. They are dependent on big government for a handout. They are dependent on big pharma to give them little helpers (anti-depressants and stimulants) to help ease the pain of servitude and the lack of control they have over their life. They buy things they don't need with money they don't have. They're dependent on bosses.

Freedom is the #1 thing driving me:

-Freedom from bosses
-Freedom from government
-Freedom from anti-depressants, stimulants, and anything else big pharma pushes to make people "feel better"
-Freedom to go anywhere in the world anytime I want
-Freedom from debt and no dependency on family
-Freedom from selfishness, which is obtained by offering value to others
-Freedom from mindless consumerism
-Freedom from false societal programming

Chasing needs and providing value will lead you to freedom, as long as that's what you truly want.
 
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RHL

The coaching was a joke guys.
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Best purchase ever cuz I hate feeling poor.

Not being poor is the best antidote to feeling poor. Rich doesn't feel like the seats in an M3, it feels like not worrying about being laid off or fired... ever.
 

MJ DeMarco

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-Freedom from bosses
-Freedom from government
-Freedom from anti-depressants, stimulants, and anything else big pharma pushes to make people "feel better"
-Freedom to go anywhere in the world anytime I want
-Freedom from debt and no dependency from family
-Freedom from selfishness, which is obtained by offering value to others
-Freedom from mindless consumerism
-Freedom from false societal programming

Freedom from desire you can add as well.

My gym is about 1000 yards from Lamborghini Scottsdale. Every time I pass, I have to see Gallardos, Porsches, Murcis, etc. -- there is an incredible freedom in knowing that I can buy whatever I want there. On the flip side, there is an incredible freedom in knowing that I don't desire anything from there. The desire to own does not exceed the desire to maintain. Of course lets be honest: Had I not the experienced 10+ years of Lambo ownership, I might be singing a different tune. Like anything in life, certain things can get old.
 
D

DeletedUser394

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I went to visit zen******* with the preconceived notion that it would be all serious, nice clothes, fancy cars, etc.

He and an employee picked me up from the airport in a nondescript SUV, socks and sandals and totally laid back. When we got to his office there was no fancy reception or flashy bs, just a place where people could get things done.. including sampling some home made moonshine before noon. Spent the night at a local dive making penis jokes for hours.

before that my perception of what wealth was was represented by that stereotype of what 'success' should look like. Needless to say that idea was shattered really quickly and I'm greatfull.
 
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Andy Black

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Great post. Thanks for putting so much effort into it.

Reminds me of a line I wish I could attribute to the rightful author:

Too many people spend too much of their lives doing something they hate to buy stuff they don't need to impress people they don't know.

Kinda silly really.

Rep transferred sir.
 

MJ DeMarco

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Marking Gold, don't really care if it gets a lot of likes, comments, or whatever. Hard truth.
 

ddall

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Op's advice is the type of wisdom more often adhered to after being personally experienced. It's the type of insight one only truly gains after walking the sidewalk, and being a perpetual consumer. You can try explaining this to young cats, but it's a safe assumption to believe they will nod and agree with you while at the same time discreetly reaching into their pocket to procure a credit card and handing it to a travel agent for a trip to Cancun. And really, can you blame them? For most young men they are governed by their hormones, manipulated endlessly by media and expert advertisers constantly apply the latest psychological discoveries, to part with every dollar they earn.

Some people, it must be understood, literally cannot conceptualize delayed gratification. Delving into the topic deeper, whether the behavioural origin of this mindset is genetic, environmental or more than likely, both--many people simply DO NOT WANT to delay consumption and would rather pursue a hedonistic spending binge. (here is a breakdown of the famous Marshmallow Experiment on the concept of delayed gratification: http://jamesclear.com/delayed-gratification) It must be considered however, that the entrepreneurial mentality and internal motivation of most on this forum is in fact not appealing to many. Money is appealing sure, but the road to it is not. You can't cheat the grind, its agreed. The path to success for most is paved with continual, consistent applied effort and lifetime learning. Yuck, to that is what many think. I have cousins for example, who are utterly content working in the tourist district of Montreal, earning low wages, but spending their afternoons and evenings sipping coffee, playing music and their nights drinking wine with friends and watching indie films. Life to them is about relationships (and really, isnt this the truth?). To them, my mindset is off, my life philosophy is contaminated, exchanging precious, fleeting youth and free time at the alter of the entrepreneurial gods can be a fruitless sacrifice, true. The road is too risky and payoff is not assured. You could die tomorrow they argue. Perhaps indeed.

The point is, patting ourselves on the back for our producer mentality insight is OK, and quite relevant in fact to the purpose of this forum, but it is important to remember this: our wants are not other peoples wants. Feeling superior for possessing a different life philosophy, does not make it necessarily better. Money can equal freedom, can allow for amazing experiences, but just ask the recently departed Felix Dennis (of How To Get Rich) if money is happiness. It isnt. I recall him writing (paraphrasing here) he would exchange every dollar of his near billion $ fortune to be young and sleeping on the couch of his old flat. Some people will always be consumers, and some, the few, will choose to be net producers.
 
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MJ DeMarco

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Dude, you've been on a roll lately! Rep+
 

Wuz

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True story. Nowadays is all about status and looking for the best photo to put in the social media.

People forget that after the excitment of having a new toy pass, nobody cares about your fancy car and you will not care either, but you still have to worry about paying the car or sustain the car.

People focus less in being good at socializing with people, and focus more in appearing awesome to other people and telling those amazing stories about their toys and trips and other consuming stories.

And then they go home, spend another week slaving themselves in a job they probably dont like , waiting for a weekend to show their friends their new planned consuming aquisition.

Everybody have their own preferences on how to spend their resources and we should not judge them, but the fact is, most people dont see any advantage in having that lifestlye, they feel bad, and they still continue with that rat race, because is what other people see as a "success".
 
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Mike.B

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I totally agree with this. I bought a 42K truck a few years ago because I thought it would make me look and feel better. I was completely wrong and it almost broke me shortly after I bought it. Thank god I was able to sell it and make $1300 in the process. Now I'm driving a beater and I feel way better about it.

Just knowing that I'm not trapped by a huge payment is awesome. Screw being a 30K millionaire!
 

Iwokeup

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This thread is so awesome! I can definitely relate and I can tell you that Physicians seem to be especially vulnerable. What's truly interesting is seeing how my staff reacts to my car.

It has a hilarious (but cheap) paint job, has now 222K miles, is completely paid for, and is fine for now. I know that I could go spend cash for a newer car (and will have to eventually given the car's age and how much I drive for work), but I would so much rather have the money to plow into my business than dump it down the drain!

My staff?

"Dr IWU! Why are you driving that POS? Nice doctor like you should at least be driving a BMW! Heck, I drive a better car than you!!"

Which naturally leads to the following responses:

* "Well, my baby is paid for. Is yours? No? You're on a payment plan? Oh, you're leasing (aka "fleecing") the car? Ah, yeah, well us doctors aren't as rich as we used to be....."

Don't get me wrong...I want a nice car. I really want one. But it doesn't make sense...yet. It would be like eating a dozen donuts a day while trying to lose weight..Nonsensical
 

DaRK9

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I think its a line from the film Fight Club.
We buy things we don’t need with money we don’t have to impress people we don’t like.
―Fight Club

Will Smith just butchered it up and got tons of Facebook credit for it.

“We spend money that we do not have, on things we do not need, to impress people who do not care.”
―Will Smith
 

Tick

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I remember being a young 1st Lt in my tiny apartment in a dumpy midwestern city. I was mired in misery. I had a job I hated that I couldn't quit, was stuck in a city I loathed, no girlfriend and really no plans for the future. My only respite was walking out to my 100% financed 2000 BMW M-Roadster and slipping off the car cover. When I was driving that I "knew" everyone around me thought I was wealthy. After all, I was making 44K a year.

Then I'd come back home to my shitty apartment off a service road of I-44 and go right back to being miserable.

Fast forward a couple years and I'd bought my first house. 1250 newly constructed square feet of debt slavery. I reasoned that I could rent it out someday, so really I was being a smart investor and somehow superior to those around me. The roadster now had a stable next to the Tacoma in a garage but I was still miserable.

One morning we all got called in to the auditorium. The commander stood in front of us and explained that the Air Force no longer needed so many lieutenants and captains in our career field. In their infinite wisdom and compassion, they were going to allow us to separate voluntarily, rather than kick us out. That afternoon I caught an airplane to Colorado for some leave and was walking the path next to my entrepreneur step dad's giant home with my Mom.

As we walked the path next to his I whined, "This is F*cking bullshit Mom! 4 years of getting my a$$ kicked in ROTC, 8 months of waiting to start school, then 2 years of intense training and now this!!! Not they're just going to kick us out if we don't volunteer!"

She was very quiet then said: "You know, you just don't seem happy. Why don't you get out?"

It hit me like a ton of bricks. I would lose my identity. I had so much of my personal identity wrapped up into my job. I was an air force aviator. I brought the full brunt of U.S. airpower down upon our enemies, yet I was MISERABLE. I never really liked my job yet could never leave and now I was staring opportunity in the face and spitting on it.

6 months later I was out. I was on the road to Alaska with my soon to be wife. No job offers, and only 10K saved up over the last few months. Everything I owned was in the back of my truck and trailer, to include our bed for the 6 day drive to Alaska. Everyone told me I was nuts to get out. I'd had it all. The car, the house, the truck, the job, and the "money" and was walking away from it all.

I'm not going to lie, it was tough. Throwing newspapers at 3am in winter in Alaska on icy roads is no treat but I WAS FREE. And it felt great. A year later I relapsed and joined the air guard, but the money earned was now being used to buy property and build businesses. I'm now just days from completing my last day in the guard and savoring every drop of freedom I get in a swiftly growing business and learning everyday.

As a fellow property management business owner once told me "You never know how hard you can work until you have to"
 
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Richie Rich

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I went through a similar experience. I purchased (ahem, financed), a 2008 Bullitt Mustang in 2008. I had wanted to sell it for a few years, but had been upside down on it. As my mindset had shifted from consume and take from the world to create and give something to the world, I realized, I did not need all the crap that I had, including the car. In my mind, I hadn't earned the car, and every time I drove it, I felt out of place and empty. All of my friends and family kept telling me that I would regret selling it and that I shouldn't do it. But they are all sidewalkers/slowlaners, and they mean well, but they don't understand where I was coming from and where I wanted to go with my life. I sold the car and it was the proverbial monkey off of my back; I paid off debt with what I made from selling it. I now drive a 1994 Crown Victoria with a stuck odometer and faded paint and I couldn't be happier.

I don't have a problem with someone who can afford a nice car, but I've realized that most of the people today who drive the nice new cars are financing them and trading their time for money. I'm still working on my fastlane and letting go of many of the things that I once believed I needed to be happy, but now realize they were holding me back and were a trap. It's a shame that so many people believe the hype that is espoused by the media and by society at large: that if we don't have the latest and greatest thing, we are missing out. If only people (myself included) would realize that buying/financing consumer goods just to "fit in" is no way to live and that no matter what you buy, it's not going to make you any more appealing to others. All you end up with is a bunch of stuff that you didn't need to begin with.
 

RazorCut

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I think this H2 has probably cost me more jobs than I got. 50% of the time I would meet a potential client they would see the H2 and tell me that they can't afford me by the type of car I drive.

I know that feeling. When I had the pizzeria we had 5 children. I bought a brand new Chrysler Grand Voyager as we had always struggled every where we went trying to cram all 7 of us into vehicles designed for less. (The Voyager maybe not the sexiest beast but here in the UK it stuck out like a sore thumb with all the dark glass and the size of a tank).

Anyway when I had a Video Rental Library (showing my age :D) I remember one of the reps telling me the story of a woman who had a successful retail shop and her one ambition in life was to own a Mercedes Benz. When she finally fulfilled that ambition she parked it right outside the shop where she could keep an eye on it. In no time at all her sales slumped. A great deal of the British mentality is sadly that of jealousy and loathing. Rather than celebrate someone's success and think 'if they can do it so can I' its a case of 'why should they have that and I don't?'

As soon as I got the car I would park it out the back out of sight to avoid the issue. If you can afford a nice car you must be ripping them off right? Whereas if you are driving some beat-up wreck they don't mind paying exactly the same price. Human nature I guess.

A friend of mine owns a very successful tyre/exhaust(muffler?)/servicing station. He provides an excellent service and has a great personality. A great front of desk sort of guy. Always mega friendly and upbeat, remembering everyone's name, making you feel special even though most people hardly know him and see him only once or twice a year. He had become very successful over the years from building up this rapport and can afford some very nice toys but I notice that within a year he is driving the works van to work rather than his Range Rover. I think he must have learned the hard way its not good to flaunt your wealth.

That's one of the reasons why I love online businesses. I can drive into my local town and not care if people see an 80k Beemer. But when old customers and friends do their first question is 'so what are you doing these days then? lol

More smoke and mirrors.
 
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MJ DeMarco

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Facebook is really Fakebook.

I realise that many many people in the Western world live like this. When I was a poor kid, I used to wonder how they can afford all of this and how their lifestyle appeared to be amazing. Fast forward a few years, and I see it for what it really is... a SHAM.

Yup. Rep++

Where I live, 99% of the cars are newer than mine and more expensive. Which is part of the reason why I live like the 1%.
 
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Tick

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Awesome thread! I was literally talking about this yesterday.

From my facebook yesterday afternoon: "***Attention bro-truckers, crotch rocket boyz, Fast-N-Furious wannabe's, and middle managers posing as rebels on Harley Davidsons***. This is the cold hard truth but you need to know. Brace yourself..... No one, and I mean no one thinks you're cool as you blast past my house. I know you think I'm looking at you yearning for the kind of no money down easy low-low payment plan lifestyle you command, but I am not. I am simply trying to figure out how I could put a .338 Win Mag bullet through your engine block without getting caught. The street behind my house is not Le Mans, nor Talladega, nor the streets of Monaco. It is simply a residential drive. I did not mistake you and your Volkswagen Jetta for Vin Diesel running from the law. No, you're just another F*cktard on your way back to your shitty apartment after cleaning tables at Applebees. You can stop now. Go home, turn off your TV, read a book, and someday you might drive something worth listening to. Just remember, if it has less than 10 cylinders and it doesn't come from Germany, Italy, or Great Britain you haven't gotten there yet, so quiet down and slow down poser."
 
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s168

You get out what you put in
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Anecdotal story:



One of my old friends called me the other day. He accidentally poured petrol (gasoline) into his car, an Audi A4 S-Line Diesel (FYI for non-Europeans, in Europe diesel passenger cars are quite common). He had to call out a specialist breakdown company to flush out the fuel tank and refuel the car. That cost £250 (about $420). Then the next day, his tenants at the property that he lives in complained that they saw rodents in the kitchen. A pest control company quoted him another £250 ($420) to deal with the problem and give a 3-months pest-free guarantee otherwise they'll fix any problems for free.

Problem is, he called me to ask to borrow the money because he said he didn't have that kind of money available at short notice. I was thinking, WTF??!! You're driving a pristine 4 year old Audi A4, wear designer clothes, own a Rolex watch, go on good holidays abroad a few times a year, go to the gym many times a week, regularly go to the tanning salons and have your teeth professionally whitened, and in all appearances you look the part of a successful person. But to find a few hundred bucks and you don't have that available??!!

I realise that many many people in the Western world live like this. When I was a poor kid, I used to wonder how they can afford all of this and how their lifestyle appeared to be amazing. Fast forward a few years, and I see it for what it really is... a SHAM. Of course if you spend all the money that you have, plus all the money that you can borrow off loans, bank overdrafts, multiple credit cards, and even equity release from your own property, then sooner or later you'll hit the ceiling which is the point where your outgoings exceed your available access to funds. Never mind the point where your outgoings exceed your income, as that was surpassed a long time ago when you started borrowing.

I'd have sympathy if he'd borrowed the money to invest in a calculated venture with good risks vs rewards ratios, but to blow the lot on consumerist nonsense to perpetuate a faked lifestyle is utterly insane. Much like you cannot borrow your way out of debt, neither can you spend your way to true wealth either.

Some of the richest people I've come across actually drive very ordinary but reliable cars. You only get to have a glimpse of how wealthy they are when you see the real stuff, like the values and incomes they have from their businesses and investments, the home(s) they own and more importantly how little they owe if any on those homes. But that's the thing... you almost never get to see that info. And because of that, many people are able to appear to have similar things but not the real deal of hidden income and assets to back that up.
 

s168

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Another anecdotal story...

Last year I was on a flight to the Far East. I happened to sit next to a guy in his early 20's, so we started chatting and soon talked about business stuff and so on. He told me an interesting story which is in the spirit of this thread.

This guy used to go to school or college with another guy, who I can't recall the first name of, but let's call him 'Mark' for now. So his buddy's name is 'Mark' Johnson. They were quite good friends at school, and one day his friend 'Mark' asked him to pop by his place at the weekend to hang out for a bit and then they'd go out somewhere else afterwards.

So this guy makes his way to Mark's house following the directions given. It was a bit further out into the countryside a bit. When he arrived at the entrance to the house, it was securely gated and he was only allowed in after being verified that his visit was expected that day. He then walked several hundred metres to the house, which was an absolutely massive house. Clearly it was worth many many millions.

At the main front door waiting for him was his friend Mark. He was really surprised that Mark lived in such a huge and expensive house, but had never ever mentioned the wealth he had come from nor has he ever displayed anything that screamed bling bling at school. On the huge front drive, he sees a handful expensive cars but nothing too 'flashy'... a Mercedes or two and maybe a Rolls Royce.

So this guy, being curious and astounded by what he's seeing around him, ask his friend Mark what line of work his family does to live in such wealthy surroundings.

Mark replies "Oh, my family have always had some business interests... I don't really get involved with it."

This guy asks "So, what kind of businesses?"

Mark replies "Well, have you heard of the company Johnson & Johnson?"
 

Sean Marshall

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One of the biggest barriers that you have to overcome is the sidewalk and slow-lane culture telling you you should feel like crap for not having the best phone, car, house, vacation, etc. you can afford. Every bit of success you get, it's crying out "Treat yourself NOW!" You can indulge NOW!" People need to recognize your success NOW!" Every cent you get, this mentality is just crying out for you to take it and consume-give it to someone else, because that is the only way that you can show your true value. For a long time, I felt mad that I had to conserve my resources while Mr. Welfare spent so freely doing all this fun stuff, and had all these cool toys. I was bitter about it until I realized the truth-My careful, production-focused spending wasn't something I had to suffer before I could reach success; it was actually a part of success.

Value and consumption are almost never tied together. Determine your value by looking at what's actually valuable-What you make, what you provide for others, what you do for the world. That is the way your value is defined, not by what you spend and consume.

Amazing!

It boils down to choice right?

To quote Oprah: "Do what you have to do, until you can do what you really want to do"

Priorities.png
 

RazorCut

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Yeap couldn't agree more. For the last two years I have been driving an 80k BMW but I am resigning my directorship and ending the relationship with my business partner at the end of this month and the car is going back. Too much negativity in the business and it's getting me nowhere. Fed-up with treading water and just making a living. You don't need the trappings and not worried about losing the car. I'll walk or ride my 14 year old Thunderace.

I know millionaires that drive around in sheds, and they are far happier people. Those in the Range Rover Sports etc. often don't have a penny to scratch their arse with.

It's all smoke and mirror people. Smoke and mirrors.
 

MJ DeMarco

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A great example of this is Barbara Corcoran, who bought herself a ballin' top-coat from Chanel or something when she first started her real estate company in New York. She wore it almost every time she had an initial meeting with a client for years.

A great example of the "fake it until you make it" creedo. I think in her case, she wanted her clients to think "she's one of us" so she fit the role. This is just simple a psychological sales tactic of reciprocity. If you are trying to sell something, the closer you reciprocate your prospect's disposition, mannerisms, and dress, the more they will identify with you.
 

Unknown

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The same thoughts crossed my mind a couple years back (I never cared about any of it anyways, but I hadn't realized there was a better way yet), and my wife and I began to pay down all of our debt. We went from being a household that required 2 jobs just to get by to a household that's looking at having a SAHM for our new son within the next year. For me TMF is the culmination of my search for a better way. I'm working towards something now instead of hoping for something to come my way.
 

RHL

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Dude, you've been on a roll lately! Rep+

Trying to add as much value to the forum as I get from it. It's harder work than you'd think...
 
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liquidglass

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This is an awesome thread and I completely agree our society is consumed by consumption instead of value production, great thread OP, LIkes/rep given!

I will make a small contrary point however. It may not be popular but it's something I personally experienced. When getting into sales which is what helped me break into the fastlane I had a 12 yr old car (paid for) and planned on keeping it until it wasn't worth fixing. One day I was hit on the left rear which resulted in it being totaled according to the insurance company. I decided the payments I could afford and went with the insurance check in hand for a down payment on another car.

I looked and looked and finally decided on the car I loved. It would be the first car-love of my life the other cars I had owned up until that point were a means to an end that I had no interest in enjoying. However the car was $100 more per month than the budget I had decided on. It was a big stretch for me to say that an extra $100 a month was no big deal at that point in my fiances. (I was in sales and I sucked haha)

note: it wasn't a brand new car, it was over a year old but it was the newest car I had ever owned and the lowest miles of any I had bought (it also wasn't a BMW, mercedes, etc)

I called my mentor and explained the situation and asked for guidance. Given his experience in my line of work I wanted to ask someone smarter than me what he would do. He didn't tell me what he would do, which was all I wanted.
I simply asked:

"That's an extra $100 per month, do you think I can afford it?" (he knew how my finances were)
His reply is one that will always stick with me:
"I'm not sure. Do you THINK you can?" (the equivalent of "CAN YOU")

Which doesn't seem revolutionary on the surface but he wasn't asking about what I had in my bank account. He was asking if I believed I would be able to afford it long term and be willing to stretch my goals and work harder to have it. (The wonderful thing about sales are that you can make what you want (same with fastlane ventures) and you can always sell yourself out of any financial situation)

I said "thank you for that eye opener" hung up, went back into the dealership, and signed the papers. I never defaulted, lost the car, or had to scrape money together to pay for it after that day.

All because I used it as a tool to STRETCH my goals to EXPAND my belief in myself that I could be free of the "get-by" mentality I grew up in. It wasn't to impress anyone else or live up to a certain standard. It was proof that I could see myself as wealthy and obtain whatever goals I set forth in my mind.

Not exactly rusty honda to Viper
more like rusty Alero to Charger
 

RHL

The coaching was a joke guys.
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I just want the basics: studio apartment, motorbike, decent laptop, well fitted clothes, gym membership.... yea, thats basically it, lol.
I could care less about status.

And I'll give you a great example of why this is the right thing to do. A friend of mine got a line on importing a new product, from Europe actually. Just tickled him right. He got 40 to start, wondered what might happen.

Sold them like lightning, just hustling on Facebook and to family members. Everybody is becoming an ambassador.

He went back to the MFG with a $25K order. They were surprised, they hadn't done one that big before for anyone, let alone a foreigner.

If he repeats his success with the 40 units with this new allotment, at the same margin, he stands to gross nearly $100K, the price of a decent condition, moderate miles, 04-06 Gallardo.

Or he could have bought a 318i and eaten $5K of depreciation with the same $25K.

So $20K or $100K? Your choice.

Don't buy stuff that eats your money.
 

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