Rich AF: The Winning Money Mindset That Will Change Your Life

you can buy anything, but you can’t buy everything.

But it's important to keep in mind that you break out of this scarcity mindset the same way that you break out of any bad habit. You need to actively change your thinking and behavior over time. Maybe that's saying affirmations in the mirror in the morning, maybe it's pounding the table and negotiating at your job for more money every single year, maybe it's forcing yourself to order something that isn't the cheapest thing on the menu. So, while yes, I highly recommend you talk to a therapist, you also need to be making active decisions to grow your wealth instead of just hoarding it or frittering it away.

If you find yourself enacting this "nothing matters, so why bother" attitude toward money, first, you need to recognize that, as a human being, you have agency and you have value. YYou can do things and make choices, and you are worth something - as a worker, as a customer, as a friend and partner. And you know what you can do with agency and value? You can negotiate. So start there, whether it's getting a late fee knocked off a bill or asking for a big honkin' raise. Do the thing because you can do the thing.

If this is you, think of what truly makes you feel good, happy, safe, healthy. Remind yourself that you earn money to be able to make those feelings a reality, and while you do have to spend to get there, you can spend efficiently by prioritizing your biggest and boldest joys.

Debt is a tool, the same way that shovels are a tool. It's value-neutral, and can be used for very practical, constructive purposes. The same way shovels can help you plant a beautiful garden and save you time and effort, debt can help you achieve your goals faster and with less work on your part.

Every expense can be negotiated. BUT: small expense are less worth the effort to negotiate. THEREFORE: focus on bargaining down the biggest expenses in life (house, car, bills, etc.) and you'll save the most money for the least amount.

It all comes back to the fundamental truth of rich people: when you're rich, your money works for you. When you're broke, you work for your money.

No, you're not going to be able to save your way to rich. But you can save yourself out of a paycheck-to-paycheck cycle. And that is the very first step to feeling truly confident in your personal finances - and to getting you out of a lot of really desperate situations.

Value-based spending is easy, it's powerful and it'll probably save you money. When we start to lose touch with how much work - how much of our blood, sweat, and tears - went into getting those dollars into our bank account, it gets a lot easier to just fritter them away and somehow still end up unsatisfied with what our money got us. Value-based spending changes the question from "Do I have the money for it? to "Is it worth the work I put in to get that money?

Because a lack of basic financial literacy keeps our working class working.