20 things the Millionaire next door DOESN'T do...

[Ceashels]

um, who decides whats a "senseless activity"?
Is relaxing and reading a book senseless?
Is my gardening senseless?

whats the point of WORKING constantly? You just die early and tired.
Whats considered "senseless" by one person may not be by another.


How am I suppose to pay my bills when you're not suppose to have money in a checking account? oh wait. I see. "electronic withdrawl". So the account can be hacked or made public by accident and it can be wiped out. No thanx. I don't trust it.


So if a friend is a wonderful, caring, always there for you in the drop of a hat type person, but spends their money, you're just suppose to drop them? okaaayy. right. uh huh. Apparently we're not suppose to have any control over ourselves. We're just gonna spend spend spend because someone else does. geesh.
Dropping a friend for that one problem of theirs is a crappy way to be a friend IMO. Are you friends or not!? Thats a pathetic and nasty "rule" those millionaires live by IMO. I wouldn't want to be around someone like that to begin with, so theres no problem with that!

Please breathe.

These are not rules. No one says that they have to be followed. There are no police out there that are going to lock anyone up for doing or not doing these things. No one is saying that you have to drop your friends to become a millionaire. These are just common characteristics between the millionaires that were interviewed.

And it doesn't say drop your friends. It says "the people you socialize with influence your habits. It is impossible to save money if you constantly hang around people who blow it all." I think this is very true. I go out with friends and one who I go shopping with because she always "needs" to make a purchase. I don't buy things just because she does but IF I hung out with her more often or if ALL of my friends "needed" something all the time... I bet I would spend a lot more. So have I dropped my friends that are less frugal than me? NO. Have I helped change the social activities we do together so I'm not spending frivolously? You betcha!


"15. Waste Time on Senseless Activities – They say time is money. In actuality, time is far more important than money. Time is your life. If you waste it, you will fail." Where does this say you can't read a book to relax, escape, learn something new? Every reason I just listed is an important activity to keep a person healthy and happy so why would you consider reading or gardening senseless or why would you think OTHER people would consider it senseless? I fully agree that what everyone has different views of "senseless" but I think the point behind the statement is to make your time purposeful. Don't waste your time. We have so little of it on this planet. So YOU decide what is senseless for you.

Happiness isn't an exclusive when it comes to frugality. No one is saying you have to be miserable to get "richer."

[Nishu]

My loser friends are way more fun than my successful ones. (And after having so many on both sides of that particular fence I really have come to the conclusion that a large part of it is pure dumb luck.)

I can't say that I necessarily disagree with the issue. You really can't make good business connections with people who have no money. Whether we like it or not, out friends will have an influence over how we spend our time and how we handle our money. Study after study has backed this up.

For me though it's just another reason I'm never going to be rich. These millionaire next door type stories are great but they always say but they always say the same thing. Work, but don't spend, then sit back when you're old and enjoy the fact that you have a million dollars. No thanks. I don't mind the not spending part, but working my butt off to acquire large amounts of money does not appeal to me in the slightest.

[Greebo]

For me though it's just another reason I'm never going to be rich. These millionaire next door type stories are great but they always say but they always say the same thing. Work, but don't spend, then sit back when you're old and enjoy the fact that you have a million dollars. No thanks. I don't mind the not spending part, but working my butt off to acquire large amounts of money does not appeal to me in the slightest.

Hmm. I think you're misinterpreting the "Millionaire Next Door" stories.

Have you actually READ "The Millionaire Next Door"?

[Ceashels]

For me though it's just another reason I'm never going to be rich. These millionaire next door type stories are great but they always say but they always say the same thing. Work, but don't spend, then sit back when you're old and enjoy the fact that you have a million dollars. No thanks. I don't mind the not spending part, but working my butt off to acquire large amounts of money does not appeal to me in the slightest.

I see it differently. I don't think that the enjoyment is having a million dollars but having the security of not losing your home, being able to afford a private nurse if I or Greebo are ever seriously ill, not having to scrimp and save or more importantly worry about it when my body is old and feeble. I think that security is more of a driving force behind working hard to get rich than the actual amount in the bank.

[Greebo]

I think there's a serious disconnect here on meanings too.

Senseless activity does not mean financially unprofitable.

Vacations are not senseless. Good vacations are restful, they allow you to recharge and return to the fight.

Reading a book, even for entertainment, can be similarly restful.

SENSELESS activities are those which offer NO benefit to you long term - and benefits are not strictly financial.

[Nishu]

Hmm. I think you're misinterpreting the "Millionaire Next Door" stories.

Have you actually READ "The Millionaire Next Door"?

I have. It was a good book.

As far as senseless activities, I don't think were that far off by interpreting it to mean profitable activities. After all, it started the blurb with "time is money." You can justify any activity by saying it's restful or whatnot, but video games, tv a searching for LOLcats on the internet can all be restful but I doubt they'd meet the author's standards. It really looks to me like he means financially productive.

[Greebo]

I have. It was a good book.

As far as senseless activities, I don't think were that far off by interpreting it to mean profitable activities. After all, it started the blurb with "time is money." You can justify any activity by saying it's restful or whatnot, but video games, tv a searching for LOLcats on the internet can all be restful but I doubt they'd meet the author's standards. It really looks to me like he means financially productive.

I don't agree with your interpretation. It didn't start with the blurb "Time is money" it started with THEY SAY Time is money.

They say time is money. In actuality, time is far more important than money. Time is your life. If you waste it, you will fail.

That bolded part makes it clear that it isn't about just money.

A little TV time is restful. A lot is wasteful. It's a judgment call.