You make decisions because...

“You don’t make decisions because they are easy;
You don’t make them because they are cheap;
You don’t make them because they’re popular;
You make them because they are RIGHT.”
-- Theodore Hesburgh

There’s a bible verse that goes more or less: “one man pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.”

In the book THE MILLIONAIRE NEXT DOOR, Thomas Stanley and William Danko shared several shocking revelations. Most millionaires purchase their suits off the rack, they drive used cars, and shop at Sears.

What’s the point to all of this? The point is the 80% crowd, (80% of the US population), want us to think they have more money than they do. To show they have more money than they do they spend it.

The only problem is the 80% crowd BORROWS the money because they don’t really have it. Now, I don’t know if you are in the 80% crowd or wish you could show everyone you have more than you have.

Where do you fit in all this? If you’re in the 20% well to do crowd odds are you don’t have to prove that fact to anyone.

If you’re in the 80% crowd odds are you want to show everyone you’re in the 20% crowd. Kind of a contradiction in terms. To rephrase it. If you’ve got it you don’t show it, if you don’t got it you try and show that you do got it.

The lesson here is if you are borrowing to show folks you’ve got it you’re heading toward a state of BROKE. Another way of putting it is KEEPING UP WITH THE JONES is not a good idea.

It’s more than getting out of debt. It’s living under the radar screen. It’s living like the well to do 20% with out even showing it.

David Dassow