Millionaires Reveal The Incredible Origins Of Their Extraordinary Wealth
The phrase "Money can't buy happiness" when expounded means, that the mindless accumulation of excess wealth ultimately leads to the diminishing return of happiness. It does not mean that people should be satisfied with surviving with just basic necessities.
Contrary to the popular saying, money actually can buy happiness. It guarantees a certain level of security that poverty does not provide.
If you're not constantly worrying and stressing about paying your bills, budgeting your food allowance, and scrimping for gas then it will be easier to live in the present. Enjoying what you have and living in the moment is nearly impossible when you're not sure where your next meal is coming from.
Our current state of things makes it difficult to imagine a future with financial security. A majority of us are working multiple jobs but are living paycheck to paycheck.
The dream of owning our own homes and retiring with a big enough nest egg is starting to loom darkly over our heads. It's difficult to think and plan for a future when you are an emergency away from bankruptcy.
There are still those of us who were not born into wealth that made it out of the rat race triumphant. They managed to earn, save, and invest enough money to have at least a million dollars in their bank accounts.
Here are some of the stories on how they made that million:
Goddammit_Vennie1. This person was a programmer at the time when the internet was just becoming a thing
yanoJALThey invested in real estate and lives below their means
yanoJAL2. Received a cash gift from fiancé's grandparents who won tens of millions of dollars in the lottery
synesthesiah3. Became an officer in the Army, saved money, and invested it
udayserectionBecame a landlord with a diversified portfolio amounting to two million dollars
udayserection4. Saved 40% of their salary and traded in the stock market
ilikeirony
5. Penny-pinching and consistently put money into long-term investments
yoyoyo----
6. Took out a loan and used the money to become a landlord then repeat a couple more times until you have a sizeable passive income
Hamoct
7. A lucky person who was at a bad point in his life, gambled, and fortunately won almost two million dollars one night
5meterhammer
8. This hard worker who slowly climbed up the ranks, saved and invested religiously, and married a person with a similar ethic
optiongeek
9. Investing in their 401k as early as possible
nerfezoriuq
Reaped the benefits of the compound interest
nerfezoriuq
10. Know enough about your field to become a consultant and charge a ridiculous amount of money
Yanman_be
11. Born into wealthy immigrant parents who got rich by working hard at California tech companies
rttr123
12. This mom who did not change their lifestyle despite the sizeable pay bump. She is a wise spender and an even better saver.
ductoid
13. Supported her husband's dream. He is a good businessman and they built their wealth together.
SisterofGandalf
14. This grandchild who had amazing grandparents. They got it right when they invested a small amount of money to the right companies.
concrete_isnt_cement
15. This person who inherited money from their deceased father and grew the money
SanshaXII
The road to becoming a millionaire is not easy. Saving monthly will eventually become a habit if you are consistent about it but the real challenge is avoiding the temptation to spend it.
It must feel amazing once you realize that all those months, if not years, of saving and investing have finally paid off. Your million dollars may not buy you a yacht but it will at least give you some peace of mind.
