In their book The Millionaire Next Door, Drs. Thomas Stanley and William Danko say that “Most people have it all wrong about wealth in America. If you make a good income each year and spend it all, you are not getting wealthier. You are just living high.”
Make no mistake about it. Living high by buying more and more and more is using up the world’s natural resources at an unsustainable rate. It is a problem that the vast majority of us contribute to regardless of the size of our income. The two questions each of us must look in the mirror and ask ourselves are:
- How much am I a part of this problem?
- How can I live more simply that others may simply live?
New cars will not bring lasting happiness. Their value drops about 10% the minute you take possession of one and drive it off the lot. Keep your vehicles longer and you will deplete our natural resources at a slower rate. 
One habit that contributes to frugal people becoming millionaires is using cars and appliances up before they get rid of them. Another is refusing to follow every fashion trend. What you pay a bundle for isn’t worth much at a thrift shop or even a consignment store.
The things that are priceless are non-tangible assets like enjoyable work to do, the love you share with family and friends, time to relax together, and the satisfaction of knowing you are making a difference in the world. Those are the goals worth pursuing.
Shifting attitudes and changing spending habits isn’t easy nor will it happen overnight, but both are worth the effort it takes. For many of us attending a Faith and Money retreat was the first step toward discovering how less emphasis on things and paying more attention to the non-tangible assets can transform our day-to-day existence.
If you have a roof over your head and can feed your family 3 meals a day, you are rich by the world’s standards. If you feel like you are on a merry-go-round and can’t get off because you are working harder and harder in the pursuit of more, a weekend retreat might be the best gift you can ever give yourself.
The weekend of November 10th, 2017 the Faith and Money Network will host a retreat on Shifting Money’s Power in Your Life. Attending a similar one a few years ago transformed my life and my husband’s. Will you dare to take that step yourself?
Blessings for Your Journey,
Judy Osgood