Dear Family and Friends Concerned About Looking Wealthy,
Today, I am going to advise you…Don’t judge a money book by its cover. Now, you may think that I am talking about actual books. But, I am not. What I am really talking about is not judging people’s wealth by the material items that you see, think about people looking wealthy.
But first…How are you doing today? I hope that you are doing well. I hope that you are (or working toward being) healthy, happy, and prosperous. Thanks for spending time joining me today.
Now let’s get started with a story about looking wealthy.
Several years back, a woman that I know asked me to give her a lift from one side of a city to the other side of the city. I lived over two hours away, but was heading near the city to take care of some business. Since she was a mother of a young child and she didn’t have her own home, she was living “temporarily” with a family member. So, wanting to be helpful, my husband and I, agreed to do her this favor,
So, we showed up at the house where she and her child were living with another relative. We went into the house to help her bring her child and her bags out to the car.
Not Looking Wealthy…What may some people think.
When she came out of the house and saw the car, she broke into laughter. Then she said something to the effect of, “All you guys have is a “hooptie”? I thought that you would have something nice.” (Just in case you are not familiar, “hooptie” is slang for a dilapidated car.)
My husband and I were briefly left speechless. Here we were, after driving two hours, having our car insultied.
Well my husband and I proceeded to take to her destination. On the ride, she spent a lot of time telling us about a couple who she knew who were “making big bucks,” some would use the term “balling.” I imagine she was talking people looking wealthy.
The Truth About Our Not Looking Wealthy
After dropping her off, we went on to handle the business that brought us to the area in the first place. But, on the way back home, I apologized to my husband, because it was his car that was insulted by the woman, and I was the person who actually was friends with the woman.
But, have you ever heard the expression, “Never judge a book by its cover?” It means that you shouldn’t judge a person or situation by what you see on the surface or by not understanding the full situation. Apparently the woman to whom we had given a ride had not heard this expression.
So, here is what this woman did not understand… People looking wealthy is not the same as people being wealthy. My husband and I each had a car. However, he bought his car mostly for his commute to work. It had to sit in a parking lot all day 5 days a week. So, he did not want anything fancy. Also, he did not want to put a lot of unnecessary miles on my car because I like to keep my cars for a long time. So whenever we took longer rides, we always took his car.
Furthermore, at the time that this woman said this, through using techniques that I share in this blog, my husband and I had grown a pretty good net worth. ( I am not bragging, just sharing to get a point across) In fact, the reason that we were near the city where she lived is that we owned a rental property there, and we went to take care of some business related to that property. We did not share this information with the woman because, honestly, it was none of her business.
So, once in a while, I think about that woman’s words and attitude. I was thinking about her this morning, and it inspired me to write this letter to you.
Do not judge a “money” book by its cover. You cannot tell how much money a person has by looking at the car that they drive, the shoes on their feet, or the clothes that they wear. You can’t even tell by the house in which they live.
In fact, when you see some people who are driving a fancy car, and wearing red bottom shoes or the expensive Air Jordan retro sneakers, you cannot assume that these people are wealthy or even rich.
Many people who have the material items are doing it all on credit, and in fact, some are living paycheck to paycheck. Some of these people talk about going on fancy vacations, and are paying for these vacations for a very long time.
So, don’t judge a “money”book by its cover. Instead, think about the contents of the books of the truly wealthy. Think about why the truly wealthy are not always the people who flash all of the expensive items. Consider what else they may be doing with their money. Could it be putting their money to work buying assets, and letting their assets pay for their lifestyles?
So, don’t judge a money book by its cover. Don’t focus on admiring people looking wealthy. Instead, focus on yourself, and take steps to write your very own book of financial success. Start where you are, even if you don;t think that you have a lot. Not everyone who has their finances together started out with money, or came from a family with a lot of money. My husband and I did not. You can do it.
Be blessed and keep reading and increasing your financial literacy.
If you liked this message, please share it with someone who you think could benefit from it.
Hugs,
Rich Mom
P.S. Here is a suggestion:
Come back and reread this post because:
Repetition is the father of all learning and the mother of mastery.
The information that I share is worth learning and mastering.
Do you want to read more of a mom’s letters written to inspire financial independence by age 30? Check out:
Uh-Oh! Did You Forget Everything You Learned in Your Financial Literacy Class?
Spilling the Tea on How to Start A Robinhood Investment Account
Wondering About Rich Mom?
If you stumbled upon this post and you are wondering who Rich Mom is: I am a mother to a young adult. I have majors and degrees in business, economics, and education, and I am passionate about financial literacy and personal finance. I am worried about the future of young adults who are often being burdened by massive student loan debt, but at the same time have never been taught about financial literacy. So many people work, forever living just paycheck to paycheck, never understanding the pattern that would make their lives easier. My goal with my blog is to inspire those ages 30 and under to become more financially literate, become financially independent, and be able to live a healthy (mentally and physically), happy, generous life, in which you can help others do the same.