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Note: This is a post from Joan Concilio, Man Vs. Debt community manager. Read more about Joan.
So here’s the thing about me: I’m not rich.
You’re shocked? (Er, if so, maybe you should check out the scary details of my finances.)
What this means is, when it comes to books about how to become rich, I’m probably the perfect reader demographic, but maybe not the perfect reviewer demographic.
After all, why would you want to hear what I have to say about someone else’s ideas on wealth? After all, I’m not particularly wealthy, right?
Well, we’ll come back to this in a bit, because it’s the question I’ve been kicking around in my head as I read The Millionaire Fastlane by MJ DeMarco, which is one of the many books on the collective Man Vs. Debt bookshelf that we’ve read, reviewed and then given away to a reader!
The Millionaire Fastlane
For those of you who aren’t familiar with his work, MJ DeMarco is an entrepeneur, investor, author and, yes, multimillionaire. When I started reading The Millionaire Fastlane, I have to admit I was a bit skeptical of the premise – the idea of some kind of “fastlane” to wealth – but I realized after reading further that MJ’s fastlane isn’t about “get rich” schemes. In fact, he even specifies that there’s a difference between “Get Rich Quick” and “Get Rich Easy.”
The goal of The Millionaire Fastlane is mindset and process. It goes behind the scenes of the “wealth events” of MJ and others – you know, the types of people who invent something and sell millions of them in a month? And the secret is, these aren’t one-time events, not really. Getting rich “quick” is preceded by hours and hours of work. It’s a process. The money might come all at once, but it doesn’t come easy.
And it doesn’t come at all unless you’re in the right mindset. So that’s the point of this book – exploring the mindset that leads to wealth creation, and dispelling some mindsets that discourage it.
In the book, MJ describes three types of people:
- Sidewalkers. These are the people in the debt-slavery mindset. Debt, to a sidewalker, is a way to get something now. It’s almost a supplemental “income.” To the Sidewalkers, “stuff” is more important than just about anything, and having the best of it is paramount – even if it means charging it! The thing that stuck out to me most about this way of life is that it is not income-dependent. Yes, there are poor people living in this lifestyle. But there are also people like I used to be – with high incomes but a terrible financial situation, always spending more than they earn, nothing but “surface stuff” to show. No matter your income, a key part of this “sidewalk” lifestyle is being one something away from true poverty. One missed paycheck, one unexpected expense, and so on. The point that MJ makes is that you can’t keep this “sidewalk” mindset if you want to become truly wealthy. As a “former sidewalker,” I agree. I had to make the choice that just-getting-by wasn’t good enough any more.
- Slowlaners. These are people who are following “the system.” They’re going to college, working hard, paying down their debt, investing in their 401(k)s and some other conservative investments, taking modest vacations and planning big things they’ll do after retirement – whenever that might be. Slowlaners focus on money – how much they can get if they work overtime, how much they have saved, how much they owe. I have to be honest here. This is where The Millionaire Fastlane almost lost me. MJ started describing some things I feel pretty strongly about – like paying off debt fanatically – as kind of bad. Ouch!! But when I read about the final group of people, his reasoning clicked for me.
- Fastlaners. This is the gold standard in MJ’s system. A Fastlaner values his or her time above all else. That means that Fastlaners are entrepreneurs – they create something in which they invest time once, and then draw continued benefit. MJ’s point is that no matter how much you make, if you’re trading time for money (for instance, designing top-notch websites for a couple hundred bucks an hour), time is still capping you out on how much you can earn. Like it or not, you can’t design 5,000 websites in a day. This is hard for me, as even the most profitable things I’ve done in life are time-for-money trades. This is also hard for me because I have no desire to be an entrepreneur in the business-building sense. I’m not passionate about it in the slightest. But MJ goes into some other ways of being a “creator” that go beyond building a long-term business, authorship being one of them, and that’s much easier for me to wrap my head around.
MJ also points out that Fastlaners do a lot of the same things Slowlaners do – like pay off (and stop accruing) consumer debt. The difference is mindset.
There’s a lot of valuable advice in The Millionaire Fastlane, even if you don’t think that multi-million-dollar wealth creation is your dream. (And MJ addresses that, too.)
My advice is, if you’re going to read this book (and I think you’ll find it interesting!), please read the whole thing. While there are mindset points in The Millionaire Fastlane that seem to run contrary to the Man Vs. Debt mindset – like, for instance, not thinking about business in terms of “Do what you love,” which of course is part of our motto, reading the entirety shows you that MJ’s got the right idea – you can’t do what you love as a revenue stream if it doesn’t meet a need. So if you open a break-dancing studio in a retirement community because it’s your town and you love to break-dance, don’t expect to get rich, essentially!
Overall, this book is for you if you’d like to think differently about the ways money and time work in your life. There were certainly some eye-opening thoughts for me!
What does wealth look like to you?
That’s one of the key takeaways to The Millionaire Fastlane: What does wealth look like to you? Is it a Lamborghini? A huge house? Awesome vacations? Or is it something else – the ability to donate $20,000 instead of $20 to a cause you’re passionate about?
That sounds a lot like finding your big “why” to me, one of the key concepts we talk about here on Man Vs. Debt. If you want wealth, you first have to know WHY and what that looks like. And I’m curious to see what forms it takes for you!
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So what does wealth look like to you?
Update: Congratulations to Beth VB, our 44th commmenter, who was randomly chosen to receive our copy of this book. Thanks, Beth!
Wealth to me is the place where we can do what we’re passionate about without needing to get a paycheck for it.
Wealth to me isn’t about a number, but about the freedom to choose to do what I want. I could be wealthy living on a modest income if I wasn’t one of those sidewalkers. Having the security and resources to take care of myself and my family – that is wealth.
What does wealth look like to me?
I think the easiest way to describe that would be to have the time to do what I want, when I want without having to worry about money (paying bills, etc). Meaning all my expenses are covered without me having to work, so that I can spend more time with my family, volunteer, play golf, etc.
Love, family, and health…all while not worrying about how to pay the bills!
M.J. Demarco in the Millionaire Fastlane talks about the 3 F’s (Fitness, Family, and Freedom).
Wealth to me is not having any debt and being able to enjoy everything in life without worry. Time with friends, a nice laid back vacation, a good book etc. I don’t have to have the best of everything. I just want to enjoy life in general without worry!
Wealth to me is being able to help out family and friends when they are in need – instead of being the one that is always in need. Being able to pay my most common necessisites on time with no problems. Just being able to consistently take care of my family and help out my family members when in need – that is wealth to me.
Hi, Joan! Easy question for me… Wealth is confidence that Murphy (as in Murphy’s Law) can’t hurt my family. I’ve been following MvD since before you started writing for them. You guys are awesome!
I don’t see wealth as material goods. I see wealth as being comfortable, being able to have shelter, eat and being debt-free. I blog on no retail shopping, downsizing and waste. I’ve been sucked into the “American Dream” before and once you’ve experienced wealth as stability, you won’t ever go back. 🙂
Very helpful review and insight on the book Joan. Thank you.
Wealth to me is a sizeable net worth (assets minus debt) and peace of mind. And on the subject of debt, my view is that when a person focuses on building a strong net worth, together with peace of mind, they are naturally led toward paying their debt down.
There are two reasons. The first is the math of paying their debt off quickly increases their net worth. So it makes sense to bring debt down since it grows their net worth over time.
The second is paying off debt relieves them of one of the larger stresses in their life. As they taste the freedom that comes from becoming debt-free, they realize that they are being wise with their money and reducing some of the financial risk in their life. It feels better. It feels lighter. It feels like, well, peace of mind.
Then they look at their ever growing net worth and they feel a sense of pride and accomplishment and (you guessed it) – peace of mind. That’s wealth to me!
I loved this post. I have been wanting to read that book, just haven’t purchased it yet. Maybe I don’t have to if I am the winner.
Anyway, I really struggle with the “do what you love’ and the money will come. There are so many different opinions about this subject. I love too many things to pinpoint just one that I would want to do for the rest of my life, I get bored very easily.
But wealth to me would be the pleasure of not worrying about how bills are going to be paid and be able to rely on passive income and be able to help others without worrying about where money is going to come from.
To me, wealth is “peace” of mind. To know that I do not live above my means and can still do all the things I have to do (bills, debt, food etc) and some of the things I want to do (vacation, donate, help family members).
For me, it’s not about a bigger house, I have a nice house. I would like to fix some things that need fixing without having to worry about whether it will wreck the budget. It’s not about a fancy car. I have a reliable safe car; I would just like to do regular maintenance to keep it running without it taking away from another expense.
Wealth is doing all the things I have to do for my children and some of the things they want to do. Wealth is ensuring they have a clear understanding of and appreciation for money and what it can and can’t do.
Wealth is Peace.
Wealth is the freedom to not have to worry about bills and be able to help o
thers
Wealth to me is a means to be able to live a lifestyle that allows me to focus on serving others without worrying about how/when I will get money. To have an abundance of money that is able to pass down to generations, as well as to be used to reach out and help ordinary people overcome depression and substance abuse, feed and clothe orphans, help victims of sex trade and victims of domestic abuse… This is my why, its my focus for paying off debt and creating new business.
MJ walks the walk. I use to be a big participant on his forums when the first started (before the book). The members meet annually and its an amazing experience of like minded folks. MJ does not put the event on, because he doesn’t want to be a fire eating guru. The members put together and run the event on their own. The ideas shared are nearly intoxicating. I’m glad to see his book is really making progress on reaching out to the masses.
The thought process, is why die wealthy after 40 years of hard work, when you can live wealthy now. To me this book is the big brother of Rich dad poor dad. In fact the original forum members were the movers and shakers from that group of followers. I could go on, but his forums are worth a gander.
Kinda exciting to see this post.
Jason
Completely agree with everything above. I am an insider of the forum and love what I read.
Wealth to me looks like the freedom to make decisions, NOT based on wealth. So choosing a car based on emissions, or a holiday destination based on what new culture I’d like to explore, not whatever is cheapest. However, that doesn’t mean I’d necessarily go for the most expensive one, but i have more freedom with my choices.
Wealth to me is a consistent way of thinking, it’s a way of life, being disciplined, it’s building for tomorrow, it’s leaving the next generation a foundation they can built upon. Wealth is not about money. It’s about education, knowledge, & creativity. By having wealth you are buying time which is priceless. Having wealth means having freedom to do what you like without having to worry. Wealth is leaving something for your children,
grand children and great grand children etc.
A wealthy person is able to share their time & love, they are surrounded by good cheer, and their treasure is stored in their memories of people they have loved. Being wealthy with large amounts of money isn’t the goal, but the self-discipline, ability to think of others, and taking time to think clearly will naturally get you there. (I’m not there but I’m learning it doesn’t work if its all for selfish motives).
Thank you for this post Joan. I just started reading the Mr. Money Mustache blog the other day and I am almost having an epiphany. I want to be in a position to retire sooner rather than later so in my case that means not having to wait another 20-25 yrs. I want to start enjoying my life to the fullest without being surrounded by “stuff ” to show for it.
I am just recovering from cancer so that is another big impetus and a kick in the pants to get on the right track.
Kate
A cancer diagnosis can have that effect on people…I’m glad you’re getting healthy!
Thanks for a great post, Joan. I’ve heard about the book but hadn’t really considered reading it. What does wealth look like to me? Having my family healthy and secure, with their needs met and the opportunity to have an experience more — not because there are piles of money all over the house — but because we are not over-burdened with just trying to get by, and therefore can choose to do more. Top of my list for “more” would be to give $2,000 instead of $20, but even more would be to get involved with helping our community and the less-fortunate, and help our kids to learn about service more than stress (not that anyone should not learn about stress, I think you know what I mean). Cheers! – Nick
Now I want to read the book. It sounds very intriguing. My mindset changes from being strict about spending & paying off debt vs. spending a little more than anticipated for a good time with the family. I think about my goals and follow my plan to a T. Then I start to realize how short life is and how I want to enjoy things here and there with my children before they get older and start having lives of their own. To make memories with them now, which at times can stray away from my paying off debt plan. Short term setbacks in my eyes. But overall my plan is still there and I am always thinking about making that next payment and getting one step closer.
To me, being wealthy is having what you need with maybe a little extra of “want” items, having low bills, and having the means to be able to do what you want, or occasionally buy what you want without having to create debt or worry too much about it. Also having a plan for retirement. To have the option to change jobs and make less money to do something you love more. To have extra money, and not feel like it has to be spent on a purchase, AKA “burning a hole in your pocket”.
I often look at people who have the fanciest cars and homes, boats and RV’s. And the one thing I can’t get out of my head is how much debt they must have. I don’t want all those things if it comes with a big pile of debt, that equals stress to me. I can live without that. I can have a fulfilling life without fancy things. I would much rather create experiences and memories with my life then to have the best products. But I don’t want to have to create debt for those experience & memories. I live by this quote: “Where there is a will, there is always a way!!”
Wealth to me is time with my family, being able to provide for them yet still having freedom with my schedule to do the things we love together.
I am sooo exhausted and tired of the rat race. Wealth to me would be living simply in a cabin in the woods with enough money for essentials like food and health. Instead of working, we would garden, fish, read, and enjoy our family.
Wealth is freedom, pure and simple.
This is EXACTLY what I was planning on saying. We must be twins.
What does wealth look like to me?
Honestly wealth to me is the ability to travel the world (not necessarily expensively, experiences are wealth!), to be able to buy any materials I need to create all the cosplays I want to create and wear out (cosplaying is such a great, freeing hobby), the ability to take care of my mother financially and share great experiences with her, and to give back to the global community, helping with various causes such as human rights and what not! 🙂
Great post, Joan. You did a very thorough and non-biased review…you made me want to read the book! Although, I’m a sucker for these types of books and have read many of them. Why do I keep reading them? Because I always get at least one amazing kernel of wisdom that I hadn’t heard before, at least quite like that. Perhaps it’s just that the time was right for me to “hear” that message. Each book/author is a mentor of sorts.
Q: What does wealth look like to you?
A: Freedom to do what I want when I want, which means I can focus on helping people while earning an income from doing what I love. It also means good health, loving relationships and living a life without debt.
Today, I feel wealthy!
Wealth to me is having enough assets to take care of my family completely (I’ll explain this later) and be able to give generously to charities as well.
I think wealth is about hard monetary assets. I know it’s common for people to say “I’m wealthy because I have good friends and and a good family, etc.”. I don’t think that’s a good use of the term wealthy. Those things are important (one could argue more important than money), but when you use the term wealthy to describe them, I think most people are are implying that they are choosing these things over money. They are essentially justifying their lack of wealth. Having a lot of money doesn’t prevent you from having these things. It would be much more genuine to say “I’m not very wealthy, but I’m content with my life as I have good friends and family, and those are more important to me than wealth”.
What do I mean by being able to take care of my family completely? I mean being able to cover their life needs with high quality choices – food, clothes, tuition, activities, residence, vacation, weddings, college. etc. I also include the ability to cover non-catastrophic medical bills without the need for insurance. (i don’t want to have to depend on an administrator to decide what’s best medically for my family). If I can do this without worrying about where the money will come from, then I would consider myself wealthy.
Based on your review, I can’t wait to read this book! And would love to win it 🙂 Thanks so much for your ongoing insight and spurring on. Love it here!
Many blessings,
Sherri Ohler
Joan,
There’s nothing wrong with being a “Slowlaner”. It means being a solid citizen who has a semblance of financial security. I view it as a prerequisite for any attempts at “Fastlaning”.
The problem with too many blogs is that there is no interest in monetizing them. A “Fastlaner” would write a blog, but would include ads & affiliate marketing links. With good SEO (Search Engine Optimization), this will result in a stream of revenue that will hopefully be disproportional to the effort involved. Quite frankly, I LIKE to see ads and affiliate links in blogs. That tells me that the author will likely have a monetary interest in continuing their work!
The biggest reason why I haven’t started my blog is that I need to find someone who can help me insert ads in the WordPress template that I choose …
I’m a proud Slowlaner, who has done some Fastlane projects in my time. I drive a paid off Hyundai, and have chosen to take the payments that would have gone to the Lamborghini and invest them in owning an office building instead. 13 years ago, I invested in creating an amateur sports website http://www.scorebook.com . While it wasn’t Facebook, it has generated a few thousand dollars a month each month over that time. Some of the site’s users complained about the ads over the years. I had two remarks for them:
#1 – When you go to a Pro Ballpark, you are surrounded by ads
#2 – As long as ScoreBook.com generates more revenue than it costs, it will continue to be available to you
That has generally answered their objections!
Perhaps I should just go the FastLane route, but I am too risk adverse … and that’s OK with me!
WRT Financial Wealth … I don’t think that it exists for anyone who isn’t “born into money”. Only someone who takes money for granted can really feel wealthy … and NO ONE who has had to earn their money will EVER take it for granted!
True wealth comes from friends and family … whose value exceeds ANY monetary amount!
Excellent post once again.
Q: What does wealth look like to you?
A: All my debt paid off and the ability to do anything and travel anywhere at a moment’s notice without a thought. More importantly, the knowledge and thought that I can place my father in nice home during his final years. Also, to start enjoying my life to the fullest instead of being bogged down by stuff and obstacles.
It is funny you should ask what wealth means to me because I have been pondering a similar question, “What does success look like to me?”
My deepest nature and desire is to help others, so to me, being successful/wealthy means I will be able to help others by contributing my time and money. It is frustrating to volunteer at my daughter’s school and there are a few minor things that I would love to donate to the school if I had the means to do so. Things like pencil sharpeners, hole punches, just basic things that they have but are sorely in need of repair and replacement.
Being wealthy would also mean we could constantly be enriching ourselves and growing by taking classes. I look forward to signing my daughter up for music lessons and other classes so she can find more things that she is good at and enjoys doing. I want my husband to be able to go to continuing education classes without worrying about the loss of pay check to take time off, but also to pay for the courses.
There are many things the money side of wealth that we would love to take advantage of, but we are already wealthy in so many ways: we are resourceful and know the difference between needs and wants, we have fantastic family relationships and genuinely enjoy each others’ company even when it is just a quiet evening home and we all have our library books on our laps, my husband has a job he loves so much that it doesn’t feel like work, and all of our basic needs are taken care of. Things like that are a great measure of wealth and success and we are lucky to have them and so many more things that make us wealthy.
Wealth is enough money and time to spend each any way you wish.
Great post, Joan! I’m with you. Wealth, too often, has seemed like a time for money trade. True wealth is comfort and peace of mind, being able to relax, share and enjoy the present moment with the ones you love. Your blog, and M.J.’s book, should be on everyone’s radar.
This sounds like a great book. I’ll have to check it out. There are definitely no shortcuts to being a millionaire (besides being born into wealth), but there are faster and slower ways to get there. It sounds like this book highlights that which is great.
What does wealth look like to me? That’s an interesting question…
The thing that excites me most when it comes to wealth isn’t really money. It is freedom. It’s the freedom to do what I want with my time. It’s the freedom to live reasonably well-off without having to worry about money.
Yes, money is necessary – and certainly welcomed – up to a certain point. Beyond that, more money wouldn’t make you any happier. It will no doubt be cool to buy your first Lamborghini. But the coolness is bound to wear off after buying your tenth one!
Being wealthy without worry, having the time to do what I want, having the freedom to be with my loved ones on a Tuesday afternoon… those are things I would want to be truly “wealthy”.
Wealth to me is about being able to travel before I am unable to. My mom always wanted to travel when she retired. Now instead she has the “huge to me house” 3 bedrooms 2 baths, formal dining area,etc. and she doesnt really need it plus her debt is such and health that she cant travel very much if at all. Rather sad to me.
Wealth to me is reaching Financial Independence. Having sufficient assets that they’re generating enough passive income, so I no longer have to work.
Thank you for the great post Joan.
Wealth to me is the ability to spend the 24 hours in each day of my life any way that I choose to.
Freedom of time = True Wealth
What does wealth look like to me?
Wealth isnt just about money and its sad to say that in the world we live in today that’s how wealth is measured but I look at wealth just as having the time and resources to do the things I want to do such as travel with my kids, spend more time with kids, and live comfortable enough to not have to worry about how the next bill is going to get paid. If I had more time on my hands and still be able to do the things I want to do, than I would be the richest man alive 🙂
To me, wealth is having pure happiness without the worry of what HAS happened, what IS happening or what WILL happen. It’s being able to live life in the moment with out a worry in the world, while being surrounded with those you love. Being wealthy is being able to find joy in the little things..the things that you can’t place value on, such as a memory, or the way a song makes you feel. To me, that is being wealthy. You can’t buy any of those things.
Although I’m not gonna lie…having a solid pair of designer jeans and nice wallet is always fun too. lol! Thanks for this post. Seems like a really intriguing read!
Someone may have already said this, but to me, wealth is having enough time to do what you love with the people you love. For the majority of people, that will mean a lot of money needs to be accumulated first, but this doesn’t hold true for everyone.
Wealth is simply having enough to do what I love without worrying about getting the bills paid. That may look different from one year to the next but the bills would be paid.
To me wealth is time without pressure. Feeling like I can enjoy a moment without wondering how it will be paid for, or what I should be doing instead of enjoying it.
The point where your wealth will accumulate and you completely loose your anxiety and worry due to money.
Wealth to me means freedom and freedom comes at a high price. I want to be able to meet and exceed that price. To have time and money to do what I love and with whom I love without stressing out about what not to pay(putting it off a bit longer) first this month! I would love to find out how the other half live then I know I will feel whole. Thanks for such a great website. I look forward to reading it immensely.
Wealth for us would be not having to revisit the budget mid-cycle and worry as to whether or not I might need to ‘tweak’ something!
I define wealth as the income generated by my debt-free assets exceeds my expenses.
Wealth to me is no longer measured in terms of amounts of money. Wealth is owning your own house free and clear, not having a car payment, having money in the bank for emergencies, plus some set aside for other “stuff.” Wealth is being happy, healthy, and honest with yourself. Wealth is having a family who loves you, a support system of friends, and a good moral compass to guide you in life. If you have all of those things, you are wealthy beyond any measure of money.
What does wealth look like to me? I would want my life to allow me the freedom to do as I please. I want a Lamborghini, a nice home, and the ability to travel on exotic vacations while continually earning income from my businesses.
First and before all wealth would be good health
and then to be able to wake up in the morning
knowing that I am totally debt free.
Wealth to me is being able to be a fully concious consumer and go green sustainable all the way without having to compromise. to b e able to travel and volunteer around the world and enrich my life and help others be all they can be. To work in a job I love.
Wealth to me is being able to keep my current lifestyle and not HAVING to work.
Wealth to me is being able to do the things I want in life without stressing over every last penny. And that does mean not being a slave to my income and having the time to do those things as well!
For me, wealth is having a situation where you have a reliable income stream that covers costs with hopefully some extra, but, most importantly, a situation where you have a lot of TIME and freedom to spend how you want without worrying about money.
Real wealth would allow me to do more of the things I want to do without having to worry about money. I’ve always wanted to fly my entire family somewhere really cool to be together, for instance.
Oh, and if I win, I already read the book (and loved it!) so pass it on to someone else!
To me, wealth looks like waking up in the morning and deciding in that moment if I will work on something that day, without caring if my decision will affect my paycheck.
Having enough in the bank to be able to spend as much time with my family as I want or they need. To be able to give without hesitation or limit and be able to say no to working occassionally without the worry of not being able to pay the bills.
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Having the ability to (1) not worry about basic expenses, and (2) help family, friends, and strangers financially as much as possible.
Wealth, to me, would be having no consumer debt. And a home that is just big enough..not too big. Then I could put my time and efforts towards giving back to the world
Oh nelly, now there is a question to chomp. I believe wealth is a word which catches a lot of do’s and don’ts for me. The word means, to me personally, a lifetime of achieving the goals I set for myself, the ability to move forward with positive changes to our capitalist structure, traveling for interpersonal communications and sharing my skillsets, working hard to restructure the fashion industry, supplying a need to the sustainable production and manufacturing industry, and motivating the underground industries for a healthy planet of living things.
For me, wealth is a means to an end. The end being creating positive, revolutionary change that improves people’s lives worldwide.
Wealth, to me, is the ability not to have to concern myself with the basics of existence (like having a car, a home, some food, etc.) and the freedom to structure my time as I wish, so I can spend my time meanngfully while also serving others.
Wealth to me is my ability to do what I ant. I don’t need bags and bags of money to be wealthy in my head. I’ve always been one to put happiness before wealth too, so I’d rather be happy and healthy, but have the financial freedom to do what I want.
Sounds like a simple rehashing of the concepts involved in the Rich Dad series as noted above with a different set of naming conventions. Maybe just the summation of characters swith the same 4 Hr Work Week mentality thrown in for the moneymaking side?
question…how many books are on your shelf, and do you have a listing of them anywhere I can see?
Well, it’s more of a virtual shelf, Jeri, since it’s split between my home on the East Coast and the Bakers’ on the West Coast, but I have VERY few books that I keep once I’ve read them. The key books that I’ve kept, I documented here: https://manvsdebt.com/5-books-that-changed-my-life/ – but you’ll notice none of them are finance-related! I do own a couple that I mostly use for “reference” – Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover and Trent Hamm’s The Simple Dollar are two of them – but I don’t hold them up as life-changers, just things I refer to on occasion.
Thanks Joan for the review although I wish you had a newer copy with the newer cover. I’m happy you got through the “Slowlane” part as that section is highly susceptible to be misinterpreted. As for the actual question, wealth to me is being able to write a book for the love of writing, and not give a crap about how many sell, or who I piss off in the process. And of course, how can we forget that wealth to me is having no mortgage and no Gestapo HOA. LOL.
I’m glad to say I read The Millionaire Fastlane at age 17 and I graduate this June knowing a little more about the world.
Thank you MJ for setting me on the path to wealth and inspiring others!
–Mike
Thank you for this wonderful We have gone thru slow lane and have reached a comfortable place in life, our dreams fulfilled. We have a new piano, and every evening I get serenaded with Tom’s wonderful playing style. We can live in the moment.This is wealth to us. But it brings peace in the evening to go with lovely piano music.
Wealth to me means freedom. Being able to make choices with the freedom of knowing you have enough to take care of your needs and , if wealthy, then your wants as well. It also means security to me as well, for the same reasons. Sure, I would love a dream house and all that, but having security and freedom from worry about money, that is true wealth to me !!
Wealth to me means only one thing…Time!
I purchased MJ’s audiobook and listen every day during my 2 hour commute. It has literally changed my life. I intend to retire in 6 years and enjoy my life.
Buy the book!
This books offers true wealth building insights from expert guy that has gone trough the process. If you like this book, I can also recommend these:
The Education of Millionaires by M. Elsberg
The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas Stanley & William Danko
Little Book About Big Money by Chris Emerson