The thin green line is the difference between being rich and wealthy. It is a line that requires knowledge, strategic planning and hard work to cross. When you make a lot of money, you spend it all. When you use your wealth to make a difference, you are still rich. When you have enough money to live the life you want to live, you are wealthy. Financial freedom is needed to achieve true happiness and peace of mind. security). For Millennials to become wealthy the rules are actually pretty simple – save money, take on as little debt as possible (except a mortgage you can afford), spend money on experiences instead of things, invest with the right amount of risk, and then don’t touch your investments except to add to them.
Paul Sullivan, the “Wealth Matters” columnist I enjoy reading on Sundays in the New York Times, writes about the differences between being rich and wealthy in his recent book The Thin Green Line: The Money Secrets of the Super Wealthy. The author covered a lot of ground while trying to crack the code of the super-wealthy and figure out what makes them so different from the rest of us. The book encourages readers to think differently and take action to create their own success.
Most readers would expect a guide or a book on how to become super-wealthy in a book with the slogan “The Money Secrets of the Super Wealthy.” The book gives an in-depth look at the mindsets, habits, and strategies of those who have achieved extraordinary wealth, so readers can learn from their successes and apply these lessons to their own money journey. This isn’t a book about saving, spending, or living fulfilling lives, but rather a look behind the curtain of how the super-wealthy make decisions about saving, spending, and living fulfilling lives. Anyone looking to understand the psychology and mindset of the world’s wealthiest individuals should read it. The book looks at how people live on the two sides of the thin green line, between being rich and wealthy. It looks at the differences between those who have access to resources and those who don’t.
The author looked at himself as a subject in order to find the secrets of the super wealthy. He put himself in the shoes of the super wealthy by living the same lifestyle and habits they did, to better understand their wealth-building strategies. One of the things I liked about the book was the fact that the author is aware of his privileged position in life and constantly reminds the reader that he is also a member of the One Percent. He doesn’t take his privilege for granted and instead uses it to help the less fortunate.
Even though he makes a lot of money and lives in a nice neighborhood, Paul Sullivan is always worried about which side of the green line he is on. Whether or not he is saving enough money, whether he is spending too extravagantly, or whether he is too frugal and not spending enough are some of the worries. He often wonders if he is making the right financial decisions for his future. This is a difficult question because there are different spending expectations for different groups of people. It is important to be aware of the spending habits of those around you so that you don’t compare yourself to an unrealistic standard. For someone making $10 million dollars a year, it’s not a big deal to buy a $100,000 car, but for someone making $150,000, it’s a big deal. It all depends on the individual’s perception of a purchase.
splurging at the right times for the simple things that give you joy is the recommendation the author gleans from the super wealthy. The author says that if he wanted to play golf down the street for $30 he could, but if he wanted to play a nicer course in town for $195 he would. He rationalizes the extra cost as a worthwhile investment in his enjoyment of the game. While the author is not a He shares the view that it is worth it to spend a little more on better experiences because you can never have enough stories. He encourages people to prioritize experiences over possessions in order to have a more fulfilling life.
One of the strongest parts of the book was the section on education and how many of the super wealthy people invest in high quality education for their children that ultimately can give their children an advantage in life. This advantage can be used to create a lasting legacy. What I found most interesting was his conclusion, based on the research of University of Chicago economist James Heckman, that it is more essential to invest in early childhood education where children will develop the social skills that are truly whatare necessary to live a successful and wealthy life. It makes sense to put your kids in the best pre-school you can find, but it might not make sense to send them to the best college. Quality education has long-term benefits as well as short-term financial implications.
Quality early childhood education and quality college education are important to me. Quality early childhood education and quality college education should be provided to ensure students are prepared for the future. The idea of sending a child to the best college has more to do with fit than it does with rankings. Finding the right college fit can provide just as much value as the most expensive or top-ranked college. I agree with the author that the increasing focus on SAT prep courses and the need to get better and better grades to get into increasingly tougher to get into schools is likely robbing children of adolescence. This pressure is likely to have a negative impact on their mental health and well-being. They should be spending more time finding themselves and learning from trial and error as opposed to trying to fit into the perfect college application. This is a good time to find out what makes you unique, and to develop your individual talents. It is this type of learning and growing and the development of soft skills, more than grades or test scores, which the author reveals truly dictate one’s resilience and wealth potential.
The last section ends with the author pointing a microscope at himself when he visits the Financial Therapy Clinic at Kansas State University. He hopes to gain insight into his relationship with money, which he believes is a major factor in achieving financial success. Financial therapy is growing as more people try to deal with their financial issues.
Researchers at Kansas State University are studying how the body reacts when different people talk about money, and they have found that people get nervous when they have to be transparent and honest about money. This research could be applied to other areas of life where difficult conversations must be had, such as helping people learn how to communicate more effectively in a professional setting. The rich think about money in a different way than the super wealthy because they are worried about not saving enough money and believe that they are in control of their own future. They understand that hard work is required to make more money and are willing to take risks to do so.
This is an essential take-away that resonated with me as a Being able to accept conflicting information is essential to long term success. The formula for becoming wealthy is pretty simple and we are in control of our own opportunity. No matter how small the steps may be, the key is to create a plan and take action on it every day.
Key Data:
- The average American has an income of $52,762 and owes $47,000 in debt (1/3 on credit cards) according the US Census data (page 65)
- The One Percent spent 30% less eating out and saved 30% more for retirement than the top 5 percent of income earners (page 66)
- The author estimates that to send one of his children through private school all the way from pre-school through college would cost almost $750,000 in after tax dollars (page 129)
- While most super-wealthy people don’t mow their own lawns, 95% of them cook their own meals and eat most of their meals at home (page 200)
Conclusion:
You have to make a plan, save money, and invest your money until you can live the life you want to live in order to be wealthy. Setting realistic goals and tracking your progress along the way will help you reach your goals. The conclusion of the book is that it is better to be a saver than a spender when it comes to building wealth. Your wealth later in life will be impacted by the compounding effect of saving early and often. The earlier you start saving, the more time your money has to grow and the higher the return on your investment will be. Our long time horizon allows us to build wealth. This is true for people who are already taking advantage of the power of compound interest.
To learn more about Paul Sullivan’s book The Thin Green Line: The Money Secrets of the Super Wealthy, watch the interview of the author discussing the book below.
