Quote from: hedgeh0g on Today at 11:55:04 AM

Quote from: highalch on August 28, 2025, 08:47:46 PM

So I moved back to my rural hometown after long years of building a career in the capital city, met up some friends I haven't seen for ages. Hanged out, got to my story and their first question was where did I buy my house. I told them I didn't, I'm in a rental property like I've always been. It was strange at first but then I realized I was their idol, the "rich guy who made it". Then got on to other topics. "So what car do you have?" I told em, I dont have a car. "Fuck it bro, at least did you travel the world?" - Not yet. With 3 questions and 3 answers, I made their whole world view collapse. "Are you even wealthy bro?" Yessiriam. I consider myself wealthy. What makes a man wealthy? Having options. If I'd like, I could buy the house, buy the car or travel the world. I didn't because it's not financially the right decision, at least it wasn't at that moment.

There was a question a few days ago here, someone coined what could be the biggest problem with economies. This is one of them, for sure. People can't differentiate assets and liabilities. They think they own the house, they claim they own the car, and in the meantime they're in utter debt. People strive to take on liabilities instead of building wealth which consists of assets (favorably hard or income-generating assets). They discount their time, become corporate slaves just to keep up with the illusion of their lifestyles they ought to show to the outside world.

And I see this everywhere. The four of us in the room all came from the same school. Same age. Same opportunities. Three wheeling in heavy debt, trynna keep it up with side hustles. One with a positive balance who never needs to be a corporate slave again.

Those who work endlessly and look for extra work should change their understanding of the financial world. And I am not talking about complex economies, but about money management within the family. When I first read Robert Kiyosaki's book "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" my world changed. And I immediately recommended it to my friends. Did the world change in their heads? No. Half of them did not read it, considering this book mediocre. It is their choice. Many people do not want to see the world from new angles, even if they are told to. Oh well. It is their life and let them live it themselves as they want.

Moving back home after years away really opens your eyes to how differently people view wealth friends who hadn’t seen me in ages thought i must’ve owned a big house driven a nice car or traveled the world when i told them none of that applied to me their faces dropped like their whole idea of success crumbled in a moment what they didn’t realize is that wealth isn’t about ticking off flashy boxes it’s about choice i could’ve bought the house or the car but chose not to because it wasn’t the right move at the time.

So many people fall into the trap of thinking debt equals ownership they sign loans for houses and cars then live stressed just to maintain the illusion of success while the real key is building assets that work for you not against you i’ve seen it in my old classmates some buried under debt chasing side hustles just to survive while i sit in a position where freedom comes from money working for me not me working for money people can laugh at books like rich dad poor dad but the truth is unless you shift your mindset you’ll always be a slave to the lifestyle you think you need to show the world. True wealth isn’t about impressing people who don’t pay your bills it’s about having the power to walk away from anything that doesn’t serve you when you live without heavy debt you breathe differently your choices are yours not dictated by lenders or bosses chasing every paycheck i’ve seen people grind endlessly for luxuries that actually lock them into chains while others with less outward flash are living quietly free in control of their time and future at the end of the day wealth is not what you flash on the outside it’s the options you hold on the inside.