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These aren’t tips I read somewhere. These are rules I live by.
My Michael Jackson Moment in Dubai
Personal finance advice is everywhere. Most of it is generic. “Save more.” “Spend less.” “Invest early.”
Cool. Thanks. Very helpful.
These are different. These are the actual rules I follow – the ones that make people look at me sideways, the ones that sound extreme until you see the math.
I don’t follow all of these perfectly. But they’re my defaults. And defaults determine destiny.
Here are 20 money rules that built my net worth.
1. I Keep My Rent/Mortgage at 15% of My Net Income (Or Less)
The standard advice says 30% of income on housing is “affordable.”
That’s how you stay broke.
I keep housing at 15% or less. If I bring home $6,000/month, my housing costs stay under $900.
The only time I break this rule? When I go in fortress mode. When I’m in fortress mode, I’m only building, I’m only working, and I’m surrounded by natural beauty. I’m not eating out. I’m not shopping. I’m in pure builder mode.
The math:
At 30% ($1,800/month), you have $4,200 left. At 15% ($900/month), you have $5,100 left.
That’s $900/month difference – $10,800/year – going to investments instead of a landlord.
Over 20 years at 10% returns: $680,000.
Housing is most people’s biggest expense. Cutting it in half is the single fastest way to build wealth.
2. I Never Go a Year Without Increasing My Income
Every single year, my income goes up. Non-negotiable.
Some years it’s a raise. Some years it’s a side project. Some years it’s a new skill I monetize. Some years it’s switching jobs.
But every December, my income is higher than it was in January.
Why this matters:
If your income stays flat and inflation runs 3–4%, you’re actually getting poorer each year. Standing still is moving backward.
I don’t wait for someone to give me a raise. I create the raise – through negotiation, skills, or new income streams.
3. I Wait 72 Hours Before Buying Anything Over $100
Impulse purchases are wealth killers.
My rule: anything over $100 gets a 72-hour waiting period. No exceptions. I add it to the cart, close the browser, and wait.
What actually happens:
70% of the time, I don’t buy it. The desire fades. I realize I wanted the dopamine hit, not the thing.
30% of the time, I still want it. So I buy it guilt-free.
This rule alone saves me $5,000+ per year. And it costs nothing but patience.
My biggest expense? Dog treats.
4. I Calculate Purchases in Hours of My Life
Before I buy something, I convert the price to hours of work.
If my after-tax hourly wage is $35:
That $150 dinner = 4+ hours of my life
That $700 jacket = 20 hours of my life
That $35,000 car = 1,000 hours of my life
This reframe changes everything.
I’ll happily spend 2 hours of my life on a great experience. I won’t spend 20 hours on a jacket I’ll wear twice.
Time is the only non-renewable resource. Every purchase costs life-hours, not just dollars.
5. I Invest First, Then See What’s Left to Spend
Most people budget like this:
Income → Bills → Spending → Save what’s left
There’s never anything left.
I flip the order:
Income → Invest 25%+ → Bills → Spend what’s left
The investment comes out first. Automatically. Before I see it.
What’s left is my real budget. If I want more spending money, I need to earn more. I don’t negotiate with my investment contributions.
6. I Maintain at Least 5 Streams of Income (Aiming Always for 10+)
I never depend on one income source. Ever.
What it might look like for you?
Primary job/business income
Investment dividends
Side projects
Content/royalties
Other ventures
Why this matters:
If one stream dies, you’re not desperate. You don’t make fear-based decisions because you have options.
The average millionaire has 7 income streams. That’s not a coincidence.
Diversification isn’t just for portfolios – it’s for income too.
7. I Budget and Track My Money Consistently
This isn’t obsessive. It’s aware.
Most people check their accounts once a month, get surprised by the total, and vaguely promise to “do better.”
When you track consistently:
Nothing hides
Nothing accumulates into a surprise
Small leaks get caught before they become floods
It takes 2 minutes a day. That’s 12 hours a year to have complete control over your finances.
8. I Keep My Lifestyle 3–5 Years Behind My Income
My rule: My lifestyle stays 3–5 years behind my income.
If I earn $100,000, I live like I earn $65,000. If I get a raise to $130,000, I still live like I earn $65,000.
The gap between income and lifestyle is where wealth is built. Most people close that gap with every raise. I keep it wide open.
This is why people earning $200,000 are broke and people earning $70,000 are millionaires.
9. I Don’t Buy Coffee, Lunch, or Drinks on Autopilot
I make coffee at home (well not really make…I just buy cold brew haha). I make lunch. If I grab drinks it’s water.
The math people ignore:
$6 coffee × 250 workdays = $1,500/year
$15 lunch × 250 workdays = $3,750/year
$40 drinks × 50 weeks = $2,000/year
Total: $7,250/year on autopilot consumption.
Invested at 10% for 20 years: $458,000.
I’m not saying never enjoy a nice meal or a night out. I’m saying don’t let daily autopilot spending steal half a million dollars from your future.
10. I Audit Every Subscription Quarterly
Every 3 months, I review every recurring charge:
Streaming services
Apps
Memberships
Software
Subscriptions
If you’re getting value from this — sign up for my newsletter, a free daily 5 AM email. Discipline delivered before the sun comes up.
The question: Did I use this in the past 30 days? Would I buy it again today?
If no, I cancel immediately.
Companies count on subscription fatigue. They know you’ll forget. I refuse to pay for things I’m not using.
15 minutes per quarter. Hundreds saved per year. No-brainer.
11. I Invest While Paying Off Debt
Everyone says “pay off debt first, then invest.”
I disagree.
Here’s why: Compound interest needs time. You can’t get time back.
If I wait 5 years to pay off debt before investing, I lose 5 years of compounding. That’s potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Instead, I do both: aggressive debt payments AND consistent investing.
The math usually favors this approach – especially if your debt interest rate is below 7–8%.
12. For Parents: Open Investment Accounts for Your Kids Before They Are Born
The moment you know you’re having kids, open investment accounts for them.
The math is insane:
$200/month invested from birth at 10% returns:
By age 18: $120,000+ for college
By age 30: $450,000+
By age 40: $1,200,000+
Your kid could be a millionaire before 40 without contributing a dime of their own money – just from what you started before they could walk.
Why wouldn’t you give them this head start?
13. I Stay in Charge of My Money – Always
I don’t hand my financial decisions to anyone else. Not a spouse. Not a parent. Not a financial advisor.
I learn. I understand. I decide.
That doesn’t mean I don’t get advice. It means the final decision – and the responsibility – stays with me.
Too many people outsource their financial life and then wonder why they’re not where they want to be. You can’t outsource your way to wealth.
You have to own it.
14. I Live With Others Until Financial Independence (And Maybe After)
This is the one that makes people uncomfortable.
I lived with roommates, family, and others strategically – even when I could “afford” to live alone.
The math:
Living alone: $2,000/month rent Living with others: $800/month rent Savings: $1,200/month = $14,400/year
Invested at 10% for 10 years: $250,000+
A quarter million dollars – for having a roommate.
Ego says live alone. Math says build wealth first.
15. I’m Extremely Careful Who I Partner With Financially
Love is not a financial plan.
Before combining finances, moving in together, or getting married, I need to know:
Do they have debt? How much?
What’s their relationship with money?
Do they spend impulsively or intentionally?
Do our financial values align?
One bad partnership can destroy decades of financial progress. Divorce is expensive. Breaking a lease can get pricey; I would know because I’ve done it 6 times, but that was only because I like moving around. Doing it because of poor relationship decisions is avoidable. Bailing someone out of debt is expensive.
I protect my finances like I protect my health. Carefully. Intentionally.
16. I Max Out Tax-Advantaged Accounts First
I know no longer do this, but in the early years of my career, I always maxed things out.
401k (especially employer match – that’s free money)
IRA
HSA (if eligible)
Before I invest in taxable accounts.
The tax advantages compound over decades. Every dollar I shield from taxes is a dollar that grows faster.
If you’re not maxing these out, you’re overpaying the government.
17. I Don’t Have Kids I Can’t Afford
Controversial? Maybe. Real? Absolutely.
Kids cost $250,000-$500,000 to raise (before college).
If you’re living paycheck to paycheck, adding a $300,000 expense doesn’t make you a good parent. It makes you stressed, broke, and unable to provide the life you want for them.
Plan financially before having kids. They deserve stability, not struggle.
But I am a pack leader, and it has costs. Whether you have kids or animals, plan so you can understand what the real expenses are.
18. I Don’t Live in Popular States JUST BECAUSE
I visit instead.
But more importantly?
I travel the world, which is far more interesting.
I’d rather take 10 vacations and invest the difference than pay a premium to say I live somewhere pricey.
19. I Repair Instead of Replace (Until the Math Flips)
When something breaks – car, appliance, electronics – my first instinct is repair.
Repair: $300 Replace: $3,000
That’s not even close.
But I’m not stupid about it. If I’m repairing the same thing every few months, the math has flipped. Some things reach end of life.
I repair by default, replace when the numbers demand it.
Don’t want to keep replacing a corpse. Eventually it will start to fight you or try to light you on fire, like my car did. Let that sh*t go.
20. I Buy Intentionally – Never to Impress, Fill Voids, or Follow Trends
Every purchase I make passes this test:
Do I actually want this, or am I bored/sad/stressed?
Am I buying this for me, or to impress someone?
Will I use this consistently, or will it collect dust?
Would I buy this if no one ever saw it?
Most purchases fail this test.
People buy things they don’t need, with money they don’t have, to impress people they don’t like.
That’s not a purchase – that’s a performance.
I buy for utility and genuine joy. Nothing else.
I never stay in a five star hotel to impress someone.
If I’m there, it’s personal preference.
Why These Rules Work
Every rule here does the same thing:
It removes the decision.
I don’t decide whether to invest each month – it’s automatic. I don’t decide whether to buy something impulsively – the 72-hour rule decides. I don’t decide whether to track spending – it’s daily habit.
Willpower fails. Rules don’t.
My defaults are set to build wealth. I have to actively override them to mess up.
Most people’s defaults are set to spend. They have to actively override them to save.
That’s the difference.
These Rules Sound Extreme Because They Are
Normal financial behavior produces normal financial results – which, in America, means living paycheck to paycheck and retiring with barely enough.
I don’t want normal results. So I don’t follow normal rules.
Some of these will resonate with you. Some won’t fit your life. That’s fine.
But if you’re not where you want to be financially, ask yourself:
What rules am I following? And where are they leading me?
Investing is the EXIT.
This content is for informational purposes only — not professional advice. Consult a qualified professional before making any major decisions.