Quotes from Thomas J. Stanley

Most of us want to be wealthy, but most of us do not spend the time, energy, and money required to enhance our chances of realizing this goal.

THEIR ADULT CHILDREN ARE ECONOMICALLY SELF-SUFFICIENT.

They became millionaires by budgeting and controlling expenses, and they maintain their affluent status the same way. Sometimes

Big Hat No Cattle

I don't own big hats, but I have a lot of cattle.

Wealth is more often the result of a lifestyle of hard work, perseverance, planning, and, most of all, self-discipline. How

most millionaires generally don't limit themselves to stocks, bonds, and related investments—they invest heavily in private businesses and real estate.

Fawn, build your self-esteem, your pride, your independence, with what you know, not with what you own. Avoid debt.

After twenty years of studying millionaires across a wide spectrum of industries, we have concluded that the character of the business owner is more important in predicting his level of wealth than the classification of his business.

In our most recent national survey of millionaires, we asked the respondents to designate their country of origin/ancestry/ethnic origin. The results may surprise you. TABLE

What do professionals sell? Not coal, not paint, not even pizza. What they sell most of all is their intellect.

An increase in cash flow generally translates into significant increases in consumption. Is it any wonder that only a small portion of Americans are financially independent?

When a person with money meets a person with experience, the one with experience ends up with the money and the one with money leaves with experience.

FEARS AND WORRIES                                  What do you spend time worrying about? Are your concerns congruent with wealth accumulation? Or do you spend time thinking about issues that are impediments to becoming affluent?

We looked at each other; one said: "These people are not into status; they buy automobiles by the pound!

Then I just asked myself a simple question: Is the "pride of new car ownership"—and that's all it is, pride—worth $20,000? The cars are the same. The answer is no. The "pride of new car ownership" is not worth $20,000.

What do you spend time worrying about? Are your concerns congruent with wealth accumulation? Or do you spend time thinking about issues that are impediments to becoming affluent?

Mr. Allan recognizes that many status artifacts can be a burden, if not an impediment, to becoming financially independent. Life has its own burdens. Why add excess baggage?

Being frugal is the cornerstone of wealth-building

A wise professor once reminded her graduate students in psychology that "there is more variation within a group than between groups.

Most millionaires, for example, are not intellectually gifted in an analytical sense. They did not receive all As in school, nor were they in the 1400-and-above SAT club. That's why they decided not to compete in macho dogfight environments where superior analytical intelligence is a requirement to succeed.

Stay out of your adult children's family matters. Please note, parents, that your vision of the ideal lifestyle may be diametrically opposed to that of your adult son or daughter, as well as that of your son-in-law or daughter-in-law. Adult children resent interference from their parents. Let them run their own lives; ask permission even to give advice. Ask permission also when contemplating giving significant gifts to your children.

When an aspirational looks at a Mercedes Millionaire, he only sees what is on display. He focuses on the leaves of the oak tree, not its roots. But the values and work habits of millionaires, like the roots of the oak, are what support their lifestyles (the leaves), not the other way around. Who should the aspirational seek to emulate instead? The Toyota Millionaire. This advice may be painful for some hyperspenders.

being well educated has certain economic drawbacks. Victor's