Most People Work for Money. The Wealthy Make Money Work for Them.
Most people spend their entire lives chasing paychecks, trading time for dollars, or saving for a rainy day that may never come. But here’s the truth: if you’re only working for money, you’ve already lost. The wealthy don’t think like that, and if you want to achieve financial freedom, neither should you.
When I was 34, I bought my first rental property, a two-bedroom condo with $30,000 of my savings. It only produced $50–$100 a month in cash flow, but it changed the way I thought about money forever. I realized that my tenant was paying off my mortgage. I wasn’t buying status; I was buying freedom.
And that’s where everything begins with your mindset.
The Wealthy Deploy Money, They Don’t Hoard It
The middle class is taught to hold on to money. Save it. Park it in a bank. Hope it grows. But money sitting idle is money losing value. Inflation erodes it, banks lend it out to others, and you fall further behind without even knowing it.
Wealthy investors see money as a tool. They deploy it into assets that generate cash flow. For me, that meant real estate. One condo at a time, I was buying income, not hoping for a “get rich quick” moment, but building long-term freedom.
The Secret: Good Debt vs. Bad Debt
One of the biggest shifts in how wealthy investors think about money is understanding the difference between good debt and bad debt.
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Bad debt costs you money. Credit cards, personal loans, and consumer spending put you deeper in the hole.
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Good debt creates wealth. When I use bank loans to acquire properties, my tenants pay down those loans for me. That’s why today, even with $800 million in debt, I sleep just fine. My tenants, not me, are paying it off.
Wealthy investors use other people’s money (OPM) to generate cash flow and build wealth. The poor think about Friday. The middle class thinks about next month. The wealthy think in decades.
Think in Decades, Not Paychecks
If you want to build lasting wealth, you must shift your timeline. I never bought properties for short-term flips. I buy with a 10-year horizon. Why? Because real wealth comes from letting the market cycle, inflation, and time do their work.
For example, one of our projects cost $33 million to build. Years later, it’s worth over $60 million. That didn’t happen overnight. It happened because we played the long game, collecting rent, paying down debt, and refinancing when the time was right.
Taxes: The Wealthy Play by the Rules (They Just Know Them Better)
Here’s something most people don’t realize: the tax code is a roadmap for investors. It’s designed to reward you for investing in areas the government wants to encourage, like housing.
When I first started, I didn’t understand this. But once I learned about depreciation, cost segregation, and bonus depreciation, everything changed. I wasn’t “cheating the system” I was following the rules. And those rules helped me keep more of what I earned.
Remember this: your biggest lifelong expense isn’t rent, food, or even healthcare, it’s taxes. If you’re paying too much, you’re investing wrong.
Control Is Everything
Hope is not a strategy. Too many people hand their money over to wealth managers, checking in once a year without really knowing where their money is going, or how much is being taken in hidden fees.
Real wealth comes from control. That’s why I’d rather own one duplex that pays me $500 a month than gamble my future on the S&P 500. When you control the asset and the cash flow, you control your financial destiny.
Key Takeaways: How the Wealthy Think About Money
If you want to think like the wealthy, start rewiring your financial mindset today:
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Money is a tool, not a goal. Deploy it into assets that cash flow.
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Use good debt. Let other people’s money build your wealth.
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Think long-term. Measure success in decades, not days.
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Understand taxes. The code is written for investors who learn the rules.
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Stay in control. Don’t hand over your future to someone else.
Final Thoughts
Most people never get taught this way of thinking. I certainly didn’t. But once I learned to shift my mindset, I was able to buy over 10,000 units, achieve financial freedom, and help others do the same.
If you’re ready to change how you see money, and start making it work for you, the first step is simple: think like the wealthy.
Ready to take the first step towards a wealthy life? Let’s start by taking control of your personal expenses. I created this easy to understand and execute guide.
