Here's a Money Central article about millionaires and what made them wealthy. It seems to be some old tried-and-true financial methods:
Want to think like a millionaire? Come back down to earth and forget about instant riches. A study of more than 1,000 millionaires yields some surprising conclusions. They aren't jet-setters flying here and there, and they aren't the fashion models shown on television. They didn't make their money overnight -- or during market hours.
They live comfortable lifestyles, but are not wasteful. In a fascinating example, most of the millionaires in the survey report they buy expensive shoes, but almost all have them resoled. For the most part, they remain married to supportive and responsible spouses who run economically productive households -- from clipping coupons to buying household supplies in bulk. Bottom line: They spend less than they earn.
When it comes to investments, these millionaires look to the stock market primarily as a place to grow capital once their businesses have matured. They are not speculators in the markets, rarely visit a casino and almost never buy lottery tickets. Of course, you might figure that they don't need to speculate, since they're already wealthy. But perhaps these stable qualities are the reason they got wealthy in the first place.
The two characteristics that all the self-made millionaires have in common: They think differently from the crowd, and they have a strong belief in themselves.
It won't surprise you that these findings are from the book "The Millionaire Mind", the sequel to my favorite financial book, "The Millionaire Next Door." Apply them to your life and your net worth will thank you. ;-)
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