Think LIke a Millionaire

     When I was younger and raising my family, I had the chance to go to lunch with a group of local multi-millionaires. Needless to say, I was pretty excited because this was my chance to listen and learn how to become one of them. We met at a local pub and after introductions, they began to talk. To my disappointment, the conversation was not about making money or lucrative investments. The entire time was spent on a discussion about how to grow your own potatoes. I came home angry and dejected.. Those guys could easily afford to buy every potato in the state of Indiana without making a dent in their net worth. It wasn't until years later that I realized the lessons to be learned from that meeting. First, these guys were just like anybody else. There was no one secret to their success. They worked hard at what they did for a living and invested their money in whatever they were comfortable with. Second, they were misers. They grew their own vegetables because they liked fresh produce, liked working the soil, and saved a little money in the process. By taking good care of their pennies, they racked-up dollars over time. Privately, they even talked about what tightasses the others were. I remember a story about one in the group, who reportedly was worth $10 million, how he anguished over the purchase of a johnboat for fishing. I seriously doubt that any one of them had any substantial debt. Why would a guy who grows his own potatoes want to pay interest? Another trait they all shared was that real estate was a considerable portion of their holdings. One was a developer and another was a large property manager and landlord.  None of them drove fancy cars or dressed like they were worth a lot of money. They all lived in comfortable but modest homes. The richest guy lived in a duplex and rented-out the other half for income. Bottom line is that most millionaires are not easily recognized. The only difference between them and everyone else is the peace of mind they have knowing they can handle any financial difficulties for them or their loved ones.