Lizada: The Rich

"The only difference between the rich and other people is that the rich have more money." -- Ernest Hemmingway

THE love of money is the root of evil, the Bible says. The statement is quite interesting because it is the love of it that makes people evil. It is not money itself. Money is like any other tool that if it falls in the wrong hands, can create a lot of good or damage. Take a chisel for example. If the user is a skilled craftsman it can and will create beauty.

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If it lands in the hands of maniac, it will create pain. Same thing with money. Money used and spent is reflected in the character of a person. Money does not change a person, money reveals the person.

I was reading a Yahoo article sometime ago which talked about the frugal habits of some of the world's richest persons. These people were not millionaires, they were billionaires. And that article showed six habits that most of these people had. These people who could own anything, buy anything and just have anything their hearts wanted. I share five of those six traits. The comments are mine.

1) Keep your home simple. Some people think that multi million houses can be the ultimate showcase of their wealth. They build million peso homes, huge mansions and yet how much space does one really need when you think about it. One can live in a 30 square meter house if need be. A house is not a home. We do not need palatial surroundings, cavernous living rooms or tunnel like hallways. We need warmth and love to make a home. Our home should be where we live, it is a reflection of who we are. We do not need mansions, we need homes.

2) Buy your clothes off the rack. Sure it would be fun to have signature clothes if that is your issue. Most signature clothes are marked up by as much as 1000 percent. If that is the way you want it, fine. In the end you do not buy the clothing, you buy that small brand name attached to it. A lot of people find their worth in the clothes they wear. Do not get me wrong. Of course signature clothes are fine but if they become the rule rather than the exception then there must be something wrong. If you continually strut off your clothes because they are branded and tell the whole world about them, then….

3) Keep your scissors sharp. Some people if it Is not the clothes, it is the hair. Or something else. Services like hair cutting can be as cheap as 15.00 pesos but there are those who have 2000 pesos haircuts. Will it really make a big difference? Some people will argue, it helps me look good, then I will feel good. Well honestly is it the hair that will make you feel good? Even if you have a ten thousand haircut but you still have low self esteem, the haircut will not change it. But still there are those who insist of having thousand peso haircuts.

4) Drive a regular car. The whole idea of a car is simple; get from one place to another, that is all. And yet because a lot of us are vain and gullible, we buy expensive cars. Most cars today have the same features with one exception. Most regular cars do not have that famous logo of luxurious cars. Honestly will it make a difference really? I know some rich people in Davao who drive regular cars. They have nothing to prove. And besides it is better to drive regular cars as it avoids attention. The last thing you need if you are rich is attention.

5) Avoid luxury items. Well that encompasses everything. Cars, luggage, clothes, jewelry and everything else. Do we really need them? Will they really define us? Tell us our worth? The best things in life are free and yes, they are not things but they are free. We can buy pleasure but not happiness, we can buy fear but not respect, we can demand obedience but not loyalty.

The truly wealthy people are not insecure. They do not flaunt their being rich. They are simple people who are comfortable with themselves and their wealth. It is those who do not know what to do with their wealth, who go around and announce to the whole world that they are rich that are the ones that need pity.

John Rockefeller once said "The poorest man I know of is the man who has nothing but money." True. If you are truly secure and comfortable you need not prove anything. You do not need cars, clothes, mansions and whatever to prove your worth, to define yourself.

Everything you need is within you. All that you want is within you. You do not need cars, clothes, mansions and whatever to prove your worth, to define yourself.