This post is about gaining perspective on money management and financial stewardship. I enjoy finding new ways to gain a wise financial steward’s perspective on money. I hope this particular one will encourage the new financial steward, perhaps be a wake up call for some and a reminder for the more seasoned stewards among us.
I’ve always been a believer it’s not how much money you make, but how you handle or manage the money that you make. I think it’s easy to get caught up in the race of working more to earn more in order to have what many might think is a better way of life. It’s just exhausting to think about for me because I know I could never work hard enough for what would never be enough.
A Million Dollars. Is It Attainable?
For example, a lot of people think about making a million dollars in their lifetime. To be a millionaire has always been the label that says “I’m financially free.” Many in society view the millionaire as a person who can buy almost anything they want. The thought is they drive fancy cars and live in the nicest houses.
The Millionaire Next Door, by Thomas Stanley gave many people a different view of the millionaire for the first time. All of the sudden a millionaire could be the person next to you driving the Ford F150 pick up and wearing average clothes. We learned the millionaire next door was different than the one seen on TV and movies. This millionaire manages money wisely versus the one fueled by materialistic desires and dreams.
I told myself some time ago to never depend on another pay raise. Having that perspective, I’m only left with managing wisely what I’ve been blessed with today in order to meet our family’s financial objectives. I realize even if I don’t have a million dollars, I can still be financially free and prosperous as long as I have a Biblical perspective on money management.
However, the truth is that most people will make a million dollars in their lifetime, even if they don’t increase their income by another dime! How? Well, let’s think about it for a moment.
If someone were making $20,000 per year at the age of 25, they will have grossed a million dollars by the time they are 75. Many people make more than $20,000 dollars per year. Let’s increase that to $50,000 which would then take someone 20 years to gross a million dollars. A person who is 30 today and making $50,000 per year will have grossed a million dollars by the time they are 50!
According to Mary Hunt in her book, “How to Debt Proof Your Marriage”, we are all becoming millionaires!
The truth is that you are becoming millionaires right now. You’re receiving your wealth in installments, a portion every payday. Source : Top10Paydaysites.com
I felt like I had just won the lottery and gained new perspective after reading that comment from her book. Even if I don’t make another dime, I’ll probably gross a million dollars in this lifetime which is all paid to me in installments.
What Will You Do With Your Million Dollars?
So I ask the question; what will you do with your million dollars? Think about if you were to give 10% of your gross income, save 10% of your gross income, and live on the remaining 80%. You would be able to save $100,000 and give $100,000 in your lifetime! I think for most it could be stretched even further, but you get the point.
Most people would never dream of being able to give or save these large amounts of money. But if we look at our situation with new perspective, perhaps the million dollar installment perspective, we just might do it!
Imagine a world in which everyone would save or invest $100,000 in their lifetime? The average net worth of our nation would increase and people would be able to invest more of their time as well as provide gifts to others. Think about the impact to churches, ministries and non-profits; it is indescribable.
Many wonder why they should have a budget or a spending plan to guide them each month. Fundamentally, it’s to help perform wise money management and to achieve financial goals. But, largely, it’s so that meaningful decisions can be made regarding the use of the money which has been entrusted to our care which are our monthly installments.
So again, I think at the end of the day it’s not about making more money or dreaming of a future of more cash than we know what to do with; such as society’s view of the millionaire. Rather, it’s how we plan to manage our monthly million dollar installments and keep them from dwindling away.
What do you think about the monthly million dollar installment perspective? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
Photo by Suburban Dollar.
I love this concept. It requires to think about ways to take action in our everyday lives, rather than dream about some impossible goal in the future. And, of course, you nailed it when you pointed out that wise money management is key.
Miranda´s last post ..Maybe the Recession Won’t Be So Good For Our Health After All
Thanks, Miranda! “Take action in our everday lives.” I like it!
Jason @ One Money Design´s last post ..WTDirect Online Savings Account Review
This is an EXCELLENT post. I am currently on a journey with 3 other women to attain 1 million in the next 365 days. We deliberately started focusing on our passions and educating ourselves about money. We all have high paying careers, own businesses, non-profits, etc. and decided that we wanted to encourage others to attain 1 million too. Guess what? We’re making progress in our passions! I think that we must educate people to understand that they are millionaires! How much of it they save is entirely up to them. Super post!
Thanks, Tina. We have to manage wisely what have! We have the ability to determine how much we’re going to save, spend or give!
Jason @ One Money Design´s last post ..WTDirect Online Savings Account Review
Good concept but not necessarily true. Just because you have the salary doesn’t mean you will be a millionaire, expenses and taxes ruin that for the majority of us.
Craig,
Yeah, I mentioned they were gross calculations. :) Taxes have to be taken into consideration, but we can still give based on gross income and manage well what is remaining for saving and spending!!!
Jason @ One Money Design´s last post ..WTDirect Online Savings Account Review
I’ll be the guy driving the used vehicle, giving wherever I can, practicing location independent work, and living off the proceeds of my passions.
The turtle wins the race every time!
Matt Jabs´s last post ..Homemade Christmas Ornaments & Decorations
Sign me up too, Matt!
Jason @ One Money Design´s last post ..WTDirect Online Savings Account Review
Awesome post! Love the concept of taking a step back and looking at the big picture.
Sometimes we think my measley gift or offering won’t mean much, but when you add it up and take a look at the lifetime amount that $100k or whatever amount it is can go to help a lot of people in need!
Jason @ RedeemingRiches´s last post ..Restore Your Money – Renew Your Mind
Thanks, Jason. Yes, big picture is so important to consider. What a difference we can make with our saving and giving just by managing well our monthly installments, whatever those may be!
Jason @ One Money Design´s last post ..WTDirect Online Savings Account Review
Love this post! Definitely great to step back and look at the big picture like Jason said.
It’s also important to keep a handle on that when the paycheck comes in, just tell yourself, “This check is helping me become a Millionaire!” That should help keep you from squandering it :) I’m totally living with this mentality starting right now!
Charissa Cowart´s last post ..Online Spending Projected to Grow 24 Percent Compared to Q3 2009
So glad you enjoyed taking the big picture perspective! It would seem that there is plenty for us and for giving if we look at it that way!
Jason @ One Money Design´s last post ..WTDirect Online Savings Account Review
Interesting Post,
I have always wondered why so many people have a false impression of millionaires. As you stated, the typical millionaire is not interested in conspicuous consumption. I recently read that only 27% of homes worth $1million and above are owned by millionaires. It appears that the rest are just trying to “look” prosperous.
Roshawn Watson´s last post ..Uncommon Money News (Vol. 75)
Yes! The book The Millionaire Next Door was an enlightening read on this subject.
Jason @ One Money Design´s last post ..Thoughts on Mint and Mvelopes with Some Fiscal Fizzle
You’re absolutely right—it gets at the bigger issue which is: don’t wait for the money to come to you or for retirement to happen to you. I’ve heard it put that our income is the biggest wealth-building tool we have. It’s amazing how powerful even a modest salary can be when you put it into perspective. Thanks for your thoughts!
Andrew´s last post ..Our pain is your gain
Andrew, that’s right! Step by step and it starts with our monthly managing wisely our monthly installment.
Jason @ One Money Design´s last post ..Thoughts on Mint and Mvelopes with Some Fiscal Fizzle
Awesome…awesome post. I totally agree, it does make you stop, take a step back and look at the big picture. In doing so, I’ve come to realize my husband and I are closer to being millionaires than we thought. Having recently downsized and reworked our budget, this post was just what I needed today. Thanks!
Kristia, thanks for your comment. Sounds like you’re on track and having a budget or spending plan is heading in the right direction to mange your money wisely!
Jason @ One Money Design´s last post ..Thoughts on Mint and Mvelopes with Some Fiscal Fizzle
Jason,
Great post. I appreciate the perspecitve of managing what we have instead of wishing for our ship to some day come in. This is something we all can do…while our ship is coming in.
Joe Plemon´s last post ..Debt Can Enslave You But There is Hope
This is a great concept… I’ve toyed with the idea but never really fleshed it out. I appreciate you taking the time to do so… I love the idea of our current pay check being an installment against a potentially huge number. I think that should motivate us to treat our money differently and with more respect as it arrives.
Thanks!
Dave
Do You Dave Ramsey?´s last post ..Crap On A Bun Is Still A Bad Sandwich
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How to keep it and maintain it? One rule I follow is spend funds in proportion to the time it took to earn it (e.g. $800 purchase on an iPad; make $30/hr – spend about 25-30 hours researching it)
I have worked for 25 years (now age 50) to reach 7 figures…In Oct 08 when the market began its decline I had $1.3M then saw it go to $700k now I am at $1.2M by not selling….my goal is to maintain the funds thru income streams and reasonable spening…the unkown of old age concerns me (long term disabiltiy insurance, nursing home, even Alzheimers)… but it is a good feeling tohave arrived…now I want to move on to $2M and keep doing what I have been doing to get this far…
Favorite Books: “Millionnaire Next Door’, ‘The Richest Man in Babylon’ and ‘Think and Grow Rich’…also the ‘Magic of Believing’ and Brian Tracys old stuff…
Thanks for telling us your story, it’s always nice to hear a success story, someone who has been able to grow a nice nest egg, and isn’t satisfied with just resting on their laurels, but continually improving!