13 Mar This Trick Will Make You Instantly Richer

Getting Tricky

Trick. What does that mean exactly? According to the Dictionary, trick means ‘a cunning or skillful act or scheme intended to deceive or outwit someone‘. That is exactly what this is about. You have to re-trick someone who has already been tricked…you.

Before you read this, know this is NOT to make you feel guilty. You’ve likely heard stats like this before, but I’m using them for perspective because its reality.

• If you are reading this, then you have internet access. And while that is getting cheaper and more available, just having a device that can access it places you as one of the top 40% richest people in the world.
• If you have a refrigerator humming in the background of your home, then your in the top 25%.
• If you have ANY money in your bank account on top of everything else I mentioned, you are now in the top 8% of the world’s richest people. 

We hear stuff like this all of the time and for those of us living in developed nations, we tend to shrug it off. That’s natural. No one wants to go throughout the day drudging along and feeling guilty that they don’t live in crappy conditions. I don’t want you to feel that way. But we should feel something that many of us tend to lose over time if we don’t stay mindful of it.

Contentment.

What I Learned About Humans From A Dog Trainer

A dog trainer once told me that my dog did not need more toys (she only had six), and that she actually needed less. I had told him she seemed bored and he said something rather profound that applies to us as humans as well. He told me that when her toys are just lying around all the time, they become just another thing around the house. Part of the environment. Nothing particularly special. He said if I hide two of the toys, and cycle them out with some of the others weekly, she will get excited about them all over again…and he was right!

Aren’t we as humans the same way? I moved into a new house not even a year ago. It’s new construction. Modern. Beautiful. Great neighborhood. Already, if I’m not careful, it can become normal to me. I’ve adjusted. It’s lost its shine and is just another thing.

But it’s the opposite of all that. It’s an incredible home with plenty of space. It’s exactly as we designed it for our wants. It has all the cool tech and updated fixtures. It is special! My car is a 2012 Audi A6. It’s a sweet car. It’s also 7 years old. I’ve thought about trading it in for something newer for the past year (not brand new, I won’t buy a brand new car due to the immediate depreciation). I haven’t because there is nothing wrong with my car. It runs great! I have to remind myself how lucky I am not just to have a nice car, but to have ANY car!

Why does this happen so quickly and easily? Because I see hundreds of ads every day telling me of the latest and greatest phone, car, purse, style, vacation, home improvement, and delicacy that’s better than what I have now. Social media, ads, and just knowing people causes envy and FOMO which ultimately tricks us into thinking that we need something when we don’t.

How To Practice Contentment

So how do you work on this? How can we practically start to change our behavior? One solution that has helped me is pathetically easy. I set a reminder on my phone to pop up everyday when I wake up. Then I’ll say three everyday things that I’m grateful for in the morning. I know, I know…but as cheesy as it sounds, everything does seem a little bit…brighter. I wake up and give thanks for simple, random things like…

• the weather
• not having any serious allergies to food I love
• having a steady flow of electricity to my house (been places recently with mandatory blackouts so it’s top of mind)
• that I have an awesome dog who is now grateful for her same toys that cycle in and out

If it seems too lame to work, it’s probably because you’re not used to it. Admittedly, the idea seemed stupid at first but I tried it anyway and I’m glad I did. Also, just watch out how much you whine and complain about things. I’ve become bad at this and its something I’m working on. What comes out is a reflection of what’s inside.

Saving Money The Old-Fashioned Way

So how does this apply to saving money? Simple. 99% of you reading this have what you need. And when I say need, I’m referring to things required to survive such as daily food, clothes on your back and a roof over your head. There are a lot of things we want and that’s fine. But the more you find contentment in what you already have, the less you will need and the less you will spend.

This builds a dangerous immunity to FOMO, ads that companies spend billions of dollars on, and impulsive buying behaviors that come from an unhealthy place

Ironically, contentment is the key to getting MORE.

Okay, I know that didn’t make sense at face value. What I mean is when you are content, you don’t need to buy more things to try and fill whatever hole needs filling. Those things could be clothing, food, beer, video games, or whatever. When you are content, you will buy things that ARE fulfilling and that you do really want. Your financial footprint will become more responsible and purposeful. You will have more of what actually matters to you.

Financial success starts on the inside. After that, the money will sort itself out. And that ladies and gentleman, is the trick that will make you instantly richer.