Can one guarantee a rich life?
I would argue, yes, and state that it has everything to do with the decisions one makes, one of which is the choice of a life partner.
Now, you might completely disagree, and I hope you do for the sake of having a debate, however, I will shed some light using my own personal experience.
In October 2009, I suffered yet another broken relationship. It was over! Years down the drain. Heartbroken even though I pulled the trigger.
One part of me felt liberated in that moment. Yet the cynical part of me took it as yet as another blow in the quest for the right partner.
Is there such a thing as the right partner? I can already hear you ask. And the answer is a resounding Yes!
Whilst on a train ride into London the same week of that breakup, I was reading The Metro newspaper and spotted a small ad that read “Do you want Financial Freedom?”
With no girlfriend to entertain, I took 3 days off and decided to attend the Rich Dad Poor Dad conference hosted on behalf of Robert Kiyosaki.
I was especially pleased because this conference was Free to attend and it suited me well because I had zero in savings.
What was interesting about this stage of my life was that if you had met me, you'd never think I was technically broke. I drove a near new Mercedes Benz and lived what seemed a decent life.
The issue was, I was living hand to mouth, and pay to pay and spending everything I earned.
Anyhow, I attended that conference and unknown to me, my future wife would also be at that conference, but completely by accident.
Her brother had taken her along to this thing simply because his wife couldn't make it. Through those 3 days of learning about property investing as a lever for Financial Independence, I became friends with Mary.
We got to know each other over the next few weeks and a few things became apparent. She….
- was very simple, plainly presented and funny. Naturally beautiful and without much effort.
- had a reverence for God and was deeply traditional in her ways yet very modern (Yes! She used to be an MC!! You know, the rapping kind)
- rocked up to my flat the first time she ever did and came with her own pots to cook! (Am I dreaming?!?)
- drove a banged up Vauxhall Corsa with a bunch of scrapes along the side, but yet she had £15,000 in savings and on target to buy her first house.
Point #4 kept me puzzled for a long time. How could she have saved up £15,000 whilst earning significantly less than I was at the time? What did she know about money that I didn't?
I promised myself that if this honeymoon carried for exactly 12 months, I would be completely nuts not to pop the question.
Ofcourse 12 months came by so quickly and I had to get my act together fast and take the leap.
We have been on this journey together now for almost 10 years. Isn't it interesting that I have gone from being the person with zero in savings, to become the person teaching people about Money and Personal Finance?
What I am referring to here is not the need to find a rich partner, but rather the right partner.
Below are 7 reasons why you're guaranteed to become rich if you choose your partner well –
1. Life Partners
There is a great weight that is lifted off your shoulders when you realise in your private moment that you have chosen the right person to do life with.
That right person is unique to you and although they will have many imperfections, something about who they are and who they have become with you seems right.
I smile as I write this post because I am confident about the future knowing Mary has chosen me and I have chosen her. The future is bright and desirable and I feel at peace knowing our children will grow up in a stable loving home.
2. Dream and Desire
Do you have dreams that are so big that they might alienate your friends if you told them? Well, don't! This is where having the right partner comes in.
A partner who is all in and isn't jealous or threatened by your success will light that fire for your dream to find its path to reality.
I think it is so important for couples to have dreams and to share their dreams and desires.
This is so important as children start to come onto the scene and shaken established and predictable routines.
3. Love and Trust
Everyone needs love and stability, which is provided by choosing the right life partner and having a long-term view.
Trust is such a crucially important thing and seems ever in short supply given the number of relationships we see breakdown in society for the wrong reasons.
There is really no point trying to build a loving relationship and home without complete trust between partners.
I say this because I have known relationships that have struggled over this point and money had alot to do with it.
4. Life Design
If you've never done this, grab a blank sheet of paper and write, draw or paint your dream life. Life design is fun and more inclusive when you have a partner who is game and thinking decades down the line with you.
I believe embracing the saying that “two become one” really does alot to make this journey of designing and living a dream life entirely possible.
Through the darkness and through the light, strong partnerships stay resilient and grow stronger over time.
5. Double Income
Let us be real, couples with two incomes consistently over time will be far richer than most if they maintain a high savings rate for a very long time.
In fact, they will achieve Financial Independence many years earlier provided they start saving and investing very early and both sing from the same hymn book.
It gets even deeper for the DINKs (Double Income No Kids), who (if masterful), can aggressively accumulate wealth in their youth and prepare for the stresses ahead when kids arrive.
One other thing that has been super helpful in our own personal life is that Mary is frugal! Probably more frugal than I am although she'd never admit it.
Frugality and living a minimalist lifestyle is absolutely necessary on your path to being rich.
Be deliberate about wealth accumulation, which you need to be in your 20's to 40's, and wealth preservation later on.
Focus on building assets rather than wasting your resources on things such as shiny new cars, which drop in value daily.
Assets to build aren't just the conventional types such as shares, property etc. Get more creative and think of digital assets with the potential of lifetime value.
6. Potential
This is by far the most unpredictable element in any relationship. You can somewhat see the traits of great potential from the early days, and the more potential you can see in a current or future partner, the better.
Being broke today does not equate to broke tomorrow. I can certainly tell you that our level of wealth in the past 10 years has skyrocketed thanks to a relationship built on nurturing potential.
7. Support
I have had dark times when I doubted my abilities and talent but waking up to notes of encouragement and belief have spurred me on through great challenges and continue to.
Having the right partner provides the crucial support base during your ups and downs, and no value can be placed on this support if done out of love.
Obviously, there are many other dimensions to what can help one to have a rich life if that's what they desire. In addition, what is considered a rich life to one person isn't to another.
Related:
Plot Your Escape. Choose Financial Independence.
What are your thoughts? What do you think is the secret to having a rich life?
Do please share this post if you found it useful, and remember, in all things be thankful and Seek Joy.
This is a goldmine.
Great post and a lovely ode to your wife. Reminds us that life is best enjoyed when our loved ones are by are side, no matter what our net worth is like!
Hi Laura, I appreciate you stopping by. You’re absolutely right and we’d have much stronger relationships if most people looked at it that way.