the millionaire next door thomas stanley audiobook

The theories about ‘us’ millionaires next door remain as true today as they were in the 1990’s. I am looking forward to reading the new research and pray that the Lord gives her the strength that she needs to continue. I understand that he and his daughter were working on another book at the time that he was called home. I have read several articles since his passing stating that this work is not valid and has limited applicability in today’s world. It really changed my life to know that my theories about my doctor girlfriends spending every dime they make are true. He had the data to back these theories up. When I read these books I felt like I struck gold. Stanley was brilliant and insightful to do this research.

‘teach them how to fish.’ The books hit home for me because I had these theories all along. Our big splurge in life has always been private Christian education for the kids. I prefer that people don’t know what we have. Drive a 2004 mini van that I paid cash for that now has 140K miles on it (going strong). I live in a house that is less than 10% of my net worth.

I have lived my life in the exact way explained in these books and have amassed a fortune. I am a self made mom worth several million dollars in my early 50’s who made her money through real estate in a very boring way. I picked up these books only over the past six months. Thomas Stanley’s works have changed my life by showing me lifestyles that are truly worth emulating and I will forever be grateful to him. I still listen to the audiobook once very six months to reinforce the mental discipline I’ve developed and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. It’s amazing how much less stressful life is when you live on such a small percentage of your earnings that you know you could go for years if you were let go from your job. After that, I changed my spending habits, not through the budgeting method, but through the artificial economic environment of scarcity method which works better for me, and have made sure to spend only on things that are truly important to me: family, friends, and life experiences.

The chapters “Frugal, Frugal, Frugal” and “Economic Outpatient Care” impacted me greatly, the stories of Mary and Lamar and Beth and her “Bozo” husband in particular. My life was changed when my brother lent me his copy of A Millionaire Next Door (the audiobook read by the excellent Cotter Smith). Ten years ago, however, when my career was in its infancy, I was a profligate spender purchasing status artefacts in a vain attempt to emulate those around me as well as those on TV. I’m a professional in my mid-30s who recently surpassed AAW status (1.3x as of the start of 2015) and am on track to become a PAW (2.0x) before I turn 40.

The millionaire next door thomas stanley audiobook