I’m a hard learner.
It takes repetition to get me to understand concepts (thank you Duo Lingo for making me annoyingly type out “quiero” about a thousand times!).
And if there’s one thing that’s taken me a devastatingly long time to learn, it’s this: hidden costs are everywhere. Freaking eeeeeverywhere.
For instance, I used to think that eating like shit was actually cheaper than buying high-quality food. Then, I discovered obesity.
I thought that complaining about inconsequential stuff made me look smart. Then, I realized I wasn’t getting the same opportunities as everybody else.
Millionaires understand that there’s a hidden cost to everything.
But wait, those costs are not necessarily what you think.
The price isn’t always monetary.
For instance:
- Complaining destroys your mindset. It makes you a negative person, and nobody likes hanging around negative Nancies.
- Eating like shit crushes your health. Sugar and processed foods are cheap. But, your future healthcare bill sure-as-hell isn’t.
- Pornography murders your focus. But, it ruins your focus, productivity (and potentially your sex life, too).
Understanding the impact hidden costs have on your life is the key to making better decisions, and better decisions will make you richer.
Sure, picking up fast food a few times a week seems less expensive (and more time-efficient) than cooking at home. But did you know there’s an unlimited number of healthy meals you can make in 15 minutes ?
And…
With the cost of healthcare on the rise (as always), how expensive do you think all that processed food and preservative-packed “meats” will get later in life when that fast food habit inevitably catches up with you?
With every choice you make, you pay.
You pay something. It may not be now. Many times, the costs of poor choices don’t catch up with you until later (like my insane fitness regimen in my 30s to work off those restaurant calories I put on in my 20s).
Millionaires make mistakes, too.
But what separates millionaires from others is understanding the hidden cost of every single decision that we make.
For example:
– Will eating fast food once a week turn into an unhealthy habit?
– Will getting to work late every day reduce my opportunities?
– Will watching the news at night negatively impact my outlook?
– Will weekly bar visits with friends turn me into an alcoholic?
Take a moment to make damn sure the choices you’re making aren’t running up the bill that your future self will have to pay.
