How to Get Rich

This page contains How to Get Rich, a hyperlinked textbook of personal finance. The info here is 100% accurate and effective, to the best of my knowledge.If you spot an error, contact me. These are the actual steps that everyday people take to get rich — slowly.

We all know there’s no sure-fire way to get rich quickly. Anyone who claims otherwise is a faker or a fool. There is, however, a proven path to build wealth slowly — over the course of years and decades. The articles here document that proven path so that anyone can follow it. Nothing here is illegal or immoral or shady.

While these articles are designed to be read in order, it’s also fine to simply pick and choose those that most interest you. Because this is currently a work in progress, not every article has been published yet. If there’s no link to a piece, it isn’t ready to be read.

These articles cover the same concepts featured in the course I produced for Audible and The Great Courses. This material isn’t word-for-word the same, but the structure is nearly identical. These written versions are often longer and more substantial, with additional supporting material.

Introduction

About J.D. Roth and Get Rich Slowly • Thoughts on Systemic Poverty, Fault, and Responsibility

Coming to Terms

Escaping the Matrix • What Does It Mean to Be Rich? • How to Get Rich: The Short Version • What Is Retirement? • What Is Financial Independence? • Your Money Blueprint

The Power of Purpose

Planning to Succeed • What You Can Control (and What You Can’t) • Controlling Your Destiny • The Search for Meaning • Questioning Everything • Your Personal Mission Statement • Wealth Is a Side Effect

The Power of Profit

Lifetime Earnings • Net Worth • Lifetime Wealth Ratio • Personal Profit • Profit Margin • The Simple Math of Getting Rich • Profit Is Power

Spending Less

Spend Less, Live More • The Real Millionaire Next Door • The Magic of Thinking Big • How to Spend Less on Transportation • A Brief History of Housing in the U.S. • How to Spend Less on Housing • How to Spend Less on Food • How to Spend Less on Entertainment • Opportunity Costs and Mindful Spending • What If You Can’t Spend Less?

Earning More

You Can’t Get Rich by Cutting Costs Alone • The More You Learn, the More You Earn • Work More, Work Better • Selling Yourself • You Are 100% Responsible for Your Income

Your Wealth Snowball

The Extraordinary Power of Compounding • The Debt Snowball • The Wealth Snowball • The Road to Financial Freedom

Investing Wisely

Inflation Is the Silent Enemy of Wealth • The Get Rich Slowly Investment Philosophy • Rule #1: Get Started • Rule #2: Think Long-Term • Rule #3: Spread the Risk • Rule #4: Keep Costs Low • Rule #5: Keep It Simple • Rule #6: Make It Automatic • Rule #7: Ignore the Noise • Rule #8: Conduct an Annual Review • The Get Rich Slowly Investment Strategy • Brief Thoughts on Alternative Investments

How Much Is Enough?

A Brief History of Financial Independence • Life Expectancy • How Much Will You Spend in Retirement? • Sustainable Withdrawal Rates • Problems with the Four-Percent Rule • How to Know If You’re Rich

Barriers to Becoming Rich

Re-Drawing Your Money Blueprint • Start Where You Are • The Sunk-Cost Fallacy • The Long Middle • America’s Love-Hate Relationship with Wealth • Facing and Fighting Financial Trolls • The Optimization Trap • Big Ugly Events • “One More Year” Syndrome

Living a Rich Life

Money and Happiness • The Fog of Work • Physical Fitness Improves Financial Fitness • What’s the Best Use of Your Time? • Giving Back, Helping Others • Building a Rich Life

Updated: 19 June 2022