All this applies to
Middle class and below why they never advance
The higher income education levels use money to make money
This isn’t a class thing - it’s actually the opposite in my opinion.
When you’re born working class- you learn quickly nothing sucks worse than busting your ass for someone else to get rich. You therefore have an extra push to do things to make money and not be wasteful with it.
My grandfather taught me never buy anything unless it produced a return on investment - be it a tool, vehicle, house - anything. He graduated high school in the depression and saved everything and never really spent on extravagant things like cars or vacations - even when they had money. He’d buy things to resell or neighboring properties when the owners needed to raise cash quickly - rent them out and sell when the money was right.
I inherited a lot of that - but also paid for a lot of my education the hard way. Making stupid investments and chasing easy money as well as forgoing building relationships that could have helped me later in life. Learned more though going to community college on the side while working 9-5 and letting work pay the cost than I ever would have learned at a 4 year school as well as simply hustling as much as possible in my 30s having tasted success and lost it by 28 - I damn sure didn’t like being poor.
Luck and falling back on proven strategies helped me tremendously- I am by far the cheapest person you will meet. My friends and family joke about it constantly- if there’s a way to find something cheaper - I’ve done it.
Same goes for my gambling - I’m not a great gambler. But you don’t need to be to make a profit if you chase every opportunity given you - the difference between a 56% picker laying -110 with no perks or bonus or one chasing every bonus/perk and freebie is tremendous. Learned that from a lot of guys on these boards around 20 years ago. Chase whatever free money you can get your hands on - learn to find value in lines and recognize talent when it comes to long term handicapping and you’ll be amazed how much you can make. Anyone can go through hot and cold streaks - but real talent always rises to near the 60% level consistently.
I could be stingier with my winnings and build real wealth- but what fun is that. Assuming I see 60 - I don’t want to sit with a fat bank account, I want to sit back with every toy I dreamed of owning when I was a kid and a close group of friends who I helped along the way when I could.