The Rich Life—What’s Yours Look Like? MONEY MATTERS
WITH DR. ANDREW LEE Dr. Andrew Lee is professor of English at Lee University. He also serves as a coordinator for Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University. He and his wife Esmerelda have three children.
R
emember the days before GPS devices and MapQuest
idea aligns with your spouse’s, and where your ideas may
apps for smartphones? Hordes of hapless husbands
diverge. Discuss ways to accommodate each other’s “rich
steering with their knees while trying to read the Rand
life” dreams as you move toward practical steps to realize
McNally Road Atlas on their lap, or trying to unfold the AAA
these goals. Then, start taking action! This is where the rubber
TripTik map (without swearing) and still manage to keep the
meets the road. Most people have no shortage of dreams; we
car on the road moving at fifty-five mph. Meanwhile, the wiser
daydream in our cars sitting in traffic, at night while falling
and cooler-headed wife waits smugly for him to ask for her
asleep—dream of that glorious day when we’ve “made it”
help. Good times.
and can start relaxing, enjoying, laughing, loving life the way
Achieving our dream of “the rich life” can be just as
we always intended. But what most people do not do is start
frustrating as the scenario described above. Unless we’re
taking action now. Instead, they sit around wondering “Do I
clear on what our “rich life” destination looks like, how will
dare?” like J. Alfred Prufrock. Or, like Miniver Cheevy, they
we know what it takes to reach it—and how to recognize it
“thought and thought and thought about it.” (Nerd alert: As an
when we do, in fact, achieve it? I’m borrowing the term “rich
English professor, I can’t resist an occasional literary reference).
life” from author Ramit Sethi; the phrase simply means the
Meanwhile, time keeps ticking by, and the odds of reaching
financially secure life you always dreamed of realistically
your “rich life” dwindle.
reaching one day. Many of us might think of “rich life” as
So, let’s get going! Contact your employer’s Human
simply “retiring comfortably and being able to do whatever
Resources office and start contributing to your company
I want to do.” Each of us has a unique vision for what the
retirement plan if you haven’t yet. Or increase your monthly
“rich life” looks like. For some, it may be owning a luxury
retirement contributions if you’ve already been contributing.
car or traveling the world; for others, it may be having a cozy
Go online to TD Ameritrade and set up a Roth IRA account
cabin on a quiet lake, donating to charities, taking culinary
to have automatic monthly direct deposits going straight into
classes and hosting weekly dinner parties, or moving closer to
an investment of your choice (my kids chose the “VT symbol”
the grandkids. Maybe your “rich life” means having enough
exchange-traded fund which is the Vanguard Total World stock
financial resources so that the next time your verbally abusive
index fund—you own every stock in the world at one shot,
boss screams at you, you can simply walk away. It’s important
done!). If you’ve been wanting to explore real estate investing,
to have a clear vision of this goal so you can create a realistic
decide if you want to be a landlord by owning rental property
roadmap for achieving it.
(in which case, contact local realtors ASAP and start asking
If you’re married (or engaged), it’s important to talk about
questions), and join the Bigger Pockets online community to
both of your visions for the “rich life” and work together to
learn from others’ experiences. Your “rich life” won’t happen
make these a reality. Make notes about where your “rich life”
by itself: “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will
10 // April 2022
be established” (Proverbs 16:3).
