The Millionaire Next Door (Review)

I did a good bit of reading over the Christmas break, and my younger brother bought me The Millionaire Next Door, by Thomas Stanley and William Danko. I was surprised that it only took a week to read 245 pages. The book did a great job painting a picture of what the average millionaire looks like--nothing at all like the picture Hollywood paints. Here are a few quotes that I have highlighted:

"Wealth is more often the result of a lifestyle of hard work, perseverance, planning, and most of all, self-discipline."

"Multiply your age times your realized pretax annual household income from all sources except inheritances. Divide by ten. This, less any inherited wealth, is what your net worth should be."

"It's easy for Dr. South to say he wants to accumulate wealth, but his actions speak much louder than his words."

"What types of motor vehicles do millionaires drive?... 1. Ford. The most popular models include the F-150 pickup and the Explorer sports utility vehicle."

"Whatever your income, always live below your means."

"Yet many parents still think that their wealth can automatically transform their children into economically productive adults. They are wrong. Discipline and initiative can't be purchased like automobiles or clothing off a rack."

"Courage can be developed. But it cannot be nurtured in an environment that eliminates all risks, all difficulty, all dangers."

"Those who attempt to shelter their children from every conceivable germ in our society... never really inoculated them from fear, worry, and the feeling of dependency. Not at all."

"I am in control of my own destiny.

Risk is working for a ruthless employer.

I can solve any problem.

The only way to become a CEO is to own the company.

There are no limits on the amount of income I can make.

I get stronger and wiser every day by facing risk and adversity."

"Who has less fear and worry? ...Typically, it's the entrepreneur, the person who deals with risk every day, who tests his or her courage every day. In this way he learns to conquer fear."

2011 Plan

23 years have passed me by, and I only ever had a vague plan for what I would do in those years. This year, I decided to set some solid goals for myself. I don't want to be the same person next year that I am right now, so here are the general categories of my goals for 2011 (I'll spare you the detailed goals and how I'm checking myself):

Reading: I heard that the average millionaire reads a book per month. It seems like a good idea, and I like reading anyway. My goal is to read 12 books from a variety of categories over th next 12 months.

Gardening: Now that I have a back yard, I have the potential to eat food that I have grown myself. In order to make that a reality, I need to plan a garden, build it, plant it, cultivate it, and harvest the fruits.

Physical: I consider myself to be in decent shape, but in order to keep it that way, I need to develop good healthy habits. I need to exercise at three times a week, stretch, and eat healthy foods.

Innovation: Crazy inventive thoughts breed more crazy inventive thoughts. In an attempt not to lose that creativeness, I plan on putting at least one crazy idea into action--building a laser, solar heater, or water engine would do the trick.

Spiritual: Relationships need to be intentional, and I need to be more intentional about my relationship with Jesus. Time is precious, but in the middle of my crazy schedules, Jesus is the only relationship I cannot lose.

Marriage: I married a wonderful woman. Unfortunately we're both human, and I need to put forth effort to build up our relationship--this takes many forms.

Finance: At the moment, I'm not a free man financially. I owe a great deal to a number of organizations who loaned me money to go to school. I need to be responsible with the money I have to provide for my wife and buy my freedom back from these organizations.

Personal growth does not happen by accident--neither does maturity. Sometimes we luck out and grow because of someone else's choices or the circumstances that we somehow find ourselves in. For me, I'll plan on growing and execute the plan too.

The Adventure

So glad you stayed tuned (or for tuning back in) for the rest of the story.

My wife and I got up at 6:30 on Saturday, Dec 18 and left the house an hour later. The car was packed to the brim with a dog kennel, suitcase, bags, Christmas presents, skis, shoes, snacks, a couple dogs, and a married couple (that'd be my wife and I). We drove South to Iowa City, and then due West along I-80 stopping for bathroom breaks, gas, and snacks along the way.

The first leg of our journey was to be 1507 miles and (according to the all knowing maps) should have taken 23 hours 31 minutes. Unfortunately, we had to stop for the reasons mentioned previously and the blizzard blowing across Wyoming introduced me to one of the most terrifying few seconds of my driving life.

We passed the time by talking, listening to podcasts (Dave Ramsey, Ravi Zacharias, Dan Miller, Car Talk, Matt Chandler), and audio books (Lone Star Planet, War of the Worlds). It only took us 32 hours to get to Nampa, Idaho, where my parents live, and we were a lot more exhausted than we had planned to be. If you're the learning type, learn this: for a 23 and 31 minute drive, plan to stop in a hotel--especially when blizzards are afoot.

There's no time for tiredness at my family's house, so we got right to the business of having fun: hot springs swimming, snow angel (in swim trunks) making, mountain cabin renting, snow shoeing, skiing, snow sculpting, caroling, partying, downhill sledding, baking, board gaming, snowball fighting, coffee drinking, puzzle assembling, sister's knee surgery-ing... those 6 days were packed with years worth of memories.

Leg 2 of the adventure began, and we piled the cargo, dogs, and snacks back in the car for an estimated 1608 miles in 26 hours. We had the presence of mind at that point to get a hotel in Denver, Colorado. A few car wrecks in Utah reminded us to drive carefully, but after Wyoming, it was smooth sailing. We listened to more podcasts and audiobooks (The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin and Henry Ford's Own Story), and soon we arrived in Watauga, Texas--home of my in-laws.

Becca has two sisters, each sister is married and between the two of them 5 children between the ages of 0 and 8 consumed the energy of all the adults in the household. We cooked food, watched How to Train Your Dragon, played Balderdash, told jokes, read books (The Millionaire Next Door), watched Despicable Me, took family photos, opened presents, and went on a triple date to see Tron Legacy. I'm just glad my in-laws and I get along so well, and a week with them was far too short.

The journey must go on though, so we packed up the car and drove 870 miles North-East (14 hours and 17 minutes) and arrived at our clean house late in the evening on the 3rd of January. We arrived just in time for me to get a rather nasty stomach bug (still not quite done with it). It was a wonderful Christmas, but I think I'm ready for a regular schedule again.

Adventure

Tomorrow the journey begins: 4000 miles across the continent. Stay tuned for the adventure.

Creating a Podcast

Contrary to popular belief, I have not been deficient in the upkeep of my online presence since August--even if that was the last time I posted here. An idea was born, and I have been carefully nurturing it to grow to it's current state. The idea's name: theWordStream.

I really like my job as a software engineer. I experience challenges, problem solving, teamwork, successes, and learning--all things that I hope to keep in any profession that I set my mind to. However, my life was somewhat lacking in one area in particular--that is, the study of God's Word.

I wanted more than simply reading the Bible every morning and wondering what certain words meant--so I'd look them up in Greek or Hebrew. I wanted to know more background about people and places in the Bible--so I picked up a commentary. I wanted to really learn it and have some measure of accountability to keep me in the Word regularly, so I began to teach it. The idea of turning it into a podcast was probably a direct result of listening to Dave Ramsey, Dan Miller, and Zig Ziglar all in one morning run.

With a little headphone mic and recording software called Audacity, I recorded the introduction to the gospel according to Luke and promptly deleted it. I started over by writing a script and then kept the resulting recording. With the support of my wife and parents, I created a name and bought the domain for a couple dollars, but I didn't publish anything online until I had feedback from some of my friends.

Now the website is up with the introduction to Luke and chapter 1. Soon, I hope to get it into the itunes directory and out into the open seas of the internet. My system is in place, and I'll be releasing a new chapter each week. If it goes as planned, I'll write up a study guide from my notes as a companion for Bible study groups.

Maybe some day, I'll read, study, and teach all day, every day.

Cheap & Free Stuff

A lot of newly graduated people go out and stock their apartments or houses with all matching stuff and dig themselves in debt so they can look and/or feel successful.

Some stuff is necessary for living, but I'm not above garage sales and curbside giveaways for the rest. I'm getting a reputation at work for getting all kinds of free stuff, and Becca and I started listing all the free or really cheap stuff we bought or accepted in the last year. It's really not difficult to get a large variety of free and cheap stuff to stock a house until you can save up for the matching stuff. After all, it's just stuff:

Skis: $20
I bought them post-season. I'll be looking at boots for them today...















Mirror: $0
A coworker sold the original dresser and the buyer didn't want the mirror, so I got it for free. Thanks Soccermom.

I know the wood isn't quite the right shade, but we were going to stain the dresser darker some day anyway.












Rental House: $740/mo
It's 2 blocks from work. I heard about it when I was buying my friend;s white car.











White Car: $800
Bought from a friend with too many cars. I needed a car since Becca would be starting school (her car is the red one). Thanks Al.

Black Car: $100
Someone was moving and didn't want to deal with a deadbeat. I jumped it and drove it 20 miles home. Now I want to sell it for closer to what it's worth. Thanks Impatientpeople.




Swing: $0
A friend of mine at work gave me this swing while I was picking up a free grill from his house. Thanks David.










Dining Room Table: $0
Becca's grandfather gave it to us. Thanks Papa.

Sewing Desk & Chair: $35
Someone at work didn't want this desk at home. I happened to be in the market. Tying it to the back of my little car was fun. Thanks Guywithatinydesk.











Server: $0
A friend needed help merging to computers together and I volunteered to help him out. After merging this one and a newer one together, he gave me the old one. Thanks Al.

I have since installed Ubuntu 10.04 Server on it and use it as my home server.











Chair (left): $0
This was a curbside giveaway, and after much cleaning, it's my favorite reading chair. Thanks Oldguyattheendofthestreet.

Chair (right): $0
Becca's dorm room chair given to her by one of her sister. Thanks Cory or Lissa.

Coffee Table: $(bag of candy)
Some guys at work offered it to the first person to give them a bag of candy. I was quick.


Bed: $0
A lady at Becca's church didn't want a king size water-bed frame, towers, dimmer lights, and a mattress anymore, so she gave it to the newlyweds.









Grill: $0
Given to us by a friend who's moving to Colorado. Thanks David.











TV: $50
Coworker was upgrading everything to high definition. Thanks Overzealousman.

Entertainment Center: $20
Coworker's wife didn't like it.

Sony Stereo System: $10
Gathered dust for years in a coworker's garage.

Coffee Table: $0
A friend wanted to upgrade, claiming this one was old.

Couch: $0
My old boss got a new couch. We usually have a slip cover on it, but we paid retail for the cover. Thanks Marc.

My point? Be patient and get free stuff. Be a little impatient and get cheap stuff. We're in the most wealthy nation on earth, and people throw out all kinds of great stuff. I'm not saying you can't have nice new stuff, but until you can put down cash for it, get the nice free stuff. After all, it's just stuff.

Thoughts Continued

The word curious is rather curious. Kuri-\es, curi-\es, and kiuri-\es (schwas). How do teachers explain this word? "When there's a 'c' followed by a 'urious', the 'c' make a 'kiu' sound." (curry, curtain, and curse make a 'ku' not a 'kiu'). This is similar to the sound difference between queen and queue. Apparently the 'que' in queen is like 'kui' and the 'que' in queue is like 'kiu'.

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Try our new edible ARC-210.
"Melts in your mouth, not in your joint strike fighter."

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Robert,
I noticed your IM quote:
"Software is a structure--not a plant; it ought to be designed--not grown."
and was curious about a couple of things:

1. How is software "a structure?"
2. What is the difference between "designed" and "grown?"

Thanks,
Greg

RE: Your quote

This quote came from my frustration at some code I had to write tests for. It was apparent that multiple engineers had added functionality over several years--an extra switch statement here, another if and flag there. That code was grown. I had to write tests for another kind of code a few weeks before seeing the grown code. It was organized, planned, and well structured. The if statements weren't there because of last minute exceptions to the rule, they were there because of a planned flow of control. That code has a blueprint somewhere, and I happen to know that it followed the blueprint closely. That code was designed.

Some code grows to fill in the gaps and reach for the sunlight, but I'd much prefer to work within a structure that can hold itself up even when the sun isn't shining.