This Is What I Learned: If My Money Isn’t Making More Money for Me, Then Why Do I Have It?
It wasn’t until I saved my first $25,000 that I started asking the question most people never ask until it’s staring them in the face:
What am I supposed to do with “all this money”?
At the time, my mind went straight to the usual suspects. Should I buy a house? Get a dog? Furnish the house with movie seats? Upgrade the TV?
So… I did all of it.
I started house hunting and found one I really liked. I drove from Florida all the way to Pennsylvania to pick up two beautiful Belgian Malinois I had just purchased. Then I furnished the house and started building a life that felt good.
By the time it was time to close on the house, I had saved even more. I was sitting at about $37,000.
From an emotional standpoint? I’m glad I bought it. I love my house. I enjoy my home.
From a financial standpoint? If I knew then what I know now… I would’ve made a different move.
I would’ve taken that $37,000 and invested it.
Now, I’m not saying buying the house ruined my life—far from it. But I can admit something honestly: if I had specialized knowledge about financial literacy back then, the trajectory of my money could look completely different today.
And the next part might sound extreme at first—but hear me out.
The uncomfortable truth: nobody is coming to save your finances
I’m not a materialistic person. Sure, there are things I want. But do I need them right now?
No.
And here’s why that matters: all of us have advantages and disadvantages in life. The game isn’t “who had it easiest.” The game is “who used what they had the best.”
Some advantages I have:
• No car payment (I own my vehicle)
• I don’t even drive my personal car most days (I have a work vehicle)
• That means I’m not paying much for gas either
Those are real advantages.
Other people have disadvantages like:
• Student loans
• Supporting a family
• Multiple car payments
• Higher rent/mortgage
• Medical bills
• Life hitting them with a chair for no reason
If that’s you, I’m not judging you—because I have disadvantages too. I have a mortgage payment. I have loans and debt as well.
But here’s the point:
There is no excuse to not save and invest something.
Yes, life isn’t fair. Everyone is struggling in some way. But as harsh as this sounds…
nobody cares.
Not because people are evil. But because the world doesn’t pause the scoreboard when your life gets difficult. You still have to find a way to move forward.
If you need to reduce spending, do it.
If you need to work more hours, do it.
If you need a side hustle, do it.
You don’t need perfection—you need a plan and the courage to stick to it.
What I do (and why it works for me)
This is what I do. It may work for you, it may not—and that’s okay. You need to find the version that fits your life.
But I’ll tell you mine:
I save and invest 55%–65% of my monthly income.
That sounds wild until you understand the lifestyle choices behind it.
I’m a single man. No children. No pets. No girlfriend. I don’t smoke. I don’t drink. I’m disciplined. I’m consistent. I practice delayed gratification like it’s a sport.
This isn’t a brag—it’s a tradeoff. I’m intentionally choosing the future over the present in a world that sells the present like it’s oxygen.
The Tesla test: the moment you realize what wealth really is
I’ll use a simple example.
If I wanted to, I could go buy the car I want right now: an all-black Tesla Model 3 Performance.
But I wouldn’t dare.
Why?
Because if I go buy that Tesla, I’m instantly $69,030 less wealthy (or whatever the real final cost is after taxes, fees, insurance changes—the point is the same).
That purchase would wipe out a large chunk of what I’ve built so far. And worse—it would slow down the thing that matters most:
My money making more money for me.
Morgan Housel says something in The Psychology of Money that completely rewired how I think. I’m paraphrasing, but the idea is:
Wealth is what you don’t see.
It’s the car you didn’t buy.
It’s the upgrade you didn’t make.
It’s the money sitting quietly in the background growing while nobody claps for you.
I could buy the Tesla now…
or I could practice delayed gratification, let my portfolio grow over the next five years, and potentially have the option to buy that Tesla without flinching.
That’s a different kind of rich.
That’s power.
The real question
So here’s the question that changed everything for me:
If my money isn’t making more money for me… then why do I have it?
Money sitting still is money that’s quietly losing value to time, inflation, and missed opportunity. Money working is money that builds options—freedom, peace of mind, leverage, time.
And if you’re reading this thinking, “I can’t invest 55%,” good. You don’t need to.
Start with 5%.
Then 10%.
Then increase as your discipline grows.
Because the point isn’t to copy my numbers.
The point is to adopt the mindset:
Your money should be either protecting you, preparing you, or producing for you.
If it’s not doing one of those three… it’s probably just being spent.
And that’s how people stay broke while looking rich.
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Disclaimer: This is not financial advice. I’m not a financial advisor. This is personal experience and opinion. Do your own research before making any financial decisions.