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Wow, that’s awesome. How long did you save to be able to buy that?

I just read this entry (
http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/an-annoying-email-i-got )
over at I Will Teach You To Be Rich and I think that it is brilliant.
So many people I know never save up before they get luxury items. This
is a fundamental difference from those who are "into" personal finance
versus those who are not. The quote and concept and explanations that
Ramit points to here are the core of people who are serious about
personal finance and those who aren't.

Over the past two years I've become quite addicted to personal
finance. I really like knowing where all my money is going, and what
it is up to. Did it stay out past it's curfew, is it getting into
trouble with the neighbor's money etc, etc. The bottom line is that
for many of us, our wealth just isn't high on the priority list.
Instead "paying the bills" is important. Or perhaps even "getting a
better paying job" is important.

Small things don't really matter. What matters is how aware you are of
the choices you make. Nearly every action I take has some kind of
effect when it comes to my personal finances. In short, once I started
caring about the entire system and making changes for the better,
things turned around for me. It seems to me, THAT is the point Ramit
makes here. Tiny bits of advice don't change the overall behavior.
Awareness and caring are the critical steps. Pay yourself first etc
are just tools to achieve goals once you decide to care in the first
place.

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