<p>Everybody just drives around in BMWs and has huge houses and goes swimming in the pool all day. And they go to the gym and basically nobody works but where do they all get theyre money from? Like how come rich people get millions every year and poor people don’t? I need to know cause its important.</p>
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<p>Lol I want to live in this world. </p>
<p>Many people live wayyy above their means and are drowning in debt. Just because they have nice things doesn’t mean they’re financial well off. </p>
<p>Then there are the rich that have been rich for generations. </p>
<p>These people are very few and far between.</p>
<p>looks can be deceiving. the book ‘the millionaire next door’ talks about the very concept of what roman said. the really wealthy people very rarely show it- the posers try to look wealthy. until you see their check book and debt you will never know.</p>
<p>They go to college, work very hard, get a good job, work very hard some more, save money, spend wisely…a very few invested wisely, were in the right place at the right time…and -all of the the above…</p>
<p>Yeah. So going to college doesn’t matter but marrying some rich chick does. OMG. My cat just ate a rubber band.</p>
<p>Considering that wealthy men far outnumber wealthy women, I’d say you’d be better off marrying a “rich dude” ;)</p>
<p>I honestly do not know anyone who earns even a million dollars in a year, much less millionS monthly. Still the folks I know who are comfortable tend to have done things the old-fashioned way–work hard for their money at good or at least decent jobs and live well below their means. </p>
<p>Many of these folks have nice homes, great kids, yes and some even swimming pools. </p>
<p>This lifestyle allows many to live comfortable lives, whether or not they marry someone wealthy.</p>
<p>Some people spend everything they make (then complain out here when they are stunned at their EFC and don’t have any college savings). Some people have a lot of debt, so they have nice stuff but owe a lot of money on it. Some don’t have kids. 
A few really do make a lot of money, but most of them worked hard at some point in their lives for it – some build and sell a successful business. Some make lucky investments that pay off. Some inherit money from a previous generation. Some embezzle or swindle others out of their money.</p>
<p>I should clarify that there are certainly people that are living well within their means, live VERY well, and earned their own money that could fulfill the criteria in the OP. </p>
<p>I was just pointing out that appearances can sometimes be deceiving :)</p>
<p>How can people who looks rich but are in debt still continue to have nice things? Doesn’t the debt come up to them some point and demand money? I think these people are the ones that build up debt aka steal tons of money from banks (50k+) and file bankruptcy.</p>
<p>This comes to mind… [I'm</a> in debt up to my eyeballs… - YouTube](<a href=“I'm in debt up to my eyeballs... - YouTube”>I'm in debt up to my eyeballs... - YouTube)</p>
<p>People in deep debt usually do fine as long as they have income and can pay the minimums each month. When someone loses a job, the trouble starts.</p>
<p>1% of 300,000,000 is 3 millions. There are people who do very well, but there are a lot more that are not doing so well.</p>
<p>"Considering that wealthy men far outnumber wealthy women, I’d say you’d be better off marrying a “rich dude”</p>
<p>You’re cracking me up, romani.</p>
<p>Not everything is as it seems. You can’t lump people all together, everyone has a different situation. Perhaps the guy you see is laid off but his wife still works, maybe they’re older than you think and have retired. Maybe they have saved and invested wisely, maybe they are highly in debt. I know that people whom I thought were really wealthy when I was younger, I realize that they actually weren’t that rich, I was just fairly poor. Maybe they bought their house a long time ago, when it was cheap. Maybe that BMW is used, and they just take care of it. Perhaps they work from their home, many people do that now. Perhaps you’re living in a very low cost of living area. If you’re in an area of very nice homes, it stands to reason that many wouldn’t buy them unless they were well off (theoretically), If you were to actually know each person’s situation, you might find them very different.</p>
<p>There are a number of people in my job that would fit your description. Their neighbors don’t think they work, their kids even think they don’t work, they live very well. But when it’s midnight and the neighborhood has gone to sleep, they get in their car and drive to work, and work throughout the night.</p>
<p>Best odds on getting rich (besides winning the lottery or marrying into wealth), work in a decent paying industry, and your spouse too. Wait to have kids, avoid buying a car until you have to, stay out of debt. Invest in your Roth IRA as soon as you can, as much as you can, DO NOT TOUCH IT, invest in decently performing mutual funds or learn how to invest yourself, DO NOT TOUCH IT.</p>
<p>Max out your Roth every year starting at age 20, for 20 years at 10% return= 350K
for 30 years at 10% return= 1 million
for 40 years at 10% return= 3 million</p>
<p>Say you only get 5% return, that is 700K
If your spouse does it too, multiply by 2. And this is tax free.</p>
<p>“Everybody” is no one I know. Such a boring lifestyle you mention. Fantasyland. You want such a superficial lifestyle??? Those I know with money are the hard working people in medicine or business- working 100 hours or such per week. The most sure way to have a luxurious lifestyle (not the one you describe, btw) is to work hard to earn the money to pay for things. BMW’s are not the car of choice for the rich- most models not that expensive. </p>
<p>Get an education. That’s what is important to having options as an adult. Not a guarantee of monetary riches but it is something no one can take away from you. You will also learn the answers along the way.</p>
<p>One man I know buys and fixes up real estate. He provides lots of housing for people at affordable rates, but he works very hard at it. There are many, many people who work hard and live good lives; magical thinking generally is not a part of their reality.</p>
<p>“Best odds on getting rich (besides winning the lottery or marrying into wealth), work in a decent paying industry, and your spouse too. Wait to have kids, avoid buying a car until you have to, stay out of debt. Invest in your Roth IRA as soon as you can, as much as you can, DO NOT TOUCH IT, invest in decently performing mutual funds or learn how to invest yourself, DO NOT TOUCH IT.”</p>
<p>And every time you get a raise, increase your investment amount.</p>
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<p>On what planet? You been watching too much TV and mistaking it for real life.</p>
<p>Lol actually that’s kind of how my city is like… maybe 45 to 60% of people living that way. It doesnt bother me as much because maybe 10% of so population actually care about their kid’s education. Then again, the rest of those kids might take over the family business or something and manage to make money. However running a business isn’t a safe living as actually having a career and working hard at what you love to do.</p>
<p>I think you might be dreaming, headed2great. Either those people are retired or later on in life, or they are actually working when you think they aren’t. Unless you are sitting around, watching when every single person goes in and out of their house, you really don’t know what they are doing. Odds are, most of those people have (or still are) working very hard for their money.</p>