R
ich people think differently than the average person. They see the world from a different perspective, and as a result, they make other choices in life.
What do rich people think? What drives them to succeed? What makes them tick?
If you’re not wealthy yet, you probably want to be someday. After all, money can help you achieve your other goals in life faster and with less stress. But how can you change your thinking and habits, so your wealth starts growing instead of shrinking?
In this article, you’ll learn;
How Do Rich People Think?
Rich people think differently than the average person, believing wealth is a right rather than a privilege[1]. They pay taxes, often do their own paperwork[2], and constantly think about the future[3]. They know what they want, love to invest, hang out with wealthy people, have a game plan, are ambitious, and learn how to manage their money. Books such as ‘How Rich People Think: Condensed Edition’ (Ignite Reads) provide insight into the thoughts, habits, and philosophies of the wealthy compared to the middle class[5].
Rich people think differently than the average person and have different beliefs, philosophies, and strategies[1]. They believe that being wealthy is a right rather than a privilege[1], that starting a business is the fastest way to make money[1], that the wealthy are more savvy than smart[1], that building wealth takes a team[1], and that making money is simple[1]. They also pay taxes, look for investment ideas in everyday life, don’t necessarily splurge on suits, think about the future, have passions, and know how to leverage other people’s money[2][3][5]. Rich people know what they want, love to invest, hang out with wealthy people, have a game plan, are ambitious, avoid criticism in any direction, and know how to manage their money.
Building a Wealth Mindset: The Ultimate Guide
Tip #1 – Rich people know what they want.
One of the best ways to determine if someone is rich or poor is to look at where their money goes.
If you’re spending most of your income on immediate needs like rent or a car payment, you’re living paycheck to paycheck.
And if you’ve got credit card debt, medical bills, or student loans, you’re poor.
To save money and become rich, you must decide what you want out of life. What do you want?
This is more than asking yourself, “Do I want to retire someday?” You must figure out what you want from every aspect of your life.
What do you want to do for fun?
What kind of house do you want to live in?
What type of car do you want to drive?
What do you want to wear?
What do you want the names of your children to be?
Tip #2 – Rich people love to invest.
If you’re not investing, you’re not saving.
You might be able to get away with putting away $100 per month, but if you want real wealth, keeping $100 isn’t going to cut it. You can’t get rich saving $100 per month, no matter how long you do it.
You can, however, get rich if you invest $1,000 per month.
The power of compound interest means that if you start investing early, you can make significant progress toward your goals.
If you want to be rich, you have to love to invest.
You have to see the value in putting money into a stock market or a real estate investment when the average person would instead put it in a savings account.
If you don’t love to invest, you won’t invest enough.
Saving $100 per month is an easy way out. Unfortunately, funding is complicated and risky.
Tip #3 – Rich people hang out with wealthy people.
You don’t become wealthy by hanging out with poor people. If you surround yourself with struggling people, you’ll be more likely to stay in debt or remain employed at a low-wage job.
A study found that people’s happiness depends more on their friends’ enjoyment than their spouse’s happiness.
If you want to be rich, you have to hang out with rich people.
Try joining a club or an organization where you’ll meet like-minded people with different priorities than the average person.
Maybe you’d like to join an investment or real estate club.
Or perhaps you’d like to join a sports team where you’ll meet other people who love the sport as much as you do.
I recommend the book by Keith Ferrazzi, Never Eat Alone.
Networking with the right people plays an enormous factor in building a wealth mindset and potentially sets you up for the next great idea or even your next step away from reaching millions.
Tip #4 – Rich people have a game plan.
The difference between rich people and poor people is that rich people have a game plan. Poor people live day-to-day and hope for the best.
Rich people have a plan for their money that goes beyond the next two weeks.
If you want to be rich, you have to have a plan for your money.
First, you must know how much you bring in each month, how much you spend, and where you want your money to go.
Second, you must know your financial goals (e.g., do you want to pay off debt or save for retirement?).
Third, you must know how much you work with, how long each goal will take, and how much time you have left.
Why do you have to have a game plan? Because money is more complicated than any other part of your life.
You can’t just do whatever you want and expect the money to take care of itself.
Tip #5 – Rich people are ambitious.
If you want to be rich, you have to be ambitious.
You must be willing to take risks with your time and money.
You have to be willing to fail and make mistakes.
You must be willing to put yourself out there and pursue your dreams even if other people think they’re silly or pointless.
If you want to be rich, you have to be ambitious. You have to be willing to sacrifice today for a better tomorrow.
You have to be ready to save money today to invest it tomorrow.
You must be willing to take risks today to reap the rewards tomorrow.
You must be willing to fail today to learn from your mistakes tomorrow.
Tip #6 – Wealthy people avoid criticism in any direction.
We all want to be liked and fit in with our peers, but if you want to be rich, you can’t let other people’s opinions get in the way of your goals:
If you want to be rich, you have to ignore the people who think you’re crazy for wanting to retire at 50 and the people who think you’re an irresponsible spender because you bought a new pair of shoes.
You must ignore the people who tell you you’re too old to change careers and the people who tell you that you’re too young to change careers.
You must ignore the people who ask you to save more money and those who tell you to spend more.
It would be best to ignore the people who criticize your spending and saving habits.
You have to ignore the people who criticize your choices and the people who blame your indecisiveness.
Tip# 7 – Rich people know how to manage their money.
The difference between poor and rich people is that rich people know how to manage their money.
Poor people don’t know how to manage their money.
You can tell if someone knows how to work their money by how much debt they have and how much they save for retirement.
If you want to be rich, you have to know how to manage your money.
You have to know how much you bring in each month.
You have to know how much you spend. You have to know where your money goes.
You have to know how much you have to work with. You have to know how long each goal is going to take. You have to know how much time you have left.
You have to know how much you can save per month. You have to know how much you can invest per month.
You must know how much debt you have and how quickly you can pay it off.
Finally, you have to know how much you have in retirement savings.
Characteristics of a Rich Person.
A rich person thinks differently about money and sees wealth as an essential part of their future. So if you want to become rich, here are some characteristics of a rich person.
1 – Rich people are smart with money.
No matter how much money you have, you won’t become wealthy if you aren’t smart with it. Rich people know that making sound financial decisions is the key to growing their wealth. When you make wise money decisions, you save more, earn more, and spend less on things you don’t need. By doing these things, you’re growing your wealth over time. Thus, to become rich, you need to be smart with your money.
2 – Rich people focus on the long term.
While being smart with your money is essential, you must also focus on the long term. This means making smart money decisions today, which will have a long-lasting positive impact on your wealth.
You’re investing in your future by saving as much money as possible. And by investing in things like stocks, real estate, and other assets, you’re building wealth over time. Doing these things gives you the money you need when you retire.
You’ll be able to look after yourself without relying on government benefits. And you’ll be able to enjoy the special moments in life, like getting married or having kids, that require a lot of money.
3 – Rich people constantly learn.
To become rich, you must constantly learn new things about money, business, and life. You create new neural pathways in your brain when you know new things.
This allows you to think about things differently, which helps you solve problems and identify opportunities you might have missed. By constantly learning, you’ll be able to take advantage of new opportunities and avoid mistakes.
This will help you to create the future you want. But learning isn’t just about reading books or going to lectures. It’s also about doing things. To become wealthy, you need to seek out opportunities to learn actively.
By learning new skills, you’ll be able to create new sources of income and avoid making the same mistakes again. Learning is the key to becoming a rich person.
4 – Rich people know their worth.
If you want to become rich, one of the first things you need to do is to get clear about your worth. What are your skills and talents? What are your education and experience worth? What is your time worth?
By clarifying your worth, you’ll be able to make smart money decisions. For example, you’ll know what salary is appropriate and what to charge for your services. You’ll also be able to avoid being taken advantage of by others.
Finally, by knowing your worth, you’ll be able to attract the right opportunities to help you become rich.
5 – Rich people have mentors.
If you want to become rich, you need to find a mentor. A mentor knows more about the things you want to learn than you do. Therefore, they can help you to avoid common mistakes and get ahead faster.
Mentors can be people you know in real life, or they can be people you meet online. You can find mentors by attending workshops, joining online communities, and reading books.
Once you’ve found a mentor, you should learn how to become a great mentor yourself. This will allow the relationship to go both ways and help you become rich faster.
Final Thoughts on How Do Rich People Think?
If you want to become rich, you need to change your mindset. You can’t think about money as something to avoid if you’re going to become rich.
It would be best if you also thought long-term. It would be best if you started saving money, investing it, and seeing it as a power source.
You also need to know your worth, actively seek mentors and get clear about the value you have to offer the world. Once you’ve done this, you’ll be on your way to becoming a rich person.
Do you want to learn more about “How Do Rich People Think?” Check out Building a Wealth Mindset: The Ultimate Guide.

James is the editor-in-chief at wealthmindsetschool.com. James is a workaholic and an entrepreneur who has been in the tech industry for over ten years. He has worked with Microsoft, owns multiple websites, and now owns a mattress shop. Furthermore, when he has time left over, he will be in his woodworking shop building furniture as a side hustle. James has a B.S. in Business Management Information Systems and a Master’s in Business Administration from Liberty University. He is currently pursuing a Master’s in Executive Leadership, and once he completes that, he will pursue his Ph.D. in Business Administration – Entrepreneurship. James also seeks investment opportunities, putting his money to work instead of himself. James is an active believer that wealth begins with developing a wealth mindset. He now teaches, instructs, and helps others achieve that goal.