The Will to Resist

The Art of Being Wealthy Without Looking Like You Have Two Nickels to Rub Together

A Boris Doctrine — Financial Independence, Modest Living & The Fine Art of Not Giving a Damn About Appearances

There's an interesting misconception about wealth.

Apparently, if you have money, you're supposed to look like you have money.

Nice clothes. Expensive vehicles. Big houses. Fancy restaurants. Designer watches. The whole nine yards.

Well, I have a question.

Who the hell established that requirement?

Because I would like to speak to management.

The Millionaire Next Door (Who Looks Like He Needs a Loan)

Imagine having several million dollars.

Now imagine absolutely nobody knowing it.

You aren't driving a Lamborghini. You aren't wearing a $4,000 watch. You aren't walking around dressed like you just escaped a luxury department store.

You're wearing Walmart clothes.

You're driving an older vehicle.

You're buying groceries like everybody else.

You might even own a little corner store.

Somebody asks how business is going.

"Eh, peachy keen."

Meanwhile, your investment portfolio is quietly performing financial gymnastics.

The neighbors have no idea.

The cashier has no idea.

The guy down the street who keeps asking what you do for a living certainly has no idea.

And that's perfectly fine.

The Apartment Before the Mansion

Here's another little revelation.

If I suddenly became wealthy, I wouldn't necessarily go shopping for a mansion.

I'd still want my apartment.

My own space. My own kitchen. My own bathroom. A big television. Internet. Somewhere comfortable for the cats.

My own keys.

My own schedule.

My own peace and quiet.

And if circumstances dictated that a properly converted garage was the more practical option?

Fine by me.

I'm not particularly interested in having twelve bedrooms when I only need one.

I don't need a ballroom.

I don't need a swimming pool.

I don't need a staircase that looks like it belongs in a royal palace.

Give me somewhere comfortable, secure, and private.

The rest is just square footage.

The Peachy Keen Millionaire

This is where things get interesting.

Remember the Peachy Keen Philosophy?

The idea that you can be friendly, smile, enjoy a conversation, and still keep your personal business to yourself?

Well, why should financial circumstances change that?

I could have $20 in my pocket or $20 million in investments.

My disposition doesn't need to change.

I'd still smile at people.

I'd still exchange pleasantries.

I'd still enjoy a good conversation.

I'd still be perfectly happy saying, "I'm doing pretty good, thanks for asking."

And I wouldn't need to disclose my financial circumstances to anybody.

Because being friendly doesn't mean being financially transparent.

And being wealthy doesn't mean becoming a walking advertisement for your bank account.

Form 47-B Makes Another Appearance

Naturally, the Department of Petty Affairs has already anticipated this situation.

FORM 47-B — SECTION 9 — BRAVO

"I don't have to always open myself up to strangers I just met."

Financial disclosures are hereby added to the list of topics that do not automatically become public property.

Approved responses include:

Further inquiries may be redirected to the weather, local traffic conditions, or the nearest available cat.

The department reminds citizens that smiling is not an invitation to conduct a personal financial audit.

The Difference Between Looking Rich and Being Secure

Here's what I find amusing.

People sometimes spend enormous amounts of money trying to convince others that they've made it.

Meanwhile, I'd rather have enough money that I never have to convince anybody of anything.

I don't need to impress the neighbors.

I don't need to compete with somebody else's lifestyle.

I don't need to purchase things simply because I can afford them.

I'd rather have money working quietly in the background.

I'd rather know that the rent is covered, the refrigerator is full, the bills are paid, and tomorrow isn't something I need to dread.

That's a different kind of luxury.

It's the luxury of having options.

The luxury of being able to walk away.

The luxury of saying no.

The luxury of not having to tolerate situations simply because your survival depends on them.

And perhaps most importantly, the luxury of being able to close your front door and enjoy your own company.

Final Thoughts: I'm Not Trying to Look Rich

Maybe that's the entire point.

I don't particularly want to live like a millionaire.

I want the financial security of one.

There's a difference.

I'd rather be the ordinary-looking fellow who happens to have his financial affairs in order than the person who spends every paycheck maintaining an image.

Give me a modest apartment.

Give me my television.

Give me my cats.

Give me a refrigerator full of groceries.

Give me enough money in the bank that an unexpected expense doesn't turn into a personal catastrophe.

And let me wake up tomorrow, put on my inexpensive clothes, grab some coffee, and go about my business.

If somebody asks how I'm doing?

"Peachy keen."

Because that's the funny thing about financial independence.

You don't have to look like you've made it. You just have to know that you have.

And if the neighbors never figure it out?

Well, that's peachy keen, too.

— Boris

Official acknowledgment by the Department of Petty Affairs.

Disclaimer: The department accepts no responsibility for suspiciously healthy bank balances, underwhelming wardrobes, excessively modest living arrangements, or neighbors who suddenly become interested in financial planning.