15 Things Poor People Do That The Rich Don't.

This post was inspired by the video above. Listed below you will find the 15 things that poor people do that the rich don't. The 15 things are in bold and my "two cents" is written below each.  Read or watch to find out how your life compares. 
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1.) Watch a lot of t.v.  
If you are one of those individuals who is spending hours a day watching television, you have to remember that these hours add up. Sure, binge watching an entire series over the course of three days feels good at the time but what have you necessarily gained from doing this? Take a step back and consider this: what value does television add to your life other than entertainment? Could you be spending your time in a more productive manner?

2.) Eat fast food.  
Sure, it’s a quick meal and it’s relatively inexpensive. Large fries, a milkshake, and a triple cheeseburger drizzled in  a special sauce will surely make your taste buds dance (junk food and soda is included in this category). However, just think of the long term damage that you are exposing your body to each and every time you eat fast food. Remember this, if you’re not healthy, all aspects of your life will be directly affected. Your health should always be your number one priority.
 
3.) Buy clothes or products that are on sale.
Have you ever been in a store and see that something is on sale and you say to yourself “well, the price is just too good not to buy it”? So then you buy it and never use it? Companies hire marketing geniuses who know how to make people compulsively buy. Next time you see something on sale- pause and think to yourself “Do I really need this?” More often than not you will realize that you don’t actually need it.
 
 4.) Wake up late.
It is a proven fact that there are 24 hours in a day. The most successful people and memorable historical figures all shared the same 24 hours that we do. The difference between us and them is how they used those hours. If you find yourself sleeping more than 7 or 8 hours a night and sleeping past 9 a.m. you may want to consider setting an alarm or getting on a more structured sleeping schedule. It’s not about the amount of time you have in your life, it’s what you do with that time.
 
5.) Are really into sports (as a spectator not as a player)
I abandoned watching sports when I was about eleven years old. Maybe it was the fact that the players were getting paid millions of dollars whether they won or loss or maybe it was the fact that I preferred to be a player rather than a spectator. Either way, unless you are looking to become a professional athlete, being really into watching sports doesn’t add much value to your life other than for entertainment purposes.
 
​6.)Don’t shower or bathe as often
A bar of soap doesn’t cost much and water is relatively inexpensive. There’s really no excuse to lack personal hygiene. No one wants to be around a smelly person.
 
7.) Blame others for their misfortunes.
As a personal growth coach I hear this all of the time. If you are one of those individuals who is always looking for pity from others--this message is for you. You control your life, you are the reason for your problems. We all problem, it’s what you do to try and solve those problems. You can either be a victim or you can use is as a way to grow.
 
8.) Have no money saved.
If you are living paycheck to paycheck, you are not saving. Economics 101, if you spend more money (expenses)  than you make (income) you will not have any money. Try to get into the habit to save at least 10% of the money you make each week or each month and put that money away---and don’t touch it. Your older self will thank you.
 
9.) Use credit cards or take out loans for useless things.
Using credit cards can be pretty rewarding, the companies make it seem very appealing knowing that the more money you spend the more miles, cash back, gift cards you can earn. Credit cards can be great if used properly. The issue with credit cards is that often people will spend money that they don’t actually have. The credit card companies are very smart and they count on giving you loans that you can’t pay back. Rule of thumb, if you can’t afford it, don’t buy it until you can. If you have to charge it, make sure to pay the balance in full.
 
10.) Tend to have more kids and have them earlier in life.
If you have kids or are planning on having kids sometime in the near future you most likely already know that these little guys (who will eventually grow into full grown adults) are very expensive. On average, If you are living in a more developed country it will cost you roughly
$250,000 to raise a child over a lifetime. Most parents do not take the time to properly educate themselves on how to parent their children, the more they have, the more stressed and overwhelmed they become. If you are planning to have children, make sure you are able to take care of yourself first.            
   
11.) Do not do regular checks with their medic.
As mentioned earlier in number two, you are nothing without your health. As a society, most people are reactive when it comes to their health. They make all of their mistakes for many years by eating poorly, not being physically active, drinking, smoking, or using drugs. It is not until they start experiencing symptoms or having health problems that they will start to think about making changes to their lifestyle.
 
 12.) Spend money before they get it.
Back to economics 101, if you spend money that you don’t have you will be in debt and you will spend more time worrying about paying your bills than actually making money and keeping it.
    
13.) Surround themselves with other people who are poor.
You know the old expression, you are only as good as the company you keep. Amongst poor people, it is not uncommon to find out that they tend to have poor beliefs, are negative, view themselves as oppressed, and are often dream killers. There’s an old expression, “‘If you hang around the barbershop long enough, you’re going to get a haircut’”
 
14.) Never follow through on their ideas or their potential.
How much time do these people actually spend working on improving themselves? Often you will find that people haven’t learned a thing since they left the formal setting of academia (middle school, high school, community college, university, etc.)  These individuals tend to spend more time talking about how they’re going to do something but never actually take action, and more often than not, this behavior gets them nowhere. Rich people execute, they are doers’ not sayer’s.

15.) Believing that others should help bring you to the top.
At the end of the day, the only person who is truly going to care about you is yourself. You have to be your best advocate and realize that your decisions affect your life. You can’t wait for others to change your life for you. It is not their job, nor is it their responsibility, to make your life better. The truth is, your problems are yours and you shouldn’t make them someone else's. If you have issues or want your life or situation to change you have to come up with a game plan and hire someone like a financial advisor, life coach, personal trainer, nutritionist, etc. to help point you in the right direction and help get you to where you want to be.