Why One Million Dollars is NOT Enough

Do you believe $1,000,000 would set you up for life? Have the idea that if you had a million you wouldn't have to work again? You think a million allows you to do what you want when you want? Some people think the answer is yes, or even think $1,000,000 is going to set them up financially to never worry about money again.

The truth is, one million dollars is not enough money. If I give you $1,000,000 today, you would not be able to retire comfortably. Hell, you won't even sleep better at night once you read this article. One million is not a lot of money, once you do the math and I'll show you how easily it's spent...

You can:

• Buy a Rolls Royce, Bentley or Ferrari: Why roll around in a Hyundai when you can roll in a Rollie, or fire up a Ferrari - $380K. But lets be realistic. Most people don't buy a Rolls. They end up with a couple of BMW or Mercedes. That will set you back 200k.
• Buy a real nice watch like @Hublot, Patek or Audemar: Let’s face it, having some bling is nice… $50 - $70K or more.
• A couple of Chanel bags for the wife over her life, a fancy belt or two and some designer shoes for the two of you. I won't even total these because it won't matter in the end. (keep reading.)
• Buy your mom a house: Ask any NBA player who gets his first big new contract, you want to reward your loved ones. For a decent house $450K but because if you are cheap you will probably settle at the median price of $228,000.
• Tithe: If you are like me you believe in giving back. Just 10% tithe will set you back $100K.
• College for two kids - $200k.
• Cancer bout in your household $300,000 to $400,000.

Oops—you didn’t even think about taxes and now you’re in the hole with the IRS. This is why Nick Cage and Wesley Snipes ended up broke. And oh, by the way, those boys were getting ten and twenty million a movie.

See how easy that was to blow through one million? Now you’ll have to sell the Rolls and bring your watches to the Pawn Brokers after you face the brutal realization that your million dollars is blown. And by the way it's not because you blew it, it's because you never had enough. Your million dollar experience will leave you believing money won't make you happy.

Now I am certain you wouldn't be so stupid to go out and blow through all your money while forgetting to pay taxes and this brings me to the point I want to share with you. A million dollars is NOT that much money and most people, unfortunately, think it is. You have been getting your advice from people that never really get to a level to understand what it takes to have financial freedom. Why are so many people using the same information and all coming up with bad results? You have money problems because you have the WRONG information.

Here are some tips to help you:

1) Don’t Get Advice on what the view is like from someone half-way there. The millionaire does not have the right position to give advice. A person with a couple of million to their name is not financially secure—they have not financially arrived yet, they only think they have.

2) Simply Saving Doesn't Work. You can't save your way to financial prosperity. A book was written a while ago called The Millionaire Next Door, where the author suggest that millionaires simply save their money and avoid buying German cars and expensive watches and if you don't avoid @Starbucks over thirty years, one day, long into the future, you will have money. This is ridiculous advice. You can't not save your way to freedom.

3. Do Millionaire Math.

$1,000,000 is fine if you only have one year left to live. If you have 30 years left, that gives you just over $33,000 a year. That’s about $91 a day, and anyone who has less than $100 a day to live on is seriously broke. You’ve got rent, insurance, food, transportation—it all adds up quickly. 

So if you’ve got $1,000,000 dollars and 30 years left to live, you aren’t retiring comfortably, you’ll be constantly worried about your little pile of depreciating paper running out so you are forced to live frugally, pinching pennies.

A $1,000,000 is just enough to be worried. Think I am kidding? Check back with me when you get your first million. gc

Don’t be The Millionaire Next Door who is conserving their little nest egg living life like a miser. To make your money last longer than your clock, you need much more than $1,000,000. You need more zeros, than minutes. That’s the problem with money - time. The bank tells you to put your money in their bank and it will grow, but it won’t—it will just sit there. A million dollars can not multiply at a bank because they don't pay you enough to keep it there.

$1,000,000 is simply not enough money to give you financial security to explore the world and live a "millionaire” lifestyle unless you are willing to blow it all in the first year. A couple of World Series tickets will set you back $5k or more. Really nice hotel will set you back few grand, a weekend of shows, dinners and gambling could set you back another $5000 and we aren't doing anything stupid like a $5,000 hamburger (with a vintage bottle of Chateau Petrus and fries included), a Chanel purse for your wife $10,000 or a first class trip to Paris for a week that will cost you more like $30,000.

If you think a million is a lot of money it is only because you haven't really done the math. The think is too small, it's built on scarcity and shortages and let's face it the millionaire once you do the math and face reality hasn't accumulated enough real wealth to give financial advice.

To make your money last longer than your life, you need to add zeros to your bank account. Lot's of them. Having just a million dollars is selfish anyways when you can do so much more. Stopping when you get to one million is only because you are thinking about yourself not about all the other people you could help. Billionaires are not selfish they keep creating to a point where they can really make a difference. Billionaires have so many zeros they can’t consume it all and have enough to share with others in ways that make massive differences.

If you’re in poverty thirty years from now it won’t be because you’ve bought a latte every day, but because you didn’t think big enough and didn't produce enough everyday.

I’m here to help you get your money right. Add zeros to your income so you can add zero's to your net worth. Will you let me help you? The first thing to you must do is make a decision, the next thing to do is start studying those who have done it. First assignment if you are that person, get started on my Wealth Creation Formula today. 

Be great,

GC

Grant Cardone is a New York Times bestselling author, the #1 sales trainer in the world, and an internationally renowned speaker on leadership, real estate investing, entrepreneurship, social media, and finance. His 5 privately held companies have annual revenues exceeding $100 million. Forbes named Mr. Cardone #1 of the "25 Marketing Influencers to Watch in 2017". Grant’s straight-shooting viewpoints on the economy, the middle class, and business have made him a valuable resource for media seeking commentary and insights on real topics that matter. He regularly appears on Fox News, Fox Business, CNBC, and MSNBC, and writes for Forbes, Success Magazine, Business Insider, Entrepreneur.com, and the Huffington Post. He urges his followers and clients to make success their duty, responsibility, and obligation. He currently resides in South Florida with his wife and two daughters.