Be value conscious
Todd Tresidder, financial coach and founder of Financial Mentor, made most of his money through smart investments. He got the seed money to make those investments by saving almost 70% of his income. I asked Todd how he saved so much money. Todd said:

“I think…it comes back to values. You just have to not have an interest in buying lots of stuff…I was a single, young man, not too far out of college and my mom would get on me. She’d say, ‘Todd, you’re making all this money, why don’t you go buy yourself a Corvette? Go get yourself a flashy car.’ But I lived in Lake Tahoe. I’m an outdoor recreation buff…I’d play volleyball down on the beach; mountain bike in the hills. I run.”

By holding on to what he valued (time spent outdoors), Todd avoided expenses like a big monthly payment on a car he didn’t need (or want).