​Let me introduce two of my favourite books - The Millionaire Next Door and Stop Acting Rich, both written by the late Dr. Thomas J. Stanley. The main theme of the books is that you can’t judge a book by its cover when it comes to personal wealth. The author has spent many years researching the typical life of a millionaire, which goes against many misconceptions that people still have today. In Stop Acting Rich, Thomas defines a group of people he calls "aspirationals" as people who choose to act rich, but don’t have the financial resources to back it up. They are typically high income earners but aren’t wealthy, and are low net worth individuals with little savings. Aspirationals often spend exorbitantly beyond their means (think luxury homes, country clubs, BMWs, Rolex watches, and the like) just to appear rich, leaving them vulnerable to losing everything should their financial positions turned for the worse.

Ever wonder why most people are not wealthy? Without a doubt, people would love to have some extra money. Better still, they want to have enough money so that they never need to worry about finances again. However, given the opportunities that most of us have in the countries we live in, why is it that many people can’t achieve financial freedom and retire young?

People are getting more health-conscious nowadays. Their growing expenditures on gym memberships, fitness equipment, health supplements, organic foods, etc. are testament to this fact. Surely, it’s not difficult for you to find health-conscious colleagues and friends around you. While people are concerned about their physical health, they don’t really pay much attention to their financial health. Most people don’t have the habit of conducting regular financial health checks for themselves. They simply don't care, or don’t really know how to and where to start.