#553: This is the third and final episode in a three-part series. Dr. Brad Klontz and Adrian Brambila join us to share 21 harsh truths about building wealth.  This episode focuses on the final 11 harsh truths, following up on their previous conversations about the first 10 harsh truths. The conversation begins with a key distinction: poor people buy stuff, while rich people buy time. They explain how wealthy people focus on building passive income streams rather than trading hours for objects. Brambila shares how he learned this lesson personally, discussing his pickleball court purchase through investment income rather than active work hours. The duo challenges common assumptions about luxury brands, arguing that people who constantly show off designer items are usually compensating for insecurity. Klontz shares his own experience of buying an expensive watch early in his career to prove his success. They examine whether college, marriage, and homeownership are necessary for wealth building. While data shows these traditional paths often lead to higher net worth, they acknowledge these aren't the only routes to financial success. On the topic of retirement, both guests argue that completely stopping work can be psychologically harmful, sharing examples of successful people who stayed active well into their later years. They break down specific money-saving strategies like getting roommates, using public transportation, and cutting your own hair. Brambila demonstrates how women can cut their own hair during the interview. The discussion covers specific side hustle opportunities, with detailed explanation of how to make money doing Amazon product reviews. Brambila shares how his videos have generated significant income, including $2,000 in a single day during Black Friday. They address money myths about credit cards, particularly the misconception about carrying balances to improve credit scores. Real examples and personal stories illustrate their points. Klontz shares how his 11-year-old son is making $5,000 monthly doing Amazon reviews, while Brambila discusses living in a van while earning six figures to demonstrate that wealth isn't about outward appearances. The episode concludes by connecting financial security to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, explaining how building wealth enables higher-level personal growth and positive impact. Timestamps: Note: Timestamps will vary on individual listening devices based on dynamic advertising run times. The provided timestamps are approximate and may be several minutes off due to changing ad lengths. 0:00 Introduction 2:02 Poor people buy stuff, rich people own time 13:20 Wealth mindset invests in passive income vs trading time 21:20 Only insecure people flex luxury brands 30:00 Debating necessity of college, marriage, homeownership 38:20 Why retirement can harm mental health 48:40 Wealthy people aren't afraid to ask for help 54:40 Don't rely on politics for financial freedom 1:03:20 Complaining keeps you poor 1:05:20 Alternative saving strategies: roommates, bus, sobriety 1:15:20 Netflix binging vs side hustles 1:19:40 Making money with Amazon product reviews 1:28:20 Credit cards must be paid in full monthly 1:31:00 The importance of thinking rich 1:33:30 Where to find more resources and bonuses For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode553 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#551: Financial psychologist Dr. Brad Klontz and Youtuber Adrian Brambila join us to talk about money psychology, starting with a dark but revealing story about an experiment with dogs.  Scientists put dogs in electrified cages from which they couldn't escape. Eventually, the dogs stopped trying to escape and just lay down, even when later moved to cages where escape was possible. This 'learned helplessness' mirrors how people can get trapped in negative beliefs about money when they grow up with financial hardship. The conversation explores four main "money scripts" - deep beliefs about money that shape our behavior: 1. Money Avoidance: Thinking money is bad and rich people are evil 2. Money Worship: Believing more money will solve all problems 3. Money Status: Equating net worth with self-worth 4. Money Vigilance: Being careful and anxious about money (this one actually leads to the best financial outcomes) Adrian shares his journey from making $27,000 at a call center in Iowa to becoming successful through YouTube, explaining how he had to find mentors online since no one around him understood his goals. He talks about feeling like a "lone wolf" with uncommon aspirations in a small town. Dr. Brad reveals some surprising findings - like how meditation is linked to lower net worth (because being present-focused can work against future planning). His solution? "Automate before you meditate" - set up your savings and investments first. They discuss how your friend group shapes your money views. The FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early) movement, for example, creates status around having high savings rates instead of fancy cars. But they note some FIRE followers end up "FIRED" - Financially Independent Retire Early Depressed - because they never learned to enjoy spending money. Dr. Brad shares a personal story about realizing in couples therapy that his fear of becoming poor was causing harmful stress, even though he was financially secure. This highlights a key theme: money scripts affect both rich and poor, and having more money doesn't automatically fix unhealthy money beliefs. All these insights come from Dr. Brad and Adrian's research and personal experiences, which they've collected in their book "Start Thinking Rich." The core message? Your money beliefs probably came from your childhood and culture, but you can change them once you understand them. Timestamps: Note: Timestamps will vary on individual listening devices based on dynamic advertising run times. 0:00 Intro to 3-part series on thinking rich 3:01 Psychology experiment reveals how learned helplessness affects money habits 8:12 Adrian's journey from call center worker to YouTuber 14:16 How friend groups sabotage financial success 19:52 Brad's struggle sharing book-writing aspirations 29:30 Being the lone ambitious person in a small town 40:24 Introduction to the concept of money scripts 48:20 Money script #1: avoiding wealth and villainizing rich people 56:52 American consumerism vs other cultures 1:02:40 Money script #2: believing money solves everything 1:09:20 Money script #3: equating net worth with self-worth 1:16:40 Money script #4: vigilance leads to better money outcomes 1:20:40 Why meditation correlates with lower wealth 1:22:48 When parents can't enjoy their retirement money 1:29:44 Overcoming the fear of becoming poor again For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode551 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices