| What You See Isn't What You Get I also explained that there are many people who live in big houses and drive expensive cars but can't afford to. We had a neighbor who, the first time I met him, told me he made $400,000 a year. I hadn't asked, nor was I particularly interested, but he felt the need to puff out his chest and tell me anyway. A year later, his business shut down, his house was foreclosed on, and he was literally pulling trees out of the backyard and selling them for whatever cash he could get before the bank kicked him out. We have a friend who, at the end of a divorce, went out and bought a new Mercedes, despite the fact that he was going to have to downsize his home because he couldn't afford to keep the house without his wife's salary. As I looked around our home, I pointed out that we don't have a lot of knickknacks. We don't buy souvenirs from every place we visit. Instead, we spent our money on a very large and comfortable sofa that is the center of our living room and family life. On that sofa, the four of us watch movies, play board games, and take naps (though that doesn't happen as often as I'd like). I told my son that some of the friends with the big beautiful houses or the fancy cars never go on vacation or are a few paychecks away from insolvency. Those are the choices they made, and if they're happy, then that's all that matters. For us, it is more important that we invest our money in income-producing assets and spend our money on experiences like travel. Low Stress If you know me, you know that I can be pretty laid-back. I do my best to not let things bother me. I'm all about eliminating stress from my life. I try not to associate with people who constantly have drama going on. Money, and the lack thereof, is one of the most common forms of stress in a marriage. It is not unusual for couples to break up because of money issues. One thing my wife and I decided on early in our marriage was not to let our finances become a source of stress. When times were tough, we'd scale down our lifestyle. We'd save for rainy days, and if one person was working particularly hard, the other person would support them as much as possible. I pointed out to my son that he probably never heard his mother and I argue about money. One of the important reasons is that we didn't put unnecessary financial stress on ourselves. As we finished our discussion, I explained that, sure, some of our friends have nicer houses and cars. Some have more money than us. Some don't. But I also told him that none of it mattered. What was important was that we were making choices that allowed us to live the way we wanted. I asked him, "If we had an extra $1 million in the bank, would you want us to do anything differently?" He thought about it for a long time. Finally, he answered, "I don't think so. I like the way things are." Mission accomplished. Good investing, Marc | 
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