We’ve all heard stories about nasty rich people who treat employees and other subordinates poorly. But make no mistake about it, they are the exception to the rule and they represent a small fraction of the wealthy in the world. The vast majority of the wealthy treat others like gold. In return, they foster a devoted following of individuals who will knock down walls for these wealthy individuals.

Unless you are one of the rare few who possess some unique skill that allows you to get away with bad behavior, you had better make a habit of treating everyone you meet like they are the most important person in the world. Making enemies of people will only hold you back. Doors will slam shut at the sound of your name once you get a reputation of being abrasive and caustic to others. Work hard, work smart, pursue your dreams and make everyone you come into contact with desire to do business with you because nice people do finish rich.

Spending money on things does not create long-term happiness. Accumulating money does. It gives you peace of mind and a feeling that you are on the right path in life. Try one or more of these strategies to create a new financial you:

• For one month save 5% of your income.
• For one month be cheap.
• For one month track everything you spend.

You might like it enough to turn it into a habit that will transform your life.

What secrets about managing money do the rich know that the average person doesn’t? I spent five years trying to answer that question. I asked 233 millionaires 144 questions and discovered the rich have certain spending habits that helped them get rich:

1. Track Spending – Know where your money is going. Look at your bank statement and credit card statement every month. You’ll uncover certain expenses for things you are not even using, such as club memberships, subscriptions, automatic charges for services you’ve never used. Oftentimes these automated charges occur after you enroll in some “free” promotion, where the free part expires after a promotional period.
2. Periodically Audit Expenses – Many expenses can change over time. Insurance costs often change. They can go up or down over time. Make sure you are paying the lowest insurance rates for homeowners, auto and life insurance. Check your health insurance. You could be paying for dependents who left the nest, are on their own, and have coverage through their employer. Cable and Internet costs can increase without you being aware of it. Calling your cable or Internet provider to secure the lowest fees available should be an annual process. Periodically shop cell phone plans. Increased competition in the cell phone industry is driving down monthly rates. Make sure you are not paying more than you have to.
3. Purchase Good Quality Used Cars – New cars lose value as soon as they come off the lot. Buying good quality used cars allows you to take advantage of this loss in value anomaly prevalent in the auto industry. 44% of the rich in my study purchased good quality used cars. Typically these are cars coming off a lease. They may be two or three years old. At 125,000 miles most cars will require some annual repairs. Expect to incur about $1,500 a year in repair costs when you hold on to cars beyond this 125,000 mileage mark. That is still significantly less than you would spend on a loan or lease for a new car.
4. Use Coupons – Even the wealthy in my study engaged in this money savings habit. 30% of the rich used coupons to buy food. Why pay more than you have to on groceries or other expenses?
5. Shop at Goodwill Stores – Many goodwill stores carry high quality clothing. You may have to spend a few extra bucks on tailoring, but it is well worth the additional cost. Don’t let your ego get in the way.
6. Keep your housing costs below 30% of your monthly net pay. Contrary to what you’ve been led to believe, most of the rich do not live in mcmansions. Sixty-four percent of the rich in my study live in modest homes.
7. Bargain Shop – Far too many make spontaneous purchases, paying much more than they otherwise would. That’s a Poverty Habit. Shopping for bargains and taking advantage of sales events is a Rich Habit.
8. Stick to BYOBs – There are many restaurants that do not sell alcohol, beer or wine and allow you to bring your own spirit of choice into their restaurant. Restaurants markup liquor sales by as much as 100%.
9. Take Advantage of Credit Card Reward Dollars – Many credit cards have attached to them Rewards Programs. Typically, these Rewards Programs generate Reward Dollars that you can use at participating vendors. For example, the American Express Reward Program gives you about .88% back on every dollar you spend using an American Express credit card. One of the participating vendors with American Express is Barnes and Nobles. 50,000 American Express Rewards Dollars translates into $500 in Barnes and Noble gift cards. You can buy 25, $25 Barnes and Noble gift cards and give them out as gifts for birthdays, holidays, etc., and it will cost you nothing.
10. Interest-Free Financing – Sears, Home Depot, Lowes and many other retailers offer up to 24 months of interest free financing if you become a credit card customer. You must ensure that you pay off the interest free purchase within the free interest period and you must make your monthly payments on time. If you don’t you risk being back charged for ALL of the interest you were saving on the purchase.

Genes are chunks of software that can be clicked on or off. The mind drives the body, which drives the genome. Whenever you are stressed by life you become more vulnerable to infections, cancer and heart disease. Your thinking, therefore, can turn on certain genes. This can be good or bad, depending on your thinking. If you are mired in negative thinking in the form of worry and doubts you are manufacturing stress. Stress turns on the gene CYP17, which converts cholesterol to cortisol. Cordisol is also known as the stress hormone and one of its side effects is a weakening of the immune system. Other habits that can turn on bad genes are:

• Eating too much junk food
• Not exercising regularly
• Envy
• Depression or sadness (unhappiness)
• Anger
• Fear
• Victim thinking

Adversity and success are lovers. They are bedmates. They rely and depend on each other. Adversity pushes you, challenges you, tests you. It makes you better. Adversity is the progenitor of growth. Without adversity you would never grow into the person you need to be in order to be a success.

But adversity often stops people in their tracks. It tests their commitment to their goals and dreams. If your reason for pursuing success is not powerful enough, adversity will derail your pursuit of success. You must have a WHY that drives you every day in the pursuit of your dream. That WHY creates the passion that will carry you through adversity. Your WHY must be very personal and omnipresent. Adversity reveals if your WHY is powerful enough. Adversity is a test.

Random luck, good or bad, is fairly democratic. It visits rich and poor alike. But did you know you can create your own good luck and bad luck? The creation of good luck requires the consistent application of good habits over a long period of time.

Successful people consistently do what needs to be done every day. Once a good behavior becomes a habit, it no longer requires willpower. Willpower fades over time, even for the most disciplined. This is why developing good habits is so crucial to success. Good habits put you on autopilot for success. Good habits automate persistence, a crucial trait of every self-made millionaire. Eventually, those good habits create results. Many like to call those results good luck.