The Rich Life—What’s Yours Look Like?

Dr. Andrew Lee is professor of English at Lee University. He also serves as a coordinator for Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University. He and his wife Esmerelda have three children.

Remember the days before GPS devices and MapQuest apps for smartphones? Hordes of hapless husbands steering with their knees while trying to read the Rand McNally Road Atlas on their lap, or trying to unfold the AAA TripTik map (without swearing) and still manage to keep the car on the road moving at fifty-five mph. Meanwhile, the wiser and cooler-headed wife waits smugly for him to ask for her help. Good times.

Achieving our dream of “the rich life” can be just as frustrating as the scenario described above. Unless we’re clear on what our “rich life” destination looks like, how will we know what it takes to reach it—and how to recognize it when we do, in fact, achieve it? I’m borrowing the term “rich life” from author Ramit Sethi; the phrase simply means the financially secure life you always dreamed of realistically reaching one day. Many of us might think of “rich life” as simply “retiring comfortably and being able to do whatever I want to do.” Each of us has a unique vision for what the “rich life” looks like. For some, it may be owning a luxury car or traveling the world; for others, it may be having a cozy cabin on a quiet lake, donating to charities, taking culinary classes and hosting weekly dinner parties, or moving closer to the grandkids. Maybe your “rich life” means having enough financial resources so that the next time your verbally abusive boss screams at you, you can simply walk away. It’s important to have a clear vision of this goal so you can create a realistic roadmap for achieving it.

If you’re married (or engaged), it’s important to talk about both of your visions for the “rich life” and work together to make these a reality. Make notes about where your “rich life” 10 // April 2022

idea aligns with your spouse’s, and where your ideas may diverge. Discuss ways to accommodate each other’s “rich life” dreams as you move toward practical steps to realize these goals. Then, start taking action! This is where the rubber meets the road. Most people have no shortage of dreams; we daydream in our cars sitting in traffic, at night while falling asleep—dream of that glorious day when we’ve “made it” and can start relaxing, enjoying, laughing, loving life the way we always intended. But what most people do not do is start taking action now. Instead, they sit around wondering “Do I dare?” like J. Alfred Prufrock. Or, like Miniver Cheevy, they “thought and thought and thought about it.” (Nerd alert: As an English professor, I can’t resist an occasional literary reference). Meanwhile, time keeps ticking by, and the odds of reaching your “rich life” dwindle.

So, let’s get going! Contact your employer’s Human Resources office and start contributing to your company retirement plan if you haven’t yet. Or increase your monthly retirement contributions if you’ve already been contributing. Go online to TD Ameritrade and set up a Roth IRA account to have automatic monthly direct deposits going straight into an investment of your choice (my kids chose the “VT symbol” exchange-traded fund which is the Vanguard Total World stock index fund—you own every stock in the world at one shot, done!). If you’ve been wanting to explore real estate investing, decide if you want to be a landlord by owning rental property (in which case, contact local realtors ASAP and start asking questions), and join the Bigger Pockets online community to learn from others’ experiences. Your “rich life” won’t happen by itself: “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established” (Proverbs 16:3).