Wealth up mindset is something I’ve been obsessing over lately, seriously, because back when I was scraping by in my crappy apartment in the Midwest—wait, no, now I’m out here in California on this rainy New Year’s Eve 2025, staring at my laptop with a half-empty coffee mug that’s gone cold again.
Like, I used to think wealth was for those trust fund kids or tech bros cashing out startups, but nah, my wealth up mindset kicked in after I hit rock bottom with credit card debt that made me wanna puke every time I checked my bank app.
I’m talking $15k racked up from dumb stuff like eating out too much and that one “investment” in crypto that tanked harder than my self-esteem.
Anyway, here’s the thing: ordinary people build real wealth not by getting lucky, but by flipping that switch in your brain—the wealth up mindset—where you stop seeing money as something that just slips away and start treating it like a tool you control.
Why My Wealth Up Mindset Was Trash at First (And How It Changed)
Look, I gotta be honest, my old mindset was straight-up broke thinking.
I grew up hearing “money doesn’t grow on trees” and all that, so I’d blow my paycheck on weekends, telling myself “YOLO” while my savings account sat at like $47.
Embarrassing? Yeah, especially that time in 2023 when I had to borrow from my mom for rent.
But reading books like Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and The Millionaire Next Door wrecked me in the best way—they showed me most millionaires are just regular folks who live below their means and invest consistently.
That hit hard because I realized my wealth up mindset needed an upgrade: from scarcity (“I can’t afford that”) to abundance (“How can I make this work?”).
The Mistakes That Almost Kept Me Broke Forever
Okay, confession time—my biggest screw-up was trying to time the market.
In 2024, everyone was hyping AI stocks, so I dumped a chunk into individual picks and lost like 30% in a dip.
Felt like an idiot, seriously.
Then I switched to boring index funds at Vanguard, like the VOO (S&P 500 tracker), and just let it ride.
As of late 2025, those have been crushing it with steady growth—no drama, just compound magic.
Check out Vanguard’s site for current index fund options—that’s what pulled me out of the hole.
Exploring Financial Behaviors of Gen Z and Millennials: A …
Building Real Wealth Habits That Actually Stuck for Me
Here’s what finally worked in my wealth up mindset shift:
- Automate everything: I set up my paycheck to split—bills first, then investments, then fun money. Ramit Sethi’s I Will Teach You to Be Rich hammered this home for me; no guilt spending on what I love (tacos and travel) as long as the basics are covered.
- Debt snowball vibes, but customized: I kinda mixed Dave Ramsey’s baby steps with Ramit’s no-guilt approach. Paid off smallest debts first for the wins, but didn’t go full gazelle intense because burnout is real. More on Ramsey’s 7 Baby Steps here.
- Side hustle grind: Started freelancing on the side—nothing fancy, just writing gigs—and funneled every extra dollar into investments.
Now, on this chilly December 31st, I’m looking at my portfolio and it’s finally growing without me stressing 24/7.
Quick Tips From My Flawed Wealth Up Mindset Journey
- Start small: Even $50 a month into an index fund adds up. Compound interest is your lazy best friend.
- Track your net worth monthly: I use a messy Google sheet with coffee stains (literally), but seeing it climb is addictive.
- Ignore the noise: Social media flaunts Lambos, but real wealth is quiet—like that neighbor with the paid-off house.
Wrapping This Up—My Wealth Up Mindset Today
Man, it’s New Year’s Eve 2025, fireworks popping outside my window, and I’m sitting here grateful because ordinary people like me can build real wealth.
It’s not sexy, it’s not overnight, and yeah, I still mess up (bought too many takeout burritos this month), but the wealth up mindset? It’s locked in now.
Contradictions and all—I’m frugal on groceries but splurge on experiences.
If you’re reading this feeling stuck, just start.
Pick one thing: open a Vanguard account, read one of those books, or automate $100 to savings.
Shoot me a comment or whatever— what’s your biggest money hang-up right now?
Let’s chat, because building real wealth is way better together.
Happy New Year—here’s to your wealth up mindset in 2026! 🚀
