The smartest advice I ever got

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My parents told me, "Use money well, but do not waste it." I remember receiving a bicycle when I was a kid. When I asked my dad how much it cost, he wouldn't tell me. So I grew up with the sense that money is there to do good things, to support your family and others.

I like to think I'm frugal. "The Millionaire Next Door" describes millionaires who never buy a new car because its value goes down substantially after two years and so on. I buy new cars. I check with other dealerships to get the best price. But the idea that I have to live like a pauper even if I have the means to live better doesn't make any sense to me.

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