If there was a cheat code to feeling rich, this is it.
On the real psychology of money.
IncomingbyPiya started because my friends - smart, capable people - asked me to teach them after a decade working in investing. I drew up a short course and began hosting sessions on my sofa. To this day, I meet so many people who want to learn, but are unsure where to start. So it’s time to share. If that sounds like you, join the course today.
A few weeks ago I found YJ
On Substack, not only do you get the joy and struggle of writing, but you have the privilege of stumbling across other writers. Just “normal” people with an incredible amount of value to add.
A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon What YJ Thinks. YJ is a former software engineer in big tech who left Google after 20 years. He now spends his time with his family, tinkering with technology, trail running, writing, and exploring life philosophy. Sounds good to me.
His piece caught my attention: You don’t need more money. You need less want.
In this excerpt, he writes about why money makes us happier:
“The biggest driver isn’t nicer stuff. It’s control. Security. Freedom over how you spend your time. That’s the finding that matters here, because it’s exactly what financial independence gives you — and you can get there much faster by needing less than by earning more.”
His takeaway makes total sense. Financial freedom is a comparison: of how much you have (wealth) versus how much you need (spending). Cut the spending and hey presto, you need less money to feel free.
Hold up YJ. Could we really get there faster? And without spending more? Wait. That’s a cheat code if there is one.
The destination is psychological, not financial
I have always been clear that money is a means to an end. And that end — as YJ points out — is security, independence, freedom.
My observation is that this destination is psychological, not financial. This would explain why so many rich people are utterly miserable.
So here’s the cheat code: define the end and get there a different way. One that doesn’t require cutting spending, asking for a raise or (dare I say it!) investing.
I’m not a psychologist, but let’s pause and think about feelings for a minute. What does it mean to feel rich?
Security
is the absence of threat - the knowledge that what you have won’t be taken away, that tomorrow looks roughly like today. We tend to think of this as financial: a full emergency fund, a stable income, a paid-off mortgage. But the deepest security is relational and internal. Invest in your friendships, your family, your community. Work on your mental and physical health. Become secure in yourself.
Independence
is about where your resources and authority come from. It’s not needing others to function, to decide, to survive. And yes, building wealth accelerates it, but so does learning to drive, riding a bike, cooking a meal or travelling somewhere alone for the first time. These skills are quiet declarations to yourself of self-sufficiency. In fact, understand finance and find that the feeling of independence will kick in before your returns do.
Freedom
is the broadest of the three: the ability to choose, to act, to become. It has two dimensions: freedom from (obligation, debt, a life you didn’t choose) and freedom to (create, say yes to what lights you up). The fastest route to it? Start saying no. No to what you don’t want to do, to commitments that drain you, to the slow erosion of your time. And do just one thing — anything — before you show up to work for “the man.” Reclaim the edges of your day. Get rid of things that quietly dictate your attention. That’s where freedom lives.
We actually don’t need more money to feel rich
I still think understanding money and how to grow it is still one of the most powerful things you can do for yourself. Money does helps us gain the security, independence and freedom so many of us are looking for.
But, the good news is that we don’t need to wait for more money to feel rich. If fact, we can start today. Start with the actions that get us to those feelings and we’ll feel rich faster. The numbers can catch up.
Cheat Code Unlocked. Thanks YJ.
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I agree.
Money is important. However, you can't achieve inner richness with money alone.
I realized that true richness comes from gaining security, independence, and freedom.
This is such a healthy way to think about money, Piya.
We are constantly pulled toward comparison: what someone else has, how much another person made, the stock move we missed, or the idea that feeling rich has to come from getting more.
But sometimes the real unlock is not adding another target, but needing less from the next one. That feels like a much calmer definition of wealth.
Really enjoyed the article.