Self-made millionaires do things a little bit differently than most of us. They allocate their time and energy carefully to what’s more important, focusing on personal growth, work, health, family, investments and even their own thoughts. Some of them might take frugality to the next level, while others love to enjoy everything life has to offer, but they’re all very consistent and resilient in overcoming any challenges to reach their own goals.
Have you ever thought about what tools rich people use to run, grow and maintain their fortunes? Some of them are pretty basic and we’re all familiar with them, but rich people use them differently to get the most out of every day. Let’s take a closer look at 10 tools and services rich people love to use on a daily basis:
1. The Calendar
This might be a no-brainer, but trust me, you probably don’t use the calendar as a self made millionaire. We’ve all made to-do-lists now and then, but rich people are extremely focused and most of them use a calendar to plan everything in their lives. Breaking every single day down into carefully planned hours helps them get more time for themselves and generates a huge positive impact in their lives.
Making time for yourself should be a priority, not an option. And if you’re very good at organizing your time, you won’t get up in the morning asking yourself “what should I do today?”. You’re ready for action, tackling one task after another, until you get everything done. Start planning things today, at least with simple to do lists, and then use a calendar to make sure your time is perfectly structured and organized.
2. High End Smartphone & Laptop
The newest iPhone or Galaxy might be too expensive for many of us, but the world’s richest people love to stay on top of things and always get the latest premium smartphones or laptops. They’re not buying specs, they’re buying ease of use, high performance, fresh battery life, and a chance to bring their office with them everywhere they go. That’s a key selling point for the super rich.
You probably think you don’t really need the latest smartphone or laptop, but we’re using them only for entertainment and communication. Rich people use them for their own advantage, connecting all their resources to these smart devices. And once you realize you can run your business and even generate income from your smartphone or laptop, you know it’s worth spending thousands of dollars on the best out there. You’re buying an asset, not a high end toy.
3. Banking Apps
Speaking of smartphones and finances, everything is connected today and we’re sure most banks provide an app that allows you to check your finances and pay for almost everything in your life, from bills, rent and subscriptions to taxes. It’s like having a bank in your own pocket and the beautiful thing is that it gives you a clear understanding of your current financial situation.
Money is just a number on your screen and the more control you have over your finances, the better you’ll be with your investments. You can even automate some payments to make sure everything is paid on time, and you’ll have more time to focus on growing that number in your bank account, instead of thinking about expenses.
4. Robinhood
Officially launched in 2015, Robinhood has been a disruptive force in the investment world, a smartphone-first brokerage app that allows anyone to log into their account and place trades for some of the world’s biggest companies. In the past, you used to need a broker to buy Microsoft, Google, Amazon, AT&T or any other stocks. Now you just need this app and.. you don’t even have to buy a full share. You can buy tiny fractions of any stock.
If you ask us, Robinhood is the future of stock trading and investing. It’s already an insanely popular tool for millennial investors and even though some of the world’s richest people still prefer to invest in stocks the ‘old fashioned way’, a lot of them have also started dropping more money on Robinhood just for fun.
5. Vanguard ETFs
If you want to take investing seriously and stop playing with your money, Vanguard has been a blessing for the super rich and it’s one of the main tools that helped the rich get richer in the last decades. Mutual funds, IRAs, ETFs, 401k plans and more, Vanguard has everything you could possibly wish for, an investment platform where you can put your money in anything, from stocks to retirement, mutual funds and most importantly, index funds.
With trillions of dollars in assets managed by its funds, you just know Vanguard is one of the biggest and most efficient investment firms in the world. That’s why the rich trust it so much. They encourage buy and hold investing and the best thing is that all their ETFs (exchange traded funds) are commission free.
6. VPNs and other Security Apps
The biggest problem with technology and the internet is that everything you do online can be also tracked and used against us. Rich people are well aware of this, especially those who travel a lot and have to use their smartphones or laptops for any tasks on the go. If you want to protect yourselves while surfing the web, a VPN service is highly recommended. It’s super easy to install and with just a few clicks you can hide your IP and browse the internet or open any apps safely.
If you have kids, it might be a good idea to install a parental control app because children today have far more exposure to virtual systems than any other age group in the history of human civilization. With that exposure comes a lot of danger and as good and responsible parents it is up to us to ensure that our children use their smartphones appropriately, since you cannot be with them all the time.
7. Audiobooks and Podcasts
We all consume so much information on a daily basis and it’s a real struggle to filter through all that noise and find the stuff you really care about. Rich people try to gain as much value as possible, especially during their spare time, that’s why they use audiobooks or listen to podcasts at the gym or.. when they travel somewhere. This way they could go through an entire book just by listening to it for a few hours.
Listening to your favorite tunes while you’re driving to or from work is nice, but an audiobook can be ten times better. It might be confusing if you’ve never done it before, but once you start listening to audiobooks, you’ll realize it can be an even better way to experience a story than reading it in books.
8. Guided Meditation Apps
Being wealthy and having a business or more comes with a lot of stress and anxiety in your life. Your mind is probably constantly buzzing with so many different ideas and worries and somehow you need to hit that ‘pause’ button and take control of them if you want to focus better on your goals. That’s where meditation comes in.
Some of the world’s most successful people use a form of meditation to calm their minds and to help them be more productive. That’s why guided meditation apps like Calm, Headspace or Aura have been extremely popular ever since they were launched.
9. Skyscanner, Kiwi or Similar services
Flying is fast and super efficient, but it’s not necessarily cheap. And unless you’re extremely wealthy, you probably don’t own a private jet that will take you anywhere you want, whenever you want to. It’s easier than ever to book a flight nowadays, but it’s always recommended to try to find the best possible deals. Even rich people do it and that’s where flight booking apps come in.
The best airfare search sites and apps will always find you the lowest ticket prices. You’ll skip the pop-ups and the upsells and you’ll get the best deal in seconds. Apps like Skyscanner, Kiwi or Hopper are just a few names, but there are also services like Jetsmarter that allows you to fly private using someone else’s business jet. It’s like an uber for the super rich.
