The Secrets of Stealth Wealth

How many people do you know who have stealth wealth? Chances are, not many. That’s because stealth wealth is something that people living it don’t talk about. It’s a secret that they keep to themselves. But why? Why go to all the trouble of keeping your wealth a secret? In this article, I shall try to answer that question and more.

We will explore the concept of stealth wealth and discuss why it is something that everyone should be interested in. We will also provide tips on how to live a life of stealth wealth and how to recognize if others are doing the same. Lastly, we will explain what it takes for you to start living a stealthy wealthy life and why doing so can be so beneficial.

Stealth Wealth is essentially all about having more control over your life and your finances and being able to do what you want when you want.

Contrary to popular belief, stealth wealth is not just for millionaires. Anyone can live a stealth wealth lifestyle if they know how. In this article, we will discuss the secrets of stealth wealth and how you can start living a richer life today!

The greatest wealth is to live content with little.

– Plato

The Secrets of Stealth Wealth: How to Live a Bigger, Better Life on Your Own Terms Click To Tweet

What is Stealth Wealth?

In short, stealth wealth is living beneath your means.

• It’s about keeping your wealth hidden from others, even from family, friends and co-workers. It allows you to live the lifestyle you chose without having the outward appearance of being wealthy.
• It’s about being content with what you have and not worrying about what other people think of you.
• It’s about living a simple lifestyle and not constantly trying to keep up with the Joneses.
• It’s about enjoying life without having to impress others with material possessions.

I’m most certain you’ve ever been curious about the financial status of people you know.

Now imagine if you’re filthy rich but don’t want anyone to know. That’s why some people lead seemingly ordinary lives while driving average cars and seem to be middle-class, while secretly being wealthy.

This is called stealth wealth, and it might just be the wisest decision anyone can make with money and wealth.

Contrary to your average “Nouveau-riche-Lambo-now Crypto Gazillionaire”, stealth wealth is about being wealthy without people knowing about it. Let’s be clear: this isn’t about hiding money away from the authorities; it’s about being aware of your surroundings’ possible responses to money and riches.

Stealth wealth is a mindset, a way of life, focusing less on bling-bling, status symbols, luxury cars, big houses, and all that stuff.

Stealth wealth is the opposite of conspicuous consumption, it’s about finding true wealth and quality of life which financial freedom helps to unlock. It’s all about having the ability to do what you want, when and where you want with whomever you like to.

It’s all about having to focus less on money and having more time, freedom, and peace.

Once you understand this, your world will change for the better.

Most people tend to forget financial success is not just about amassing a lot of money, having expensive homes, and other luxury items. What truly counts in life is to learn how to use that wealth, that money in a way that benefits you and your loved ones. What truly counts is the freedom and quality of life you manage to derive from your “wealth”.

Hold on, now you might say, what’s the point of building wealth and having all this money if you got to hide it?

Well, being rich and living rich are two different kind of shoes.

There’s no black-or-white solution here, there are “50 shades of personal finance”!

Experiment with this concept and find out which approach you prefer!

Pour vivre heureux, vivons cachés.

“In order to live happily, live hidden.”

(French saying)

The Benefits of Stealth Wealth

So, why should I care about this?

You may ask yourself: Why should I live a stealthy wealth life – I’m not wealthy yet myself.

Well, this is now where this gets truly exciting and relevant for everyone here:

The most important benefit of stealth wealth is that it leads to real wealth eventually! Click To Tweet

Of course, there are many more benefits that come with stealth wealth.

Why Stealth Wealth?

The goal is to be rich, not to look rich.

Here are 10 of the most beneficial reasons why you should pursue a life of stealth wealth:

Less Unnecessary Bullshit

Living below your means gives you freedom from a lot of unnecessary bullshit that living a bit “richer” might be attracting to your life.

For example, you don’t need to spend $100 on a haircut when $20 or cutting your hair yourself will do just fine. You don’t need to have the latest iPhone or go on fancy vacations per-se. You can live a very comfortable life without all of that extra stuff and you can keep lifestyle inflation and future expectations in check.

Having a stealthy-wealthy mindset allows you to focus on what’s truly important in life.

You’ll Be Less of a Target

Money – if used wrongly – is not necessarily a magnet but can become a detractor from what truly counts in life. It can invite many unwanted people and situations into your life.

It’s beneficial to have stealth wealth because criminals target those who they perceive as having money. If you don’t show off your stuff or act like you have oodles of cash, robbers and scammers are less likely to target you.

Period.

When you don’t have to show off your stuff, you begin to appreciate it more. You’re less likely to take your possessions for granted when you’re not constantly flaunting them in front of other people.

This goes hand-in-hand with potentially being a target:

If you have fewer material possessions, there’s less that can be taken from you if someone were to break into your home or mug you on the street. Stay away from potential traps, lower your chances of having to deal with lawsuits and so forth.

Less bling-bling, less maintenance, less stress!

Increased opportunities and options

You can negotiate better deals if you appear less wealthy: Avoid markups and rip-offs, get better car insurance rates, and so on. Instead, you can use your stealth-wealth mode to buy assets and create more passive income streams which eventually will lead you as far as to financial freedom!

Some people might see this as “being cheap” but it’s not. It’s about being resourceful and using your stealth wealth mindset to create more opportunities for yourself and your loved ones by getting good deals. Nobody would give wealthy people discounts but they will to those who seem to be more frugal with their money.

You can also use your stealth wealth powers for good and help out family members or friends in need without broadcasting it to the world.

Undercover wealth empowers you!

Sincere Relationships and Friends

People will respect and love you more for being a down-to-earth person. You can still be generous without flaunting your wealth around and people will appreciate you more because of it.

When stealth wealth is your game, people are drawn to you because they feel they can relate to you on a human level – not just a materialistic one. This allows for deeper and longer-lasting relationships with the people in your life. You’ll be able to keep a circle of true friends.

Imagine all the gold diggers and salespeople wanting to get to know you simply because you are wealthy otherwise! Stealth wealth allows you to live a richer life without having to worry about people constantly asking you for money or favors.

Less Stress, Worry and Pressure

When your wealth is stealthy, you’re not constantly thinking about how to maintain an artificial or even superficial image or worrying about people wanting stuff from you. You can live a worry-free life and focus on what’s truly important.

It allows you to be happy with what you have and not compare yourself to others who might have more than you – materialistically speaking.

This way of living also takes away the pressure of having to keep up with the Joneses. It helps you live below your means which will lead to a much less stressful life!

A stealth wealth lifestyle gives you the freedom to do what YOU want with YOUR money instead of feeling like you need to spend it on certain things just because society tells us we should.

How about living a less judgemental life with no third-party expectations, no negative energy from haters, and rather solid protection from envy?

Better Quality of Life

Pursuing a stealth wealth lifestyle will lead you to a more contented life because your focus is not on impressing others with what you have but rather on living a good life yourself.

Countless studies show how having less stuff leads to increased levels of happiness.

When you live below your means, you tend to worry less about money and “things” in general. This gives you more time and energy to focus on the things that truly matter in life: your health, relationships, personal growth, contribution, etc.

More time and freedom to enjoy life equals more happiness and a better quality of life!

Just imagine how differently you may pass through a recession as a stealthy wealthy person rather than someone having to upkeep an expensive and wrong facade to the outside?

Increased Privacy and Freedom

In some way, I look at stealth wealth as one of the best-kept secrets of the wealthy. You can clearly tell the “nouveau rich” apart from those who grew wealthy over time. Some “got-rich fast people” will usually lose it all again sooner rather than later.

It almost feels like stealth wealth is some kind of superpower the rich don’t want you to know about.

Staying below the radar wealth gives you a strong sense of control over your life as you have fewer external inputs to deal with.

This is very empowering and provides this unique and seemingly hard-to-achieve sense of freedom and flexibility that other people simply do not have.

Greater chance of achieving Financial Independence

When you’re not wasting your money on unnecessary things, you’ll have more money to save and invest. This is one of the most important keys to building wealth over time.

If you live a stealth wealth lifestyle, you’re less likely to make impulsive decisions with your money.

You’re also more likely to save regularly because you’re not blowing all your cash on unnecessary things.

Generational Wealth

Wealth doesn’t survive three generations. The first one builds it, the second one maintains it and usually, the third generation loses it.

Usually.

If you want your kids to have a chance at true and lasting wealth, it all starts with stealth wealth.

Kids don’t listen to what you tell them, they observe what you as a parent do and mirror it later on.

Living a stealthy wealthy life yourself lets you “walk the talk”. It helps teach your offspring the value of money and how to be responsible for it. They’ll learn how to live below their means, save regularly, and make wise financial decisions – all of which will set them up for a better future.

It helps to pass “the frugal gene” to the next generation and build generational wealth.

Teaching your kids how to live below their means and instilling the importance of financial literacy at an early age will put them ahead of most people.

Read more here about how to raise [financially] independent children.

Helps Keep You Grounded

The higher you climb, the lower you may fall.

Stealth wealth keeps you grounded.

Guaranteed.

It makes you more humble which is one common trait among many wealthy people: Humility.

Humble people are teachable. They realize that they don’t know everything and are always looking to improve. This mindset helps them stay open-minded, grow, and become even more successful over time.

In contrast, people who display their wealth tend to be more close-minded.

They’re often arrogant and think they know it all which limits their ability to learn and grow.

Stealth wealth also makes it easier for you to relate to other people: When you’re not showing off your wealth, you come across as more relatable, down-to-earth, and likable.

People will be more drawn to you and will want to help you succeed.

And now, since we covered all the “whys” I’m most certain you can take almost any “how”!

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How to Live a Stealth Wealth Life

The answer is pretty simple:

Don’t flaunt your riches.

That’s it!

There’s more to explore in how we can start living a stealth wealth lifestyle:

Live below Your Means

You don’t have to live like a beggar but you shouldn’t be living paycheck to paycheck either. Make sure you’re not spending more than you’re earning and that you have enough left over to save and invest regularly. Whenever possible, delay lifestyle inflation.

Save and Invest, don’t Spend

This is the most basic and important rule of stealth wealth. You have to save and invest your money instead of spending it all. I know it’s not easy, especially when you see all your friends blowing their cash on unnecessary things. But trust me, it’s worth it in the long run. You got to do stuff different from your peers if you want to achieve different results: Learn “money skills”!

Don’t engage in Consumerism

Consumerism is the root of all evil when it comes to stealth wealth. It’s what tells us that we need the latest and greatest gadgets, clothes, shoes, etc. The truth is, you don’t need most of that stuff. You’re just being tricked into thinking that you do. Minimalism is the key to this. Buy what you need, manage your “wants”.

Don’t buy stuff you don’t need to impress people you don’t know.

Live an Average Life

Avoid lifestyle inflation, don’t flash your bling-bling, live in a moderate home, drive an average car, and don’t brag or talk too openly about your wealth, money, or investments.

How much land does a man need?

Be Discreet with Your Money

Don’t go around telling everyone how much money you have or how much you make. That’s a surefire way to attract unwanted attention and even envy.

Diversify Your Investments

Once you’ve reached a critical mass of wealth at one village, investment or bank, diversify further and move some of your assets to other locations.

Control How You Derive Happiness

Learn to derive happiness from things and activities that are not related to spending money. This can be quite challenging for some but will be oh-so-rewarding even more once you conquer this: Find your Ikigai!

Optimize Your Work

Most low-key wealthy people keep their day jobs, and some switch to work lower-stress jobs or jobs they are more passionate about. Early retirement done right could also be an option, but best is to try to stay “below the radar” if you plan to live stealthy wealthy.

Stay Humble

Don’t define yourself through your wealth. Understand that you’re more than just your bank balance and net worth. Agree that you “got lucky” in certain ways as to where you ended up.

Stay humble, nice and stay yourself.

Invest in Yourself

Investing in yourself is one of the best things you can do with your money. It’s enriching in many ways and will pay off tenfold in the long run. Invest in courses, attend seminars, read books, and hire a coach or mentor!

How to Recognize Stealth Wealth

You can’t always tell, especially not if a person really wants to hide their wealth, they can probably do so. But some subtle signs might let you know if someone has money.

Those who don’t want others to notice their wealth will do a variety of things, such as not driving expensive cars or coming across as too smart. People who practice stealth wealth avoid looking like they are anything special and try to “blend in”.

Looking wealthy is expensive, and being wealthy is cheap. Click To Tweet

The best way to tell if someone is living a stealth wealth lifestyle is by their actions:

• Are they living differently than they could be?
• Do they live below their means?
• Are they frugal?

Look for people that seem to have a good sense of what to do with money, but aren’t flashy about it.

• Do they make wise decisions with their money?
• Are they always looking for ways to save or improve?

Stealthy wealthy people are rarely stressed about money and will never talk about “being broke” or “needing more cash”, however, they will also not talk about having “a lot of money”.

They will live everyday lives and may have average jobs.

They are your usual Millionaire Next Door.

Usually, stealthy wealthy folks work for different reasons than just money, they focus on life experiences over possessions, prefer privacy over fame, do not complain about money, come with a very high financial literacy, emphasize education and know how to exchange money for time.

And once you identify stealthy wealthy people, try to learn as much as you can from them: They will most certainly have great lessons for you that will help you on your own journey to financial freedom!

What It Takes to Start Living Stealth Wealth

You will have to live life differently than the vast majority of people around you!

That’s it.

Simple. But not easy.

• You must be willing to stand out and be different.
• You must have a thick skin, ignore social expectations and avoid judgment.
• You must be comfortable with being misunderstood and looked down upon by others occasionally.

This is the price you got to pay for this.

Some people may not understand why someone would want to keep their wealth “a secret”. After all, isn’t the whole point of having money to be able to spend it and show it off?

Well, we all know where that would lead to…

Avoid spending money on typical lifestyle status symbols such as huge homes, fancy cars, and other luxury items.

Stealthy wealthy people like keeping their finances quiet.

Money talks, but wealth whispers. Click To Tweet

If you’re willing to take the path less traveled, then stealth wealth is definitely for you. It’s a lifestyle that will allow you to live a bigger, better life on your own terms!

The remedy is to find new friends and people who align with your new goals and plans.

Do you have what it takes to be stealth wealthy? If you’ve read this blog post all the way down here, then the answer is YES!

Conclusion

Now that you know all about stealth wealth and its many benefits, it’s time to start living your life in a more stealthy way! It’s not easy to achieve but with the right tips, anyone can start living a stealthy wealthy lifestyle.

In this post, we covered everything you need to know about stealth wealth and how to recognize if someone else is living a stealthy wealthy life. We also outlined what it takes for you to start stealthily wealthy and why doing so is one of the best things you can do for yourself.

While stealth wealth may not be the “coolest” thing to talk about, it is a powerful tool that can help you achieve financial success and live a bigger, better, happier life.

Are you ready to start living your new stealth wealth life? If so, then I wish you the very best of luck on your journey! Remember, the choice is yours and only YOU can make it happen! Stealth wealth is something that can help ANYONE looking to improve their financial situation.

So what are you waiting for?

Life is about living YOUR best life on YOUR own terms.

Start living stealthy wealthy today!

Your future self will thank you for it.

Some say one should avoid sharing their financial knowledge as stealthy wealthy, this is where I tend to think differently. This blog is here to share what I’ve learned helping hundreds of wealthy Asians from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore while managing their wealth.

Book me for a free 30 min consultation if you consider to embark on this journey yourself.

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The Secrets of Stealth Wealth: How to Live a Bigger, Better Life on Your Own Terms Click To Tweet

Live stealthy wealthy!

Matt

Follow @Financial Imagineer