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Several years ago, I worked with a guy in his very early 20s who'd gotten a $3 million windfall in stock options during the dotcom boom. I asked him why he was still working. He blew it all on partying and all he had to show for it was a small house. He had to rent an apartment to be able to work in the area because his house was 2 hours south. I would hear him regularly call and book $700 a night rooms in Vegas. Obviously, he learned nothing. Meanwhile, I could've retired early on that $3 million.

According to a recent survey, 79% of millionaires didn't inherit anything and only 31% ever made more than $100,000. They became millionaires through smart saving and investing. I find a lot of people like to think it's because they've had advantages other people don't because they themselves don't have the discipline to do the same thing.

Also, I’ve heard statistically, those who 1) finish high school, 2) marry before having a child, and 3) marry after the age of 20 are overwhelmingly less likely to be poor. Only 8 percent of families who do all three are poor. However, 79 percent of those who fail to do all three are poor.