这辈子你富不起来的十大原因

何航

There’s an interesting maxim about how long wealth actually stays with a person and their descendants. The saying is three generations, tops: one to make it, one to spend it, and the third to blow it. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule, but have you ever sat down and seriously thought about wealth and what it means to you? Or do you figure, “What the heck, I’ve always been broke, my forefathers were broke; it’s generational” – it’s just a rite of passage of sorts. If you feel that wealth is out of your reach, you aren’t alone. According to some experts, there are millions of ‘clueless potential millionaires’ who could be at the top of the wealth ladder if they only reined in a few bad habits. However, you may be a skeptic, and rightly so. Being wealthy means different things to different people. But according to the experts, there are financial mistakes many people make that keep them away from their possible wealth.
据lifespan网站报道，有句关于财富在人们及其后代中保留时间的格言，非常有趣。格言中的答案是富不过三代：一代赚，二代花，三代败。当然，凡事总有例外，但你曾经是否，冷静下来，认真思考过财富及其对你的意义？或者你是否想过：到底是哪门子的事，我祖上曾破产，我也总是破产？世世代代都这样。”或者只是思考财富的方式各有不同。如果觉得自己跟财富无缘，要知道有这样想法的人不止你一个。一些专家认为，还有着千百万毫无头绪“潜在的百万富翁”，只要他们控制好自己的一些坏习惯，他们的名字就会出现在富豪榜单前列。然而，你也许是个怀疑论者，或者恰恰如此。不同的人对富裕有着不同的概念。但有些专家表示，错误的财务决定导致人们与财富无缘。
What is Wealth Anyway?
那么，财富究竟是什么呢？
Most people do not equate wealth with a mansion or a big yacht. In fact, a scanty 7% of people surveyed associate wealth with material possessions like cars, houses and boats. Rather, to many, being rich means having just enough to not worry about the next payday – that’s according to 33% of those questioned. An additional 26% define being wealthy, or rich, as having more than enough money to quit their jobs. Still, few people place an actual dollar amount on what it means to be wealthy. Only 17% felt that being rich means having at least $1 million or more, and 11% stated a six-figure yearly income would make them feel rich. Yet most people who are rich don’t even consider themselves rich. Maybe it’s because being ‘rich’ or ‘wealthy’ has very little to do with material possessions, and more to do with how people feel about themselves. Nonetheless, according to financial experts you will never be rich if you are bogged down by anything on the following list:
多数人并不会把财富等同于豪华大宅或游艇。事实上，在受访人群中，仅7%的人认为财富与车子、房子及游艇这样的物质财产密不可分。但是对于多数人，有33%的受访人群表示，富裕意味着有足够的经济实力，且不用担心工资不够用的问题。另外的有26%认为富裕或者有钱就是家里的钱足够多，可以不用工作。但是，很少人会用具体多少钱来衡量富裕与否。只有17%的人表示有钱意味着你至少得有一百万美元以上，11%的人表示六位数的年收入才会让他们觉得自己富有。但是大多数富人并不认为自己有钱。也许因为他们认为“有钱”或“富裕”与物质财产没多大关系，更多的是人们自己怎么看待自己。然而，理财专家表示如果你有下列坏习惯，那么你就富不起来：
1. Overspending
1. 过度消费
If you have a ferocious appetite for spending beyond your means, you’re not alone. According to a survey, of the 52% of people who habitually overspend, many balance the shortfall by taking from their savings, and 22% rely on credit cards. Blowing all your money each month is not a realistic pathway to wealth. Start tracking where your money goes each month, check where you can cut back, and create a ‘realistic’ budget that allows you to pay your bills and invest in a retirement account or an emergency fund.
很多人消费欲望强烈，常常入不敷出。据一项调查显示，52%的人已养成过度消费的习惯，其中许多人动用存款平衡收支，还有22%的人对信用卡产生依赖。每个月浪费掉你所有的钱，你怎么能富裕的起来呢。现在开始记录每月用钱情况，看看哪里是否可以节省，制定一个“切实”的预算方案，该花的花，办个退休账户或是留些应急基金。
2. Not Saving Enough
2. 储蓄不足
Welcome to the club! The personal savings percentage in the US is a measly 4.9% of disposable income. Saving should become a priority if you want to accumulate wealth. Start with an emergency fund. Once your emergency fund is substantial, you can redirect small amounts toward other goals like purchasing a home or paying for college.
欢迎加入这个行列！在美国，个人存款占可支配收入的比重仅有4.9%。如果你想要积累财富，那么首先，你就应该存钱。先设立应急基金。当应急基金存够了以后，你可以花一小部分钱用作他途，比如买房子或者付大学学费。
3. You Have Too Much Debt
3. 负债累累
Certain debts are a precursor to financial success, like purchasing real estate or starting a business; however, a high-interest credit card balance is not. Pay off credit cards with the highest rates first.
某些负债会带来成功，比如说买地产或创业；但高利率的信用卡债务绝对是个灾难。先还清利率最高的信用卡吧。
4. You Don’t Have a Plan
4. 缺乏计划
Without a definite, clearly defined plan, becoming rich will seem like an unbelievable dream. This alone will solidify your excuses for overspending and not saving. As the saying goes, “Those who fail to plan, plan to fail.” Putting together a financial plan may seem tedious, but it doesn’t have to be, and you can get used to it.
缺乏一个明确清晰的计划，想要富起来就像白日做梦。仅仅这一点，就会为你美化过度花费，存款不足的种种借口。常言道，“不制定计划的人注定失败。”制定理财计划也许单调乏味，但也不一定无聊，习惯就好。
5. You Don’t Have an Emergency Fund
5. 无应急基金
Experts say you need at least six months of income saved in case of an emergency. Life is tricky, and not having some type of safety net can turn a comfortable situation into a disaster.
专家表示每个人至少需要半年工资收入作为应急基金。毕竟，生活没有一帆风顺，缺乏相关安全保障有时也会将安逸顺境转为苦难逆境。
6. You Started Late

何航

6. 起步较晚

Time is slipping by. Just like starting an exercise routine, the most difficult part about saving is getting started. Even if you have debt, a small income, or many expenses, you can save something, even if it’s only a small amount.
时光消逝，岁月如梭。就像要开始日常锻炼，最困难的一步就在起步阶段。纵然你欠有债务、收入甚微、或是花钱如流，你也可以存点钱，哪怕只是一点点。

7. You Complain Rather Than Commit
7. 光说不练

“I don’t earn enough money”; “Life is too expensive”; “It’s hopeless, I’ll never get out of debt.” Have you uttered any of these statements before, or perhaps all of them? Old habits die hard; however, as long as you do nothing to change, nothing will change. Stop complaining and making excuses. Instead, take responsibility for your non-productive habits and concentrate on how to change them – and then do it!
“赚的不多”；“物价太高”；“债务缠身，毫无希望。”你有过其中的想法吗？还是全都有？江山易改，本性难移；不付诸努力，什么也不会改变。那么，不再抱怨，不再寻求借口。而应该为自己无用的习惯买单，专注于如何改变他们，且说到做到！

8. You Live for Today, and Forget About Tomorrow
8. 不话当下，只论明天

It’s no fun getting serious and thinking about retirement and all that stuff. Nonetheless, eventually it has to be done. The problem is that impulsive and unregulated spending leads to debt… period! Do yourself a big favor: Get rid of the ‘buy now, worry later’ attitude, and switch to a ‘save now, get rich later’ way of thinking.
认真思考退休生活等类似事情，毫无乐趣。但是，你还是会这么想。原因在于冲动无节制的开销导致了负债生活没有终日！帮自己个大忙：转变“现在买入，日后担忧”的态度，开启“现在存钱，日后富有”的思维方式。

9. Putting All Your Eggs in One Basket
9. 把鸡蛋放在一个篮子里

You might get lucky by wagering all your money on one type of investment. Just like you might get lucky winning the lottery. But that’s not a strategy to live by, or for getting rich. Putting all your money in one place is not advised because it puts you at too much risk. Your investment portfolio should include multiple investments with varied levels of risk and ROI potential and liquidity.
将所有的钱投在一处，你或许会有好运气。但，机率就像是中彩票一样。所以，这不是一种适合的生活准则，更不会使你富裕起来。在一棵树上吊死存在巨大的风险。投资组合应该搭配不同风险，回报率、流动性均不一的多种形式投资。

10. You Just Don’t Get It!
10. 就是不明白

You may be one of those people who believe that somehow something will come along and save you, so why bother with saving or trying to get out of debt? Maybe you will get lucky and land a fantastic job, receive a big pay raise, inherit money, hit the lottery, or whatever! But ‘whatever’ won’t cut it if you really want to become rich. Yes, life is uncertain. No one knows what will, or will not, actually happen; therefore, why not focus on what you can control today? Get it together now and save yourself, in case someone or something else won’t.
你也许属于这样的人，想着无论怎样，总会有好事出现，拯救你，所以，为什么去费脑子，非要存款，或是还清债务呢？可能，你会交好运，找到份好工作，再来个大幅度加薪，或是继承钱财，中彩票等等！但是，如果你真想富起来，这些还不管用。是的，生活无常，没有人知道将来会发生，不会发生什么；因此，为什么不集中精力做你今天能做到的呢？如果没有人或事帮你的话，那就打起精神，帮帮自己吧。

One thing you can be sure of: You are already rich. Think about it. If someone came to you and offered you a million dollars for your arm, would you give it up? Why not, you have two; you can surely spare one of them! Of course the answer would be no! Being rich is more than physical ownership; it’s a state of happiness and well-being, while wishing the same for others. So while you are working on getting rich materially, remember to be happy along the way!
有件事你可以确信无疑：你已经是百万富翁了。想一想，如果有人打算出一百万美元买你的手臂，你愿意吗？为什么不呢，你有左右两支手臂；你完全可以出卖一支！当然，大家的回答都是不可能。富裕不仅仅是身体要健康，还是一种快乐幸福的状态，当然，同时也不忘祝福他人。所以，努力奋斗在致富之路上，请记住，要一路幸福。