TL;DR 5: How to Build Your Wealth (130 words)

Wealth is what you own minus what you owe.

A high income doesn’t make you wealthy. Beware spending more simply because you earn more.

Once a year, calculate your net worth. List your assets: savings, investments, pension, the value of your home. List your liabilities: mortgage, loans, credit cards. Subtract the second total from the first. Early on, the number may be negative while you buy a home, build a family and start a pension; that is normal. What matters is that it climbs and becomes positive.

Money invested early and left alone compounds; money invested late has to work much harder.

Do not save everything for later. When you are older, you may have more money. Will you have the energy? Spend some of it now, on purpose.