1:45am April 26, 2013

“
The reason that the rich were so rich, Vimes reasoned, was because they managed to spend less money.

Take boots, for example. He earned thirty-eight dollars a month plus allowances. A really good pair of leather boots cost fifty dollars. But an affordable pair of boots, which were sort of OK for a season or two and then leaked like hell when the cardboard gave out, cost about ten dollars. Those were the kind of boots Vimes always bought, and wore until the soles were so thin that he could tell where he was in Ankh-Morpork on a foggy night by the feel of the cobbles.

But the thing was that good boots lasted for years and years. A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that’d still be keeping his feet dry in ten years’ time, while the poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet.

This was the Captain Samuel Vimes ‘Boots’ theory of socioeconomic unfairness.
”

—

Terry Pratchett, Men At Arms

This is one of the best breakdowns I’ve ever seen of how expensive it is to be poor.

#also because they spend a smaller proportion of income on necessities #so have more to spend on assets to increase their wealth further over time #no investment properties or substantial shares for the poor #no boats or services provided for a fee #none of that

(via incapableofgivingup)

the definition of wealth is having money that makes money for you. If you are spending ALL your money on the roof over your head and crappy necessities that don’t hold up long enough, then you are never going to have enough to invest. Your rich counterpart will have money invested faster, and in far greater sums, even if you DO manage to deprive yourself of enough to make an investment.

(via deducecanoe)

Right now - having money gives you MORE money… and so on forever.

(via soilrockslove)

Notes: