Let’s face it—most of us were taught to play it safe: go to school, find a good job and work hard until you reach retirement. But financial expert Codie Sanchez believes this mindset is exactly what keeps so many people stuck. The key factor to financial success is less about income level and more about daily lifestyle choices. From lifestyle creep to ignoring passive income, these middle-class patterns might be holding you back more than you think. Discover 15 habits that may be quietly taking money from your wallet – and what to do instead.
Featured Image Credit: Krakenimages.com /Depositphotos.com.
Relying on Just One Income Stream
Most people are taught to get a job, work hard, and stick with it. But that’s risky. When you lose your job, you lose your entire income. According to Codie, smart people have multiple income streams – like side hustles, investments, and small businesses. So they’re not dependent on a single income.
Lifestyle Inflation
This one’s sneaky. When you get a raise, you immediately start feeling the need for a better car, a bigger house and nice clothes. Your new income disappears before you realize it. Sanchez explains that you get rich by keeping your expenses constant even as your income rises.
Thinking High Income = Wealth
A high income does not automatically make someone wealthy. Living paycheck to paycheck means your spending matches your income exactly. Your real wealth depends on how much money you save rather than how much you make.
Overcommitting Socially
Frequent outings can be entertaining yet they all add up – those expensive dinners, drinks, birthday gifts, and weekend trips. And it’s not all about money. Saying “yes” all the time leads to exhaustion and makes it harder to focus on reaching your financial objectives.
Trying to Be Liked by Everyone
Wanting to be liked is natural, but if you’re always trying to please people—buying stuff to impress them, agreeing to plans you can’t afford—you’ll pay for it in the long run. Respect is better than popularity, especially when it comes to your money.
Not Valuing Your Time
Middle-class folks often get stuck doing everything themselves—cooking, cleaning, managing every tiny task—thinking it’s “saving money.” But time is money, too. Delegating or outsourcing small tasks can free up time to focus on income-generating activities or building your future.
Doing Everything Alone
A lot of people try to hustle solo. Codie says that’s a mistake. Building wealth often takes a team—mentors, partners, employees. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or work with others to grow something bigger than yourself.
Ignoring Mental Health
Burnout is real. If you’re always pushing through stress and skipping self-care, it can mess with your focus and decision-making. Sanchez says you can’t build anything great if your brain’s running on empty—so take care of your mental game, too.
Sleeping In or Starting the Day Late
While not everyone’s a morning person, a lot of successful people start early. Waking up earlier gives you quiet time to plan your day, get ahead, or work on your side hustle before the chaos starts.
Seeing Money as a Taboo Topic
A lot of people avoid talking about money because it feels awkward or rude. But Codie Sanchez says that staying quiet keeps us in the dark. She believes we should talk more openly about money—how we save, spend, and invest—so we can learn and get better with it.
Living for the Weekend
If you’re always just waiting for Friday, something’s off. Codie says building a life you don’t need to escape from—where you’re excited to work on your goals every day—is way more powerful than spending five days just to live for two.
Always Trading Time for Money
This is the classic “hourly wage” trap. You only earn when you work. To build real wealth, Sanchez says you need passive income—like rental properties, digital products, or dividend stocks that pay you even while you sleep.
Not Learning About Money
The majority of us received no formal education on money management during our school years. Sanchez encourages self-learning through books, podcasts, YouTube videos and mentorships. Knowing how money works is key to making it grow.
Avoiding Risk
Middle-class people tend to stay within their comfort zone – they hold onto unfulfilling jobs, keep their money in low-interest accounts and never start business ideas. Codie’s big on taking smart risks. Growth doesn’t happen in your comfort zone.
No Clear Financial Goals
It’s hard to reach a goal you haven’t set. Many people dream about becoming wealthy or achieving financial comfort yet they lack a strategy to reach that point. Codie advises creating a written plan detailing your savings targets and investment goals to develop a roadmap toward your financial objectives.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
Like our content? Be sure to follow us on MSN.