The Psychology of Money

Housel consolidates his main pieces of advice with brief descriptions of each. The first is to always approach finances with humility and to gracefully accept that some things will go wrong—do not judge yourself, or others, harshly. Secondly, Housel reminds the reader to manage their ego so that they waste less money on status symbols and enjoy the benefits of building real wealth. Next, he recommends maintaining a financial plan that does not create needless risk or stress. He also reminds the reader that following a long-time horizon is the best way to make the most out of their investments, as their profits should compound over decades.

Additionally, Housel advises the reader to accept that they will always experience some losses, maintaining that you can still grow wealthy even while losing money on certain investments. People should use their wealth to gain flexibility and more control over their lives, since this is proven as a major boon to overall happiness and quality of life. Housel insists that everyone should save, whether they have a specific reason to or not, and that any financial plan must have a margin for error to avoid ruin. Similarly, it is important to avoid extreme commitments in financial planning, as they are not sustainable.