Millionaire-itis - a new disease

Who Wants to Be an Internet Millionaire

Sunday, October 01, 2000

By Cristina Rouvalis, Post-Gazette Staff Writer

Millionaire-itis is the obsession of our times. We fixate on the TV show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" and the most cunning "Survivor." Everywhere you look, there is another story about dot.com riches or stock-market wealth. It's a new national pastime, fantasizing about becoming suddenly rich and telling your boss you're outta here.

"There are a lot more wealthy people," says Stephen Goldbart, a clinical psychologist who co-founded the Money, Meaning and Choices Institute in San Francisco. "It makes everybody else working regular jobs feel left out."

And nothing elicits millionaire-envy among working stiffs than those stories about young dot.com millionaires who made their wealth through Internet savvy.

3 Simple steps to accelerate your wealth

1. Buy a house - real assest can be a great asset (build equity, instead of renting)
2. Make saving a priority - commit to saving a certain amount each month or week and put it in a high yield savings account. Don't take this money out.
3. Invest in the stock market - pick dividend paying companies for the long term.

I'll admit I haven't done step 3 yet because I've been a little scared of losing money. One of my goals this month is to use the money generated from this blog to start an investment account with Sharebuilder.

Feng Shui your way to wealth?

My brother recently has gotten into Feng Shui - the art of arranging objects in space to create harmony. One area that can be influenced is your wealth and prosperity. My brother tried this out and coincidently one of his books sold on half.com. It is an interesting idea and worth a try. The area of the house devoted to wealth and abundance is located in the rear left or (southeast corner of the dwelling). Check out this great Feng Shui website to increase your Wealth and Abundance. I do believe that having things organized and reducing clutter can make your home more efficient and relaxing. I let you know how Feng Shui works in my home. I'm currently redecorating and repainting one room at a time.