What would you do for a million dollars?

Why a million dollars isn't a million dollars anymore

Million dollars just isn't what it used to be. Because of inflation, there are more millionaires today than ever before. Last year, the WS Journal wrote that there were 7.5 million millionaires in the world -- a record number.

At the turn of the millennium, there were 2.8 million Americans with $1 million in investable assets (meaning the value of their homes is not included among those assets)

These people are considered high-net-worth individuals (HNWI). About 2.5 million people had $1 to $5 million of investable assets; 200,000 had $5 million to $10 million, and the rest had more than $10 million. That's not counting the number of people in this country who have a million-dollar net worth if you include their principle residence.

From How to Make a Million Dollars

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Researchers have studied the lifestyles of millionaires and come to the conclusion that the majority of them don't live that way at all. That's part of why they're millionaires. Thomas Stanley and William Danko's book "The Millionaire Next Door" revealed that most millionaires really could be the folks next door. They don't drive a new car every year or jet around the world. In fact, sometimes they're the least likely person you would suspect.

Stanley and Danko found that millionaires share a few common characteristics:

They live below their means. Half of the millionaires interviewed did not live in high-status neighborhoods. Instead, they lived in average neighborhoods in average houses. That's how they were able to save money. The other half that did live in high-status neighborhoods only moved there after they had become wealthy.

They lead frugal lifestyles. Most do not buy $5,000 suits, expensive boats or even new cars. You might say they're tightwads. They shop for bargains and always negotiate for a better deal.

They're self-employed or own their own businesses. They also love their work -- they connect with their jobs and feel very passionate about them.

They plan and study investments. The majority of millionaires invest heavily and spend a large amount of their time studying their investments or seeking advice from financial advisors.

They weren't always at the top of their class. Another surprising commonality among the millionaires interviewed was that they didn't all have advanced degrees or graduate at the top of their classes. Some didn't even go to college and a few didn't even finish high school.

They're self-made. Finally, the majority of millionaires received no family money and do not plan to give their own children a lot of money. They want their children to succeed the same

From How to Make a Million Dollars