Not All Spending Is Equal: Retain Value, Don’t Just Consume It

Do You Live to Work or Work to Live?

If you’re working month after month without saving anything or building anything of value, it might be time to ask yourself: are you working to live, or living to work?

You might be earning a steady paycheck, but if you’re spinning your wheels—covering bills with nothing left to show for it—you’re not getting ahead. You’re just staying afloat.

Have you ever met someone in their 40s only to discover they have nothing saved for retirement? They’ve worked for the last 20 years, earned close to a million dollars—yet have nothing to show for it. Where did the money go? How could they have saved nothing after all that effort?

Let’s take a deeper look at what it means to retain value, why it matters, and how you can shift your mindset from pure consumption to long-term wealth building.

Are Financial Advisors Worth It? Or Just Salespeople in Disguise?

Financial advisors are often synonymous with investing and budgeting. But are they genuinely helpful professionals with a vested interest in your financial future—or are they just polished sales reps dressed like helpful best friends? Are their services worth the cost, or are high fees quietly draining your investments over time? Are they truly as unbiased as they portray themselves?

Let’s take a deeper look at the industry and where modern financial services are headed.