Pay Yourself First
Fund your asset column before you pay anyone else.
Pay Yourself First is one of rich dad's most provocative habits: when money comes in, put a portion into your asset column before paying bills, taxes, or any other obligation. Most people pay everyone else first, and if there is anything left over (there rarely is), they save or invest it. The rich reverse this order.
This is not about ignoring bills or defaulting on obligations. It is about creating internal financial pressure that forces you to find creative ways to earn additional income to cover expenses. When you pay yourself first and money is tight, the pressure motivates you to generate more income rather than simply cutting spending or dipping into savings. It builds financial discipline and financial creativity simultaneously.
Kiyosaki acknowledges this requires guts. Creditors and bill collectors will pressure you. But the difference between the rich and the poor is that the rich can withstand this pressure and use it as motivation, while the poor cave and pay everyone else first, leaving nothing for wealth building.
- Pay yourself first means funding your asset column before paying any bills or obligations.
- The internal pressure of unpaid bills motivates financial creativity and additional income generation.
- Most people pay themselves last and have nothing left to invest.
- Financial self-discipline is the single most important personal trait for building wealth.
- If you cannot control yourself, do not try to get rich.
- The government and creditors will take what they can; you must take yours first.
- Use the pressure of bills as motivation to earn more, not as a reason to stop investing.
- Set a Fixed Percentage for YourselfDecide on a percentage of every income deposit that goes to your asset column first. Start with 10 percent if you are new to this; increase over time. This is non-negotiable regardless of what bills are due.
- Automate the TransferSet up automatic transfers from your income account to your investment or asset acquisition account. Automation removes the temptation to skip a month. If the money never hits your spending account, you cannot spend it.
- Use the Pressure ConstructivelyWhen paying yourself first leaves you short on bills, use that pressure to find additional income sources rather than raiding your asset account. Take on freelance work, sell something, or find creative ways to bridge the gap. This builds your income-generating muscle.
- Never Dip into the Asset ColumnDo not pull money from your asset account to pay bills, no matter how strong the temptation. The pressure of unpaid bills is your ally in developing financial creativity. Only cowards pay themselves last.
Kiyosaki's rich dad made it a practice to fund his asset column first every month, even when cash flow was tight. When creditors called, the pressure motivated him to find new deals, negotiate better terms, or create additional income streams. His poor dad, by contrast, paid every bill immediately and had nothing left to invest.
Kiyosaki observed that both his dads paid their bills on time, but one paid his bills first while the other paid his bills last. His poor dad paid everyone else first and had nothing left. His rich dad put money into his asset column first, then used the pressure of outstanding bills as motivation to find ways to generate additional income. This habit was one of the key behavioral differences that led to dramatically different financial outcomes.