what percent of the millionaires surveyed plan ahead and save for large purchases? how is this a deciding action?
About 70% of the millionaires in the commonly cited “Becoming a Millionaire – Chapter 3, Lesson 2” survey are reported to plan ahead and save for large purchases.
Direct answer
- Roughly 70% of the millionaires surveyed say they plan ahead and save for large purchases.
- This is considered a “deciding action” because it reflects a conscious, proactive choice that shapes their financial future instead of letting short‑term impulses decide for them.
Why planning ahead is a deciding action
Planning and saving for big expenses (cars, vacations, home repairs, tuition, etc.) does a few powerful things:
- Avoids debt and interest
- By saving before buying, they can pay cash or use far less credit.
- This means less money lost to interest and fees, so more stays available to invest and grow wealth over time.
- Protects cash flow and stability
- Large “surprise” purchases can wreck a monthly budget if they are not planned.
- Saving in advance smooths out these spikes so big expenses feel routine instead of like emergencies.
- Aligns spending with long‑term goals
- When you plan ahead, you ask, “Does this big purchase fit my long‑term plan?” before committing.
- That mindset prioritizes retirement, debt freedom, and investing over impulse or lifestyle “creep.”
- Builds discipline and intentionality
- Millionaires in these studies are often described as “deciders,” not “sliders”: they decide where their money goes instead of sliding into habits.
* Saving for large purchases is a practical, everyday way of exercising that intentional control.
How this fits with other millionaire habits
In the same set of survey insights:
- 79–94% report living on less than they make, meaning they deliberately spend below their income.
- Around 88–93% say they stick to the budgets they create, reinforcing daily discipline.
Planning ahead for large purchases fits right beside these habits. Together, they:
- Create margin (extra money) to save and invest.
- Prevent lifestyle inflation from eating up income.
- Turn wealth-building into a series of small, consistent decisions rather than one lucky event.
A quick illustrative example
Imagine two people earning the same income:
- Person A sees a new car, finances it quickly, and adds a large monthly payment plus higher insurance.
- Person B decides a year in advance, saves every month for a big down payment or a fully paid used car, and chooses a price range that fits their long‑term plan.
Over years, Person B pays far less interest, keeps more cash for investing,
and maintains flexibility.
That single habit—planning and saving for big purchases—becomes a deciding
action that nudges them toward becoming (and staying) a millionaire, instead
of living paycheck to paycheck.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.