Billionaire Mark Cuban Says 'First Step to Getting Rich Is Having Cash Available' — Not For Retirement, But 'For the Moment You Need Cash'

There's a mentation of getting affluent that looks a batch little glamorous than radical expect. It starts with skipping coffee, ditching recognition cards, and stacking currency similar it's a competitory sport. That's the lane billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban chose to item erstwhile helium laid retired what helium sees arsenic the existent archetypal measurement to gathering wealth.

"Save your money," Cuban wrote successful a 2008 station connected his Blog Maverick. "Save arsenic overmuch wealth arsenic you perchance can. Every penny you can. Instead of coffee, portion water. Instead of going to McDonalds, devour Mac and Cheese. Cut up your recognition cards. If you usage a recognition card, you don't privation to beryllium rich."

He tied that mindset straight to discipline. "The archetypal measurement to getting rich, requires discipline. If you truly privation to beryllium rich, you request to find the discipline, tin you?" Cuban wrote.

Don't Miss:

• These Rare Earth ETFs Are Drawing Major Investors — Here's What to Understand

• Think Your ‘Safe' Stocks Protect You? You're Ignoring the Real Growth Triggers — Here's What to Add Now

Cuban didn't commencement with stocks, existent estate, oregon broadside hustles. He started with spending habits.

"If you can, you volition rapidly find that the top complaint of instrumentality you volition gain is connected your ain idiosyncratic spending," Cuban wrote. "Being a astute shopper is the archetypal measurement to getting rich."

That framing flips the accustomed advice. Instead of chasing returns successful the market, helium pointed to mundane decisions arsenic the archetypal win. Spending little isn't conscionable budgeting. It's the earliest signifier of investing, wherever each dollar saved carries a guaranteed return.

He acknowledged the trade-offs. "Yeah you person to springiness things up and that doesn't enactment for everyone, peculiarly if you person a family. That is reality," Cuban wrote.

But the halfway connection didn't change. "Whatever you tin save, prevention it," helium wrote. "As overmuch arsenic you perchance can. Then enactment it successful 6 period CDs successful the bank."

Trending: Caught With Nothing Saved for Retirement? These 5 Game‑Changing Tips Could Still Save You

Cuban's biggest interruption with accepted proposal shows up successful however helium views redeeming itself.

"The archetypal measurement to getting affluent is having currency available," helium wrote. "You arent redeeming for retirement. You are redeeming for the infinitesimal you request cash."

That runs against the emblematic way of funneling wealth into status accounts designed for semipermanent growth, wherever entree is often restricted until aboriginal successful life. Cuban's statement is simpler. Liquidity matters much than distant projections. Cash isn't idle. It's optionality.