Today I calculated my own net worth and read the first third of The Millionaire Next Door. The book is a great use of social science. Many of our society's conceptions of the wealthy are inaccurate; the authors use surveys and interviews to explain who the wealthy are and how they obtained and maintain their wealth.

The basic point is this: become a millionaire by budgeting and controlling expenses, stay a millionaire the same way.

I am not performing very well by this standard. However I have a budget in place for my year in business school that should start me off in the right direction. How do I know I'm not doing well? Calculate what your net worth should be by multiplying your age by your annual realized income and divide that number by ten.

The book is worth a read, and you can get it on Amazon for $1.69 used.