Word-Of-the-Week #2013: Wealth
January 8, 2026 by Susan Clarke
Wealth – an abundance of valuable material possessions or resources; riches.
Have you ever wondered how wealthy people achieve all they have? Do you subscribe to monthly subscriptions that you hardly ever use? How much of your attention is focused on attaining the level of wealth you want?
This week features the first half of Jordan Cooper’s article, “Mark Cuban says if you want to build real wealth, eliminate these 7 expenses immediately. Here’s to having a truly Happy & Prosperous New Year!
- Most people sabotage their own wealth-building by spending money on things that provide zero return.
“Mark Cuban didn’t build billions by spending carelessly. One of his most consistent messages over the years has been simple: most people sabotage their own wealth-building by spending money on things that provide zero return.
1) Credit card interest
Cuban has said repeatedly that paying credit card interest is the fastest way to stay poor. If you’re carrying balances and paying 20%+ interest, you’re working backwards financially.
He’s not subtle about this. Cuban calls credit card debt a trap that makes banks rich while keeping you broke. Every dollar you pay in interest is a dollar that could be invested or saved.
His advice is simple: stop using credit cards you can’t pay off monthly. If you have balances, attacking that debt becomes your first priority before any other financial goal.
This makes people defensive because credit card debt feels normal. But Cuban’s point is that normal financial behavior keeps you average. Building wealth requires different choices.
2) New cars and auto loans
Cuban drove the same car for years even after becoming wealthy. He’s repeatedly said that buying new cars is one of the biggest wealth destroyers for regular people.
Cars depreciate the moment you drive them off the lot. Taking on auto loans means paying interest on something that’s actively losing value. It’s financial self-sabotage.
His recommendation is to buy used, pay cash when possible, and drive cars into the ground. The money saved on car payments and depreciation can be invested, where it actually grows instead of evaporating.
I’ve watched people making $50,000 a year buy $40,000 cars on loans. Cuban would call this insanity, and he’d be right. That monthly payment is stolen wealth.
3) Subscription services you barely use
Cuban talks about subscription creep constantly. That $10 here, $15 there adds up to hundreds of dollars monthly for services people barely use.
Streaming services, gym memberships, software subscriptions, meal kits, subscription boxes. Each one seems small, but together they’re a significant drain.
His advice is to audit subscriptions quarterly and ruthlessly cut anything you’re not actively using. If you haven’t been to the gym in three months, cancel it. If you’re not watching a streaming service, kill it.
When I finally audited my own subscriptions last year, I found $80 monthly going to services I’d forgotten about. That’s nearly $1,000 annually wasted on nothing.
4) Luxury items for status signaling
Cuban has talked about how destructive status spending is for wealth building. Designer clothes, luxury brands, expensive watches bought to impress others are wealth killers.
He famously wore the same shoes for years despite being a billionaire. His point was that spending money to signal status is money that could be building actual wealth instead.
The people trying to look rich are usually the furthest from it. Real wealth building requires being comfortable looking average while your money works for you invisibly.
This is probably the hardest expense to eliminate because status signaling feels good. But Cuban’s point is clear: choose between looking wealthy and becoming wealthy.”
This week’s focus is on building wealth. Are you making investments or depleting your savings potential? How long do you typically own your cars? How would it feel to have no credit card debt?
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