Why $1M+ Clients Ignore Expensive Purchases (But Obsess Over Free Moments)
The spending pattern I see in every seven-figure client
I've worked with hundreds of high-income millennials since we started Opulus in 2019.
And I've noticed something that would surprise most people.
The wealthier clients in my practice—we're talking $1M+ net worth—don't get excited about expensive purchases anymore. They don't brag about the new Tesla or the kitchen renovation.
Instead, they light up when talking about a Tuesday morning gym session. Or dropping their kid off at school without rushing. Or taking an unplanned afternoon off to spend lunch with their spouse.
These moments cost almost nothing. But they reveal what most people completely misunderstand about building wealth.
In this newsletter, you'll discover:
Why wealthy people obsess over "free" experiences
What your money should actually be buying (hint: it's not stuff)
The hidden prerequisite for every priceless moment
How to reframe wealth-building around time sovereignty
Let's get into it.
The Pattern I See in Every Wealthy Client
The more successful my clients become, the more they talk about moments that cost zero dollars.
Take one client who makes $750K a year in tech. When I ask about her best purchase last year, she doesn't mention the kitchen remodel or the vacation to Italy.
She talks about her 6 AM gym sessions.
"It's the only hour that's completely mine," she tells me. "No emails. No meetings. No decisions to make for anyone else."
Or consider a client worth $2M. His favorite part of Friday isn't the new SUV or the investment returns from the week.
It's the 10-minute ride dropping his son off at school. No phone calls. No rushing. Just conversation about his world.
Another client gets more excited talking about taking a spontaneous Tuesday morning off for coffee with her husband than the expensive restaurant they went to last weekend.
Every single wealthy client I work with follows this same pattern: they stop obsessing over what money can buy and start celebrating what it lets them control.
These "Free" Moments Aren't Actually Free
Here's what everyone gets wrong about these priceless experiences.
They're not free at all. They're just paid for in advance.
That peaceful school drop-off? Only possible because he doesn't have a 7 AM meeting he can't miss.
Her solo gym time? Only works because she built enough wealth to control her schedule.
The Tuesday coffee date? Only happens when skipping work doesn't trigger financial stress.
Financial freedom creates time sovereignty
Time sovereignty enables choice
Choice is what everyone's actually chasing
This is the hidden cost structure nobody talks about. You don't pay for these moments with cash—you pay for them with years of building enough wealth to buy back control.
What Wealth Actually Purchases
Most people think money buys things, but my wealthiest clients learned it buys something better.
Wealth purchases your time and attention back from the market.
It buys the ability to choose without guilt. To prioritize what matters without financial stress clouding every decision.
Think about it:
No choice = constantly worried about money
Limited choice = working but wishing you were elsewhere
Full choice = there because you decided to be there
That last one is what wealth makes possible. Not luxury. Not status symbols. Just the simple ability to choose how you spend your time.
The wealthiest people I work with don't measure success by what they own. They measure it by how often they get to make choices based on what matters to them.
The Reframe That Changes Everything
This completely changes how you should think about every dollar you invest.
You're not building wealth to buy things. You're building wealth to buy back your life from the endless cycle of trading time for money.
When you understand this, you see the "more" trap for what it really is.
We chase more income, but trade away more time. We buy more house, but work more hours to afford it. We climb higher on the corporate ladder, but spend less time with the people who matter.
The math never works in your favor.
Instead, every financial decision becomes simple:
Does this purchase increase or decrease my time sovereignty?
Here are some examples of how to think through this:
That fancy car lease with higher monthly payments? Might lock you into needing more income.
The investment account that grows without requiring your time? Could give you more options later.
The promotion that comes with a 20% raise but 50% more weekend work? Trading money for the time you actually wanted.
Keeping expenses reasonable while income grows? Means you're not forced to say yes to every client or project.
The key is asking yourself: am I trading short-term lifestyle upgrades for long-term time freedom? Or am I building the foundation that lets me choose how I spend my days?
This is why my wealthiest clients are obsessed with experiences that cost nothing—those experiences are proof that their wealth is working.
That's it.
The wealthiest people I work with figured out what most people never do.
They're not building wealth to buy more stuff. They're building wealth to buy back control over their time.
Every morning gym session. Every unhurried school drop-off. Every spontaneous coffee dates with their spouse. These moments aren't accidents—they're the return on investment from years of smart financial decisions.
But here's what I want you to remember: you don't need $1M to start making choices that increase your time sovereignty instead of decrease it.
You just need to stop falling for the "more" trap and start asking the right question about every dollar you spend.
The goal isn't to get rich. The goal is to be free.
Thanks for reading.
Whenever you're ready, there are 2 other ways we can help you:
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