The 9-5 Millionaire (5 things they do)

^{Read time - 4 minutes / Disclosure} 

 

Becoming a 9-5 millionaire means:

- You have less bills.

- You have less stress.

- Fulltime work becomes optional sooner.

Unfortunately, many people find themselves working a 9-5 job their entire life.

 

The Numbers

 

Most schools in America teach:

- Nothing about money.

- Nothing about investing.

- Nothing about retirement.

So many people think working a 9-5 job for 40 years is the only option.

I thought that too in the beginning.

And seeing stats about "money needed to retire" while working a 9-5 job...

Can feel impossible to reach.

For example:

According to Fidelity investments, it's suggested the average person have 10 times their annual income saved to retire:

 

 

In my early 20s, I thought a lot about becoming a millionaire.

(this feels cheesy to say)

But I didn't know any millionaires.

And I had no clue how to actually become one.

Being raised in a lower income family meant I didn't have much money and was starting from scratch.

So I went to Barnes and Noble to read books for free like:

- Rich Dad Poor Dad.

- Think and Grow Rich.

- The Millionaire Next Door.

 

But after reading them, I realized as a young person I didn't want to:

- Start a business.

- Invent something new.

- Climb the corporate ladder.

I just wanted to find a good ol' 9-5 job.

And use the money I earned to invest in the stock market, and figure out how to get loans to buy real estate.

It felt confusing and intimidating at first.

But I did my best to push past those fears as an introverted young guy that mostly got Bs and Cs in school.

By age 28 I found myself getting a loan to buy my 4th property.

And thought I was on my way to creating a freer life.

 

 

But soon after..

Life came crashing down.

I lost my job, didn't work for 9 months and was $80k in debt between my credit cards and a car loan.

Things went wrong...fast!

 

I found myself in the middle of the GFC (great financial crisis).

The value of real estate dropped 30% to 40%.

My finances went from "looking good" to "a complete disaster".

And I was contemplating filing for bankruptcy.

 

Eating a pint of Ben and Jerrys ice cream every night and gaining 20lbs became my coping mechanism as I hoped for a miracle.

It was a painful time.

Fortunately, that period passed.

And life took a new turn.

 

The 9-5 Millionaire

 

I finally got a new job working as a banker for Chase in Seattle, Washington.

And soon after realized I was making a lot of mistakes with my money.

Working in finance eventually helped me fix those mistakes.

And I met many "9-5 Millionaires".

Just ordinary people...

- Teachers.

- Engineers.

- Accountants.

- And other people...

Who did just 5 things to build extra-ordinary wealth.

Things that also helped transform my finances.

Going from $80k in credit card and car loan debt at age 29, to $1M at age 36.

Here's the 5 things I learned working in banking that changed everything.

Let's dive in.

 

1. The Plan

 

Have a written plan (budget).

Why?

Because writing things down works better than trying to remember everything.

Knowing exactly how much money is coming in each month.

And how much money is going out each month.

Makes it easier to save money for other things.

 

Life hack:

Investing more in your 20s & 30s
so you can escape 9-5 life early.

— JOHN HENRY (@thejohnhenry) May 27, 2026

 

If you don't have a budget, you can ​access the free one I use here​.

Spending just 30 minutes a month on your money can change everything.

 

2. The Debts

 

Destroy your high interest rate debt.

Things like:

- Car loans.

- Credit cards.

- Personal loans.

Having a plan (budget) helps free up extra money which can be used to get rid of high interest rate debt like a big car payment.

 

 

Getting rid of high interest rate debt frees up more money for other things.

 

3. The Lifestyle

 

Live on less than you earn.

Having a plan and not spending everything means having money for things like:

- Saving.

- Investing.

- Leaving 9-5 life early.

This concept reminds me of the Marshmallow Test:

 

 

What the heck does this have to do with the Marshmallow Test?

Well..

Having the ability to delay gratification can lead to big rewards.

For example:

Choosing to save and invest first because you want the long term benefits of leaving 9-5 life early..

More than the short term benefits of buying something fancy today like a new watch or a new car.

Living on less than you earn means having more money to invest and build wealth.

 

4. The Investments

 

Save and invest every month.

Start small and do more as you make more:

I started with just $100 per paycheck.

But deciding what to invest in can be tough.

 

 

Lots of people debate:

Should I invest in stocks?

Should I invest in real estate?

It's something I also thought a lot about.

Instead of picking just one, I decided to do both:

An S&P500 stock fund, which includes the top 500 largest companies in America (most employers offer this as an option inside a retirement account).

And learning how to get loans to buy real estate (most loan officers are free to talk to and many only get paid if they're able to help you get a loan).

Starting small, investing more as you can, and keeping it simple helps you build wealth faster.

 

5. The Total Freedom

 

Think about the things you want and the things you don't want to stay motivated.

Becoming a 9-5 millionaire and building a freer life means:

- Using a budget.

- Paying off debts.

- Living responsibly.

- Investing every month.

And to the average person..

These things are boring, boring, boring.

So to stay motivated, to actually do these things.

Here's what worked for me..

#1: To imagine all of the places I was going to go after leaving 9-5 life early.

 

 

Going to Expedia (a travel website), and pretending I was booking a last minute flight to Europe, or a last minute cruise through the Caribbean, or a last minute vacation to New York City and imagining that trip helped keep me motivated with my money.

(these are things I eventually did after leaving my 9-5 job at age 39)

Another thing I found to be helpful was..

#2: To think about the things I didn't want in life, like having to work a 9-5 job for 40 years.

 

 

And not having my health or the energy to travel and see different places.

The third thing that helped me stay motivated..

#3: To think about things I was going to do part time after leaving my 9-5 job to keep myself busy and still make money (like this little online business).

The truth is..

I like working.

I just don't like having a boss, having to ask for time off, and having to work 40-50 hour weeks.

Thinking about the things you want and the things you don't want in life can help motivate you to save, invest, and find freedom sooner (if you want it).

 

The bottom line

 

After going from $80k in debt to $1M.

And talking with thousands of people about their money while working at Chase.

There's one big thing I've learned.

Something I wouldn't have believed when I was $80k in debt and eating a pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream every night while stressing over my finances...

Life can change fast.

 

Although hitting rock-bottom feels terrible financially.

It can also be the greatest source of motivation.

To turn things around.

To light that fire within.

To save and invest monthly.

To become a 9-5 millionaire.

And to create a freer life.

That's all for today.

See you next Saturday.