# If You Want to Turn Your Life Around in the Next Five Years, Memorize These 58 Rules: When You Have No Money, Dignity Means Nothing

## About Money

1. Never tell anyone about your past or financial situation. Your cards are your shield.
2. Don't lend out your car or money. What you lend is goodwill; what you get back is likely an enemy.
3. Save aggressively. Anything under 300k is just "pocket change." Don't dismiss it—having something versus nothing is a world of difference.
4. Don't spend money recklessly. If a shirt still works, don't buy a new one. For ordinary people, money really is saved, not earned.
5. Every time you get paid, force yourself to save 50%. Save first, spend later. No exceptions.
6. The poorer you are, the more you need social insurance. Relying on your kids to support you isn't as good as relying on social security. Don't cancel it no matter how hard things get.
7. Besides making money, researching anything else is wrong. It's harsh, but it's true.
8. Remember, making money is your lifelong mission. One day you'll understand that the debts you rack up in your youth will have to be paid back in your later years.
9. In today's society, even if you have a tiny bit of savings—whether it's 30-50k or over 100k—if you have it, you've already beaten most people.

## About Work

1. Don't switch careers easily. Switching careers means three years of poverty. Think it through before you jump; don't mistake impulsiveness for courage.
2. If you have a job, keep it for now. Don't quit lightly. The outside world isn't that easy to survive in.
3. Don't be a standout at work. The nail that sticks out gets hammered—this old saying still holds true.
4. Choose a state-owned enterprise paying 8000 over a private company paying 10000. Stability is becoming increasingly valuable.
5. Arrive 5 minutes early, leave 5 minutes late. That time investment pays off.
6. Accumulate expertise in one industry. Three years to get in, five years to master it, ten years to dominate it.
7. Outside of your main job, develop a side hustle. An extra income stream means extra confidence.
8. If you encounter a market opportunity, don't rest. Two or three years can create a gap that lasts a lifetime.

## About Relationships

1. Playing poor and not showing off can save you 90% of trouble.
2. When people ask how much you make, always say "just enough to get by."
3. Family secrets stay private, money stays hidden, too much talking leads to mistakes.
4. Even with your best friends, hold back three parts. Even with your greatest abilities, hold back three parts in front of your boss.
5. Don't joke about other people's shortcomings, flaws, or embarrassing moments. Respect others so they'll respect you.
6. A few kind words and you can win over 50% of people. Add some nice gifts and you can win over 90%.
7. Around others, only filter—don't try to change them. Only trust those who helped you when you were down.
8. If someone makes you uncomfortable, trust your gut. You're not on the same page.
9. People you don't like, people who drain you, people who bring negativity—quietly distance yourself from them.
10. If someone doesn't have many friends around them, try to avoid frequent contact. Something's usually wrong.
11. Don't take advantage of free things. Do it once and your reputation collapses once.
12. When you're out, give others face first so they'll give you face in return.
13. Cigarettes build bridges, alcohol paves the road, tea opens the gates. When relationships are in place, things naturally work out.

## About Family

1. Friends your partner doesn't like—cut them off. Clothes you haven't worn in years—let them go. People who drain you—leave them.
2. When a man comes home from a business trip, it's best to call first. It's not suspicion, it's respect.
3. When couples are out, give each other plenty of face. Face preserved means a better time at home.
4. No money, no second child. Children come to enjoy good times, not to suffer with you.
5. Family problems stay in the family. Keep it in the pot.

## About Life

1. During holidays, don't go anywhere. Stay home and relax.
2. Less takeout, less barbecue, less fast food, less snacks. Cook more yourself.
3. Turn off your WeChat step counter. There's no need for the whole world to know your whereabouts.
4. When you go out, manage three things: your mouth, your appearance, your emotions.
5. Places with crowds and chaos—avoid them and talk less.
6. If you get drunk, stay away from the opposite sex. What happens next depends entirely on their word.
7. Always remember: things should never happen three times. Same goes for people—never a third time.
8. When you go somewhere new, pretend you're a local. Fewer troubles, no getting ripped off.
9. Don't engage in affairs. From ancient times, adultery has led to death—that's not scaremongering.
10. Don't attend pointless gatherings. Don't play the big shot and treat everyone to meals. Your money and time are both limited.
11. Class reunions with AA-split bills aren't worth going to. People who really want to see you will ask you out one-on-one.

## About Yourself

1. Break the habit of being completely sincere just because someone is nice to you. Your kindness is expensive—don't undersell it.
2. Never coast through life. You make 5000 a month, 60k a year—coast from age 20 to 30 and you'll have 600k in hand? No. One day of coasting versus one day of effort shows no difference. Two or three months later you see a different energy. Three to five years later you see completely different life paths.
3. By a certain age, without stable income, without savings, unable to help when family members face difficulties, you'll understand: face, romance—all mean nothing compared to money.
4. An adult's sense of security doesn't come from others; it comes from money. No one falls for you because you're nice to them. They fall for you because you're excellent.
5. Making money is like picking up water with a needle; spending money is like waves eroding sand. Guarding your wallet is a required course for adults.
6. If in the next two or three years you encounter an opportunity, tell yourself not to rest. Hard work won't kill you—regret will.
7. Other people's kids, no matter how misbehaved, if they're not bothering you, don't interfere. You're not their parent, and handling it would be wrong anyway.
8. Don't travel or shop with relatives. Being too close damages relationships.
9. Don't show off in front of relatives. If you're doing well, it bothers them.
10. Without strength, don't marry far away. Marrying far away is a high-stakes gamble—if you can't afford to lose, don't play.
11. It's hard for women who get mortgages to find partners; men who get mortgages actually find partners more easily. That's reality, not a matter of right or wrong.
12. Be good to yourself. You've already had it hard enough—stop being tough on yourself.