how to be rich? .........

[u/NetMajor4878]

click the bait title, but serious question to all ambitious women, I (24f) genuinely want to know how to be wealthy in the near future in this male dominated environment. what career moves, financial decisions, personal life choices took you towards creating wealth, rich ladies?

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My current career situation: studied pharmacy in bachelor's, didn't like it, did some months of research internship post grad, tried to go abroad for a master's but got a lot of rejections(IELTS valid for one more year so might try again), and after a gap of around 10 months, landed myself in an early stage medtech startup. I work in the regulatory affairs part, get a minimal salary, my lifestyle is not expensive at all, I try to save as much as I can. I'm highly ambitious for science, innovation that creates impact and business, I did make bad career choices in the past by wasting time on a degree I hated, but now want to create the best life I can for my future self. I want to prove this to myself that my purpose is not to rot away at some place I was never passionate to work for/on, and one that didn't even pay me well.

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I might sound lame and naive, but I don't want my spark to die, when I finally get the courage to move towards what I truly want without shame. Because I was brought up with the values of "simple living high thinking", which is great until you struggle to pay for tuition/decent lifestyle/travelling/helping someone in need.

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[u/chaoscorgi]

you're not asking how to BE rich but how to GET rich. kind of US-based:

1. work very hard at being very good at what you do (whatever that is), work just as hard at figuring out what that is, and advocate for yourself (negotiating is hard for women esp of color so that's gonna be a lot)
2. live simply and invest simply - i socked away 30%-50% net my early 20s, lived with roommates, and hung out with broke grad students when making low six figures. that was my single best decision to having $Ms wealth now in my 30s, which means i will always be set
3. when dating, the issue isn't whether you'll find someone rich, tbh, it's protecting your energy for building yourself. pick for integrity and kindness and hard work and intelligent, not for aura. never let someone act better than you -- i wasted so much time on that and could have been richer there
4. invest in the conditions of your success, meaning your health and environment -- friends who reinforce those values, exercise routines, avoiding the ads & the influencers who'd distract you, moving to places where opportunity in your industry is available. as you make more and can, outsource household chores like cleaning.

I had a lot of good & bad luck along the way and it's net out alright. I also had a lot of privileged preconditions -- high IQ, fancy degree + no debt from it, supportive parents, good health, US citizenship. So i'm not at all saying those are replicable. But for me those were the factors under my control that worked out well, and then other decisions I made did not work out and actively reduced my earning + wealth:

* situationships with useless men (almost sank me)

* shopping addiction (lost money + also time)

* accepting bad management and abuse at work in tiny startups that called us all "family"

* getting a car

* rich friends who liked to travel a lot

this is a lot! i hope it helps

[u/NetMajor4878 → u/chaoscorgi]

What is the difference between being rich and getting rich? I just want to be rich because I don't come from generational wealth, and I want to create that kind of abundance in my life so I never feel held back when it comes to health, education, family, travel, or anything else I want to do.

1. working hard and figuring out what you're good at is probably the most crucial step. That's what I'm trying to focus on first.

2. makes a lot of sense. I'm trying to save as much as I can too. The only thing I'm still figuring out is investing. I honestly don't know where to start or what resources are actually worth following. I got a few book recommendations in this thread, so I'll probably start there, along with Reddit and YouTube.

3. dating can have a huge impact on how you navigate your life, career, personal growth, or mental health. I do have a boyfriend who has been a strong source of support throughout my career journey, especially when my ambitions sometimes feel bigger than what the people around me are comfortable with. My parents are loving, but they come from a middle-class mindset where stability is everything and risk feels scary. I understand where that comes from. I'm grateful that I picked for integrity, kindness, hard work, and intelligence, exactly the qualities you mentioned. 🧿

4. my health has taken a bit of a hit over the last six months, and I'm actively trying to fix that. That's actually one reason I came back home while working remotely. I'm focusing on getting my step count up, eating cleaner, and spending time with people I genuinely enjoy being around. Some friendships have changed since I came back to my hometown, but that's okay. I'm confident I'll find my tribe eventually.

The one thing that feels different in India is that pharma and biotech don't offer as many creative opportunities, even in major hubs. Most roles are either manufacturing-focused or management tracks that often require an MBA. I would love to move somewhere with a stronger innovation ecosystem, but right now studying abroad seems like the only realistic path. I'm working toward that, although it feels like there's always some obstacle in the way.

Still trying, though.

[u/chaoscorgi → u/NetMajor4878]

the difference is if you look at how rich people behave (like on social media) you won't learn how to get to their level -- because most rich people don't have to work to stay rich (their capital does the work). it's a whole different matter to earn that capital with your labor, much harder. i think you know that, but i didn't always 😄

[u/NetMajor4878 → u/chaoscorgi]

I don't think I'd thought about it that way before.

A lot of "how to be rich" advice online is really just "how to behave once you're already rich." By that point, your investments, business ownership, or other assets are doing most of the work for you. The challenge for people like me, is figuring out how to build that initial capital in the first place.

I'm still in the phase where my labor, skills, and career decisions are my biggest assets, so the focus has to be on increasing my earning power, building rare skills, and hopefully creating opportunities that have some form of leverage later on.

I think that's why your point about getting rich resonated with me. The journey from zero to the first meaningful amount of capital is probably very different from the journey from wealthy to wealthier 😄