I inherited a large sum following the death of both of my parents. My mother worked as a teacher and my father was a high-earning oil executive. Previous to the inheritance, I was working as a musician, then a senior manager in the hospitality industry.

What have I done with the money since I received it? Aside from paying off my dad’s medical bills and end-of-life expenses, absolutely nothing. I still live in the same home, I still have the same job and have not changed anything about my lifestyle. I do breathe easier now, knowing that I have a safety net should anything happen, and knowing that my son’s college education is taken care of.

I feel very grateful that my parents taught me and my sister from an early age how important it is to live below your means. They were both extremely down to earth and remained relatively frugal despite their wealth.

The craziest thing is watching the money grow in the market. Even a change of a fraction of a percent will grow or reduce the account by thousands of dollars. My investment account will earn in one day what it takes me a week to earn in my job.

Another thing I’ve been thinking about lately is how wealth creates wealth. I now have a deeper appreciation for the phrase, “The rich get richer”. Once you have enough money, you can sit back and watch it earn outrageous sums for you while you literally do nothing. In a way, it feels wrong. It feels kind of like cheating; like I’m not really earning the money. But this is how real wealth is achieved in most cases - not just by earning a good salary but by making successful investments.