It’s absolutely amazing what companies get away with. Even with strict HR laws and Sarbanes Oxley, the behavior and decisions made by thousands of companies and millions of employees cannot be governed.

Managers can be verbally abusive, cross the personal/professional line, and make demands that just are not legal. Companies make decisions to roll out products or programs that don’t comply with business standards, but they know that their business is just a spec of dust in the grand scheme of things. Employees misbehave and companies conduct inappropriate business practice because they believe they have to in order to increase profits and survive – and chances are they will get away with it.

The unethical practices that run rampant in business only seem to swell. As employees and companies get away with their poor behavior, they push the limits to see just how far they can go. At a point, what was once “wrong” becomes everyday business as usual.

As an employee, these actions may cause you to make some tough decision. Not only may you be asked to do unethical things, but you might have to stop and ask yourself if you want to work for this type of company.

• Do you want to get caught-up in breaking the law because you were pressured into doing things?
• Do you want to work for a company you do not trust?
• Are you damaging other people’s lives by helping your company succeed?
• Do you deserve to be treated in a particular way?
• Should you blow the whistle or file HR complaints?

As hard as it can be to secure a great job, there are times when you have to think about firing your boss and improving your life.

Millionaire Money Habit: A high paying job does not give permission for your company to treat you or their customers unfairly and unethically. You are worth more than that. Stand behind it.

No matter how hard people try (or don’t bother trying) to save money, some people are just not programmed to be savers, and for good reason. We deserve to spend the money we work so hard for in order to enjoy the finer things in life.

But you can still do enjoy life without having to sacrifice an enjoyable, comfortable retirement while sacrificing all of your earnings. Here are 6 ways you can start saving more money on accident:

1. Make it Automatic: Invest in your company’s 401k plan or have a certain amount of money from each of your paychecks automatically swept to a separate high-yield savings account. This takes the mental willpower out of the picture.
2. Buy Generic: Generic, store brand products and pharmaceutical drugs are indistinguishable. Why pay more for the name brand on the label when you can get the exact same thing for half the price?
3. Review Your Spending: When you save your receipts and review your spending, you are more conscious of how much you have actually spent, and therefore are more likely to stay within a budget (see Less Tracking, More Spending).
4. Be Efficient: With the price of gas these days, going out of the way to get your errands done can be costly. Plan your chores for the week out so you can take advantage of getting more done on in your daily commute.
5. Pay on Time: Not only will paying your bills on time eliminate late fees, but our credit score will also increase. You’ll be happy you did the next time you apply for an auto loan or mortgage.
6. Save the Spare Change: Where does all of your spare change go? Revert to your childhood savings plan and start a piggy bank. Put it somewhere convenient so when you empty your pockets you can easily throw your change in a jar. You’ll be amazed how quickly those dimes and quarters add up.

Millionaire Money Habit: If you can’t seem to get yourself to save money, take the emotion out of it by making your savings and investing plan automatic. By paying yourself first you will hardly notice the money missing.

Those who have a substantial savings may be blessed with the luxury of choosing to pay cash for a big purchase or to get a loan to finance the purchase. If you have a million dollars on hand, for instance, and want to buy a new car, real estate, or finance your child’s college tuition, which is the better move? Should you pay in cash and be completely free and clear on your purchase, or is it smarter to get a loan?

In addition to managing money wisely, what allows people to become wealthy is their ability to use other people’s money and move their cash quickly in and out of investments. So the first criteria that needs to be considered is if the purchase is an asset that will appreciate, or if it is a liability that will depreciate in value.
If the purchase is an asset, you first have to consider how long your money will be tied up in the purchase. Ideally you want to be able to pull your money back out of the purchase as quickly as possible so you can take advantage of other investment options that present themselves. By maintaining a high velocity with your money, you won’t have to worry about your cash being parked in something you can’t access quickly while you watch opportunities pass you by.

The second thing to consider is your buying power with your cash and how that compares to loan rates and tax advantages. If you are looking at purchasing a $200,000 summer home with cash, you have to consider the following:

• Tax deductions from paying mortgage interest.
• Can you earn a greater return on investment if you finance the purchase and place your cash in another investment vehicle?
• You can pay $200,000 cash for your home, or make a $200,000 down payment on a piece of $1 million commercial real estate that will pay you month after month in rental income.

While there may be some convenience to owning free and clear, it is the leverage of other people’s money and the ability to have cash on hand to participate in investment opportunities that allow you to build great wealth. If, however, your cash is just going to sit in a savings account not earning anything, you may think about paying in full for your purchase or the interest rate on your loan will just eat away at your savings.

Millionaire Money Habit: When it comes to building wealth, debt actually helps you create and build wealth. Use your money and loan options wisely, and you can allow your net worth to explode.