• Name: Monty Campbell, 48
• Hometown: Houston, Texas
• Job: Retired IT salesman

For me, the American Dream is about being financially independent. It's about having options that the money can bring.

I was one of five children born into a low-income family in Louisiana. Neither parent finished high school, and money was always tight. Like most kids in our community, I went to work in the soybean fields at age 13 for spending money.

That work made me want a better life. I knew it was going to take money to be able to pull myself out of that. I got a student loan, and I worked in school. And then I got a job afterwards and paid off my student loans.

I read everything I could on how to make and invest money. What I did was study Warren Buffett, and I just shamelessly copied it.

I saved at least half, if not more, of my income every month. That was the tough part. Every time when I was thinking about going out and buying the next flashy thing and keeping up with the Joneses, I would ask myself, is that getting me closer to being independent?

You have to then take that savings and turn it into investment capital. The way that made the most sense to me was in stocks.

I'm now 48 years old, a multimillionaire and financially free. I've started a blog about financial freedom.

I didn't get rich quick or with any clever schemes. It was just hard work, simple principles and a lot of discipline.

From Ozy: Working for the moneyed classes

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