10 Low-Key Money Habits of the Wealthy

There are plenty of tried-and-true strategies one can follow to build wealth, like staying debt-free and investing early for retirement. But sometimes it's worth it to go off the beaten path and try quirky money habits.

Are these habits kind of unusual? Yes. Will everyone else practice them? Probably not. Do they work? Also, yes.

An episode of Smart Money Happy Hour hosted by financial experts Rachel Cruze and George Kamel took a closer look at the most unusual money habits worth trying out to get ahead financially.

Here are 10 weird habits that can help you become rich.

This approach is not likely to be popular with most people, but Kamel said working more hours every week is something you can control especially if you're trying to get out of debt.

If you're unable to increase the number of hours you work at your full-time job, you can take on a part-time side hustle like food delivery to earn more money.

This money habit is self-explanatory: downsize the number of cars in your family until you're driving just one.

While many families would argue this is not doable, Cruze said you could do it if you had to. Opting to drive one car cuts back considerably on monthly car payments and the cost of repairs — possibly fuel, as well, depending on your circumstances. It just takes a bit of creativity to shift to a one-car mindset and figure out schedules for driving to work and school. Anyone wanna carpool?

Most people would not agree that it's better to use cash or debit cards instead of credit cards. This is because many are used to having credit cards (plural: There's often a few cards in their wallet) or they want to take advantage of earning cash back or points for rewards.

When you use your own money, Kamel said you spend it differently and enjoy more peace of mind. Think about it. Swiping a credit card means you're going to receive a statement with the amount you owe. Hopefully, you have enough money to cover the balance. Paying with cash or a debit card, means you have enough money to make this purchase right now and don't have to worry that you'll be billed for it later.

4. Throwing All Savings (Except $1K) at Your Debt

This is a reference to Dave Ramsey's 7 Baby Steps plan where people are advised to set $1,000 aside into a starter emergency fund. Some people have this amount and more sitting in savings, but they're reluctant to take out the extra funds and use it to pay off their debt.