'We own 7 properties. Why can't we pay for groceries?' — Ramit Sethi's advice to a SoCal couple is to challenge their poverty mindset, examine the facts, and enjoy their wealth

While this could be a story about struggling with the exorbitant expenses of Orange County — where the couple lives and the cost of living is 51% higher than the national average — it’s anything but. The combination of Travis's five-figure gross monthly income plus the income from their seven cash-positive rental properties should provide way more than enough to provide for their family.

But as Travis put it, when does the grind stop and the enjoyment begin?

This became the crux of the story — one where negative financial beliefs can trump reality — and revealed the key to solving their financial woes.

How much is enough?

Travis and Natalie are doing everything you're supposed to do financially speaking. They live well within their means, saving 29% of Travis's income, and have a diversified portfolio of investments, savings and rental properties. Their only debt is $401,000 in mortgages on those rental properties. This has earned them a net worth of almost six figures. And yet they're tapping their savings to pay for groceries and feel as though they lack the funds to live comfortably.

What more can they do?

Save less, spend more

The answer, it turned out, stared them in the face, but was so contrary to the advice propagated by most financial experts that they couldn't see it: Travis and Natalie need to save less so they can spend more.

That's right. For once, the smart financial move is to spend more — in an intentional way, of course — to cast off their “not enough” mindset.

The challenge so many people face with money revolves around a lack of understanding of its psychology, Sethi says. Adhering to the nuts and bolts of common sense spending is key to living a rich life. But it’s also crucial to understand how you approach money as a whole.

"The way you feel about money is highly uncorrelated with the amount that you have," Sethi says.