Super-wealthy people make 2 surprisingly responsible choices on a daily basis

Andrew Toth / Stringer / Getty Images

In "The Thin Green Line: The Money Secrets of the Super-Wealthy," author Paul Sullivan peeks into the lives of people who not only have a lot of money, but also have the know-how to keep and grow their wealth.

In a 2013 survey Sullivan conducted with financial psychologist Dr. Brad Klontz, he found something surprising about how the richest people choose to spend their money.

"The two takeaways are that the main difference between the 1% and the average wealthy person - the 5%, the 10% - is that the 1% eats out 30% less, and they save 30% more of their income for retirement or whatever they may need," Sullivan tells Business Insider.

He continues, "To me, it's a great example of the choices and decisions and behaviors in the book - not, 'I'm going to deprive myself and hoard my money,' or 'I'm going to spend it all now and hope more comes in.' It's making rational choices to make sure you're still wealthy many years from now."

See six more ways super-wealthy people think about their money.