Money is one of the top causes of stress and anxiety. Problems with money can factually destroy a life.
Often times, people think their issues surrounding money will be solved by simply having more of it. While having more money can help, I have found that no matter how much money you make, if you do not apply basic principles to managing it, you will still be stressed and even totally broke.
I have seen millionaires with more financial problems than someone making $30,000 a year all because of how they manage their finances.
From a young age I knew that money was a key area of problems not only in my own family but for loved ones. I set out to learn about money and how it really works and studied and read a wealth of information.
After working with thousands of individuals and families to help them gain control of their finances and build real wealth, stability and happiness, I have found that when I apply some basic tools they achieve financial health.
Rules for Financial Success
Do a Financial Needs Analysis
This is a vital first step for anyone wanting to gain control of their finances. Often times, if you are under financial stress the idea of even opening a bill can make you sweat.
No problem will ever go away without facing it and observing the truth of it. This is why it is vital as a first step to fully lay out your finances so you know where you are at financially and where you want to go.
You can download my free Financial Needs Analysis here.
Make more money
Most financial consultants or advisers will tell you that the first thing you need to do is cut back on expenses.
When I work with my clients the first thing we look at is never how to cut expenses. You can cut expenses all day and still not have enough.
The key first step is working out how to make more money.
The blocks to making more money can sometimes be mental. There can be fear associated with leaving a job that is only paying you enough to barely get by. There can be anxiety about taking a risk or failure. I work with my clients to ignore that fear and look at practical ways to increase income.
Some ideas to immediately increase income could include:
- Selling items you no longer use or need.
- Creating a side hustle.
- Picking up extra shifts.
- Monetizing a special skill you have.
- Starting a second job.
It’s important to keep in mind that money is only energy. It is the thing that represents work done or goods delivered. Through hard work and creating exchangeable products that are in demand you can promote those products and sell them. You will be rewarded with money.
Note: If you are interested in an incredibly lucrative side hustle that can become your main gig, reach out. I have openings in my agency to be a Financial Success Consultant.
Spend less than you make
Time and time again I see people make what they need, spend what they make and always spend more than they make.
This turns into a mess resulting in dependance on credit cards to handle living expenses.
Before you can determine if you are spending less than you make, you need to do what is called a Financial Needs Analysis. What this does is allow you to fully examine your income and outgo to see if you are spending more or less than you make.
Getting your finances fully laid out in the Financial Needs Analysis is a powerful step to see where your money is going.
With that in place you will be able to see where you want to spend less or where you can invest more.
The key rule however is to always spend less than you make while concentrating on increasing you income.
Make it before you spend it
In the world of 0% credit card offers and constant bombardment of advertisements for the new best thing, the desire for instant gratification can be intense.
We have all been there at some point. Whether it’s a chocolate cake, alcohol, a new toy, a TV upgrade, a Gucci purse, school tuition or a charitable donation, we have all fallen prey to the desire of having or doing something NOW regardless of the cost or no funds available.
This leads to debt and financial stress.
It takes discipline, but you simply need to not spend money until you make it.
It is much easier to make the money you need now rather than crawl your way out of debt while paying interest. Work to change your mind about how easy it can actually be to make money.
Build Reserves
Life happens. I have seen people walk around with serious dental problems or hernias because they can’t afford to get proper medical procedures. Sometimes you drive around with a car that needs new brakes because of no funds, but that can be incredibly dangerous.
Oftentimes, because we don’t have the funds to handle the emergencies of life as they occur, it can end up costing way more down the road.
This is why it is vital to always build and set aside a reserve account. A good rule of thumb is setting aside at least 10-20% of your income towards savings and reserves.
Build or repair your credit
I do not advise relying on credit cards to live, but establishing good credit is very important. Nowadays you won’t be paying cash for a home and will likely finance a car or lease. You also need an excellent credit standing to rent an apartment or office space.
Having excellent credit allows you an additional resource outside of your reserves in the event there is a very drastic emergency.
The best way to build credit is having credit cards that you do purchases on while already having the money set aside to fully pay them off each month. Obviously that is if you are starting from scratch. However, there is a lot more to building credit and my agency offers free education and consulting on this area so please reach out and book an appointment to learn how to build good credit.
If you are not starting from scratch and you need to repair your credit, please reach out to me. I have several solutions for repairing credit and resolving debt.
Don’t spend reserves
It is way easier to make money in present time than build up reserves after depletion. You just need to get into the habit of setting aside money monthly and planning for expenses. If a major purchase comes up, work out how you can make that money before you spend it.
If you apply the above to your finances you will find your stress level surrounding money will come way down. You will also find that you actually have the money needed for what you want to do and can start investing, raising your standard of living and freeing up your attention to follow your passions. It may be true that money does not equal happiness, but money does allow you to live the life you want and gives you the energy you need to accomplish your goals.
