It takes energy to get it, takes a similar energy to spend it and of course once it’s left – rarely does it come back to us.
The resource of money has been fought over, people killed for it and used for good. Historians have written about its power and how it has shaped our world.
But what has it done for you and I.
Having it brings freedom, ask anyone who doesn’t have it.
It is magnifier, if you feel good then having money makes you feel better.
We can’t live modern lives without, if it wasn’t money as we know it there would be another exchange of value. Food stuff, shelter. There would be something else for us to trade for things and services.
You and I trade our lives for these things. We give up part of our life to work, for money. At some point, when we have accumulated enough, we stop, we retire (from work) and we enjoy the spoils.
The savvy amongst us learn how it works, understand leverage and investment. Actually put money to work for us instead of us having to work for it. Do enough investing and eventually your money pays you and you can enjoy the time off to do what ever you want.
It gets complicated when we start to become emotional over money, when we think that political systems can solve money problems for us, when we think that fairness becomes part of it. We know that life is not fair, not now not ever. We can’t make it fair.
We can campaign for more fairness, as I have done all of my working life. But the fact remains, that if we want to achieve independence financially then we have to make sure we don’t do as the masses do, but find our own path, learn how it works for ourselves. And then follow on with a plan even a bad one will do at this point.
Then just work the plan.
If you have debt, then deal with it. Get some help.
If you are struggling on benefits – the system is designed to keep you just out of the gutter and getting worse. That won’t change for a long while so waiting for that is not an option.
Finding out what you are good at, what you know and finding ways to make money from that is one example of an easy win.
Living within your means is another helpful idea that works so well in theory but as flawed humans most of us find that harder than it should be – yet it must be done.
The quote from Mr Micawber in David Copperfield
“‘My other piece of advice, Copperfield,’ said Mr. Micawber, ‘you know. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen nineteen six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds nought and six, result misery.”
David Copperfield (1850)
This situation spoken about by an author many years ago is still true today. It falls into the one of the basic money principles that we must all learn if we are to ever get to the point of ‘financial independence’ .
The lesson, spend less than you earn. If you wish to spend more, then earn more.
Better still earn more, or learn to earn more and once earning more, then spend less.
Save or invest the rest.
Once your pot starts to grow you have more and more options. At some point your money will be working hard for you, you can then decide to keep that going or slow down on the work front – enjoy your life. Play golf, fish. Whatever.
I make it sound so simple. And it is. No easy but it is simple.
It’s been designed like that, a principle. Something that works whether you believe it or not.
You should of course start to implement your plans today, no matter how poor your finances are, you can start to change them todoy. If you want a garden blooming with flowers or an oak tree in your garden the best time to start was last week or thirty years ago and if you didn’t start then you can start today.
Do I know if it will work, if you will ever be independent financially, ever want to have a pot of cash working for you, ever wanted to sit back and enjoy your investments – or just want to stop feeling like life sucks – with a lack of money. Then start today, for a solid future.
It really is that simple.
When you are ready to get a shimmy on with some of these, then get in touch MoneyTrainers