by Trent Hamm
Available in 24 free installments
Owner:
keeps growing and growing and growing until that debt is eating up all of your income, leaving you in misery.
On the other hand, let's say you only spend $29,000 a year - only $2,000 less in spending. That extra $1,000 goes into your savings account and earns 3%. The next year, you drop another $1,000 in the account and now you have $2,030 in there. The next year, another $1,000, bringing you to $3,060.90. That money builds up and soon you have a house down payment or the seed money to start the small business of your dreams - or even something as simple as the ability to easily pay for a car repair without your heart skipping a beat.
The difference between these two stories is only $2,000 a year. There are two avenues to achieving this goal: spending less and earning more. By working on either (or both) of these areas, you can increase the gap between those two numbers - and that gap is your ticket to freedom [9J. The harder you work on either spending less or earning more, the bigger that gap will become and the quicker that train to your dreams will arrive at the station.
Let's look at each side of that coin.
Idea #2: Earn More!
Efl£/J ftO(Ll\l®GHT EDUCATED
§>flOfc£ INCOME.
STR.E ft n $
@ Start a side &usiue55
®> IWE toward? roue
Passion
^^ © bOWT Bl>RM BRUGES v -
tfttUiNt-s
© KEEP !N TOUCH!
/f's better to hang out with people better than you. Pick out associates whose behavior is better than yours and you'll drift in that direction. Warren Buffett
So how does one earn more? Many people will argue that there is no universal way for people to earn more money and they're right: some people are born entrepreneurs, others function much better in an office environment. Some people are endlessly creative, others are masters at completing long lists of tasks.
Once you dig past that, though, there are some common things that anyone can do, regardless of their financial state, to earn more money.
Get Started Now!
The best way to get started is found in your own workplace.
Everything PF
http://www.thesimpledollar.com
Go to work well-rested and presentable. Never show up to work looking like you just rolled out of bed. Take a shower, wear clean clothes, use deodorant, brush your teeth, and do your best to look presentable [10J. Also, get a good night of sleep before work so that you can be as mentally and physically fresh as possible. Every interaction you have in the workplace will reflect either positively or negatively upon you, and you can very easily increase the positive-ness of those interactions by just taking a half an hour to make yourself presentable.
Minimize negative comments. Every work environment provides ample opportunities for negativity, whether it's just workplace gossip or your manager is asking questions. While it might feel good to participate in the negativity of gossip, don't (feel free to listen, but don't jump in with the negativity). Even when supervisors are seeking comments on other workers, hold back on the negativity and look for what
Women workers in ordnance shops, Midval Steel and Ordnance Co., Nicetown, Pa. Hand chipping with pneumatic hammers. 1918. Lt. Lubbe. Credit: National Archives and Records Administration
positives you can find. Negativity in the
workplace drags everyone down and positivity lifts everyone, so stick with the positive.
Don't "backstab" anyone. Along those same lines, you'll have many opportunities to "sell out" others in the workplace. Avoid it at all costs. If you have an opportunity to discuss other workers or particular situations, you might perceive that piling on those workers or those situations will benefit you - rarely is that actually true. Instead, look for the positives you can outline about anyone or anything.
If you have downtime, find something useful to do. Many workplaces have times where there is simply downtime - you're waiting on new customers, you've finished your current project, and so on. That downtime is key in separating the people who get ahead from the people who get left behind. Find things to do with that time that's useful. Clean up your workspace. Clean up the store. Work on a low-priority project. Improve your skills. There are always things that can be done - don't just sit or stand around to be told what to do.
Everything PF
