Work is a Great Investment

In the popular Rich Dad, Poor Dad the author extolls the benefits of owning a business. The premise is that the business owners are likely to benefit financially.

I suspect that many of us who dream of someday owning a business have turned to Personal Finance for a quick fix. Tightening the family budget in order to increase this year's IRA contribution and make an extra mortgage payment is an attempt to take control of our lives. Changes like these make us feel better about ourselves until we actually reach financial independence.

While you focus on getting your financial ducks in a row, never forget your own potential for generating revenue. Suppose your current annual salaray is $50,000. To get this much money from the stock market this year would require having a half-million dollars invested with a 10% return!

Pat yourself on the back for holding a job and bring home a paycheck. If it has been a year, ask for a raise. It might be the simplest way to increase your cashflow. And it is probably well deserved.

Health Before Money

As I write I am chewing Nicorette Gum. Buy the store brand: It's the exact same thing and way cheaper. Just one more money-saving tip.

Seriously, as I began the process of overhauling my personal finances something important occurred to me: None of this frugality and penny wisdom means anything unless we're healthy and alive. In my case it means I need to cut out tobacco and drink less. Way less.

The beer calculator on another site illustrates how I can save more than $1,000 this year on Budwiser alone. But the long-term potential savings are far greater. What is the cost of a DUI conviction? How would a stoke, heart attack, or cancer affect my net worth? How would my untimely death affect my retirement planning?

My journey toward financial freedom begins with getting clean and sober.