21 Ways to Make and Keep More Money in 2014

 

Making money is one of the most popular subjects on the Internet. However, making money is just part of what it requires to become financially independent. “It’s not how much you make but how much you keep that counts.”  I know you’ve probably heard that before, but has it resonated with you yet?  Learning how to make and keep more money is the secret to financial independence, especially keeping more money.

Some seem to think that it’s impossible to make enough money to have financial freedom now days because the cost of living is so high. Not so, more people are becoming wealthy today than ever before. The cost of living reflects the decreasing value of the dollar only and not has little to do with the possibility of wealth building. When I was growing up, a soft drink cost a nickel; that’s when a lot of folks were earning $50 a week. Today a soft drink cost from a dollar to a dollar and a quarter, but folks today make as much as twenty times more money. Believing that you can’t become financially independent because it cost too much to live isn’t true.

There is, however, a reason why some never have any hope of seeing financial freedom in their lifetime, and that is because they don’t know how to manage the money they have.

There is a way to get ahead and stay ahead regardless of the ever increasing cost of living. It isn’t done by just desiring it to happen. Wealth building isn’t easy. Wealth building requires a plan and determination. If you think you are going to hit it lucky by spending the money you can’t afford to buy lottery tickets, you are destined to become poorer not richer. There are no easy ways, or magic formulas, or get rich pills for building wealth. It takes some intelligent effort and some willingness to take educated risks and a lot of energy and determination

How do real people make a lot of money in the real world? Many start with nothing but a lot of energy and a lot of determination. The best way to make a lot of money is to become proficient at what you love to do. If you haven’t found what you love to do yet, keep trying until you do. If it turns out that what you love to do and what you become skilled at has a demand, the money will follow. The only way building wealth will have any satisfaction is when you love what you do and what you do is a service to others.

Here are 21 ways to make and keep more money

            1.      Don’t settle for a mediocre job that barely makes ends meet.

2.      Don’t become complacent because you are just making a living.

3.      Become an entrepreneur even if you have to start part time on the side. A whopping Two-thirds of America’s millionaires are self-employed. When you are employed, you usually are helping to make someone else wealthy while just keeping your head above water.

4.      Avoid the things that keep you from ever having money: can’t live without a new car and all the gadgets available now days; can’t live modestly . . . must have a large new home, take expensive vacations and buy a lot of expensive new clothes.

5.      Learn how to spend your money . . . Still better, learn how to save it and live on less.

6.      Be willing to take educated risks. An educated risk is based on knowledge not luck, and understanding all the details before you invest yourself or your money. Avoid taking dumb, uneducated risks.

7.      Don’t be afraid of working hard and making the necessary sacrifices. However, don’t sacrifice the ones you love for a career. Use some logic and balance and you can have both.

8.      Don’t wait for breaks to come along, create your own, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7)

9.      Be prepared when opportunity knocks and never stop searching for it and don’t hesitate when you find it. Windows of opportunity are narrow and require a quick response. Opportunities are found in the real world where real people are, not in dreams.

10.   Learn to network with people where the opportunities are found. Select your friends carefully avoiding the party hounds and pleasure seekers. Your friends either pull you down or raise you up. Choose those above your status rather than below.

11.  Nourish you marriage and avoid divorce which reduces your wealth by half.

12.  Build relationships, which are the backbone of purpose.

13.  Learn how wisely to invest the money you save. Never invest blindly. Diversify your investments in various avenues.

14.  Resist the urge just to do what everyone else is doing. Wise investment is acquiring the knowledge to know when and where to invest and when to fold.

15.  Quit wasting your hard earned money buying things you don’t need. Live a simple life and save toward the time you can be financially free.

16.  Drop expensive habits which drain you of your money. Smoking alone could cost you as much as $3,000 a year, which could be enough to give you financial freedom by retirement if invested wisely at an early age, plus add 10 years to your life and eliminate smoking related health expenses. Add to smoking the cost of booze and you have a large sum of money going out each month that is wasted.

17.  Check your monthly payments and see if there are services you could do without.

18.  Quit using your credit card as an easy way to buy things you don’t need. Instead, pay it off and then keep it paid off each month.

19.  Cut back on out of the pocket spending for expensive coffee breaks and odds and ends.

20.  Be frugal and check around for the best price before you purchase a needed item.

21.  Never pay the full price for anything.

      The above are excellent ways to help you make and manage money, but all the money in the world will never replace God’s formula for success: ^“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33). God desires to bless His children with the things that make life better. Learn how to have a relationship with Him.

About the author: Jimmie Burroughs is a motivational speaker and author who has been involved in teaching Christian Personal Development for more than 30 years. There are hundreds of articles to help you on this website (Website Contents ) in your personal growth. If I can help you personally, please send your concerns via Contact me.

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