Steps
- Learn to earn- If you find that your skills limit your earning potential consider going back to school. Trade School and Community Colleges have so much more to offer for your dollar. For example; if your interest lies in the computer industry, many community colleges offer computer certification tests.
- The tuition and fees are usually less expensive and the training consumes less time than traditional degrees because you don't have to take basic courses like math, English and history to get a technology or skills degree! As a bonus you can take many course for a two year degree on your own time in your home.
- Also, it's worth noting you shouldn't underestimate the power of an associates degree. After all many employers just want to see that you can finish your program and be self-motivated to improve yourself, while others just want "the paper."
- Get a job- continue to network with peers in the industry. Don't be afraid of office politics- ?scratching? someone else's back an in order to have yours ?scratched? could be a very good thing.
- Pay yourself first- This one of the most difficult and easiest things to do, set aside 10% of your earnings in a savings account. And leave it.
- Move -- into a good socio-economic area or system.
- Work to improve your home for profitable resale when you are ready to move up and out to a better home.
- Expect and support community cooperation such as the local chamber of commerce, and the Small Business Association. Spend time volunteering, give back to your community, you never know how you might impact a life.
- Live within your means -- if you can't afford that vacation don't go.
- Invest -- whether you can afford it or not! A fancy car is not an investment, it depreciates as soon as you drive it off the lot and continues to depreciate in value thereafter.
- Find a service or product to offer -- that people need or want, and that can be a especially profitable way of building a craft, selling products, serving other business or industrial enterprises.
Tips
- Learn to invest... profitably.
- If your company offers a 401k plan then contribute. The company almost always matches your contribution up to a certain percentage. That's FREE MONEY!- you didn't have to do anything to get that extra money except give yourself money. It can't be any easier than that.
- Read- yes, read. Read everything, know what's going on in your industry (trends, new concepts, learn what's going on in the World. This is a global economy and likely whatever is happening in the world is affecting your industry.
Warnings
- Don't work for minimum wage- after all they (the business) would pay you less, if it were legal.
- Investing advice: Don't eat the seed (no crop) or eat all of your chicken's fertile eggs (no baby chicks).
- All your hens will get old and leave no income!
- If you currently invest in a 401k or similar program, whatever you do- DON'T BORROW AGAINST IT, there are heavy consequences.
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