Everybody aspires financial freedom but in reality, only a few achieve it. Financial freedom in the very sense of the word means that you don’t have to worry about finances. Many people think that by increasing their cash flow they will already become financially free. Unfortunately, it isn’t. Have you noticed so many high earning people struggle financially? It is proof that increasing your income doesn’t guarantee financial freedom. So what does it really take to become financially free? Here are some tips.
1.) Increase cash flow. This is the only way that most people know. They think that by increasing their income they could answer all their financial needs. Ideally and mathematically it will but in reality it isn’t enough. As one’s income increases, one’s needs and wants increase by default as well unknowingly. Have you noticed the behavior of people as soon as they get a raise or a higher paying job? They spend more. That kind of mindset and attitude will never lead you to financial freedom.
To make your income increase work, maintain your expenses low. Mathematics will never lie. If you have a high income and low expenses, you can save more and be more flexible when it comes to finances. The rest of the tips is all about maintaining your expenses low and making the most of your income increase.
2.) Develop the habit of saving. Save some for the rainy days. You never know when is the time when you will need your savings the most. It is better to have some savings when the need arises rather than to resort to loans and digging your financial hole deeper. Saving might be an enormous task at first especially if you don’t save consistently before but in time it becomes a part of you. Both saving and spending are habits and as soon as you develop one, the other is going to be so hard to do.
One way to efficiently save is to create a budget. In your budget, prioritize your bills, then allocate a fraction for savings, and use the remaining amount for the expenses. You can start of by saving just 10% of your income and later on increase it. As long as you save regularly and consistently, your expenses will never matter. What matters a lot is that you were able to put some to safety.
3.) Educate yourself financially. Financial education is one of the most important yet overlooked aspects in our lives. When you went to school, you were taught of the skills to have a living and make money but you weren’t taught about the value of money and how to make it grow. Being financially free is all about being financially educated at first. It is just like going to school. You go to school to earn a degree and as time goes by, you become competent and achieve success.
Being educated is the first step in achieving success and you will never be financially free if you don’t have the knowledge about money. Being financially literate is all about knowing the value of money and taking the necessary steps in order to get the most of it. Knowledge is power and if you want financial freedom, acquire the knowledge about finances.
4.) Always go back to the basics. As soon as your income and returns grow, it will become so tempting to take some of it and spend. This is where several people fall and go back down after achieving success. Never forget what brought you to the top. Those things that lifted you up are the same things that will keep you on top. Thus, if you lived a frugal lifestyle, stay that way. If you have the habit of saving, don’t reduce the fraction that you save. If you don’t spend too much, keep it that way and continue to keep an eye on your expenses.
Being too complacent is bad. You might be tempted to relax because of the amount that you are receiving but remember that losing your hard earned money is way too faster than earning it. Always be alert about your finances because if you won’t, you’ll just realize that you’re back to square one.
Financial freedom is a process. It requires some steps and building blocks to establish and it doesn’t happen in a blink of an eye. the knowledge, effort, time, and sacrifice that you put in it all serve as the building blocks of your financial success. Relying purely on luck will never work neither will rely on only one way such as increasing your cash flow. Discipline and attitude plays a very important part. Develop it and it will reward you greatly.