I’ve found over the years that making new Year resolutions don’t work. I probably get to the end of the day on the 1st Jan and find I’ve already broken them, so I don’t bother even making them now.
However if I was to encourage anyone at the start of the year to make a resolution it would be this, Invest in Yourself!!
We focus a great deal in Internet marketing on ‘how’ to make money, but then when it comes to actually discussing/advising what we should do with the money we’ve made, I’ve found there isn’t much information out there.
So settle down, because I’m going to give you some advice on what I think you should do with your Internet earnings. Actually on reflection, this applies even if you don’t work online.
The most important advice I can offer you is to start investing as soon as you can and don’t stop. Make a habit of investing a good proportion of what you make rather than fritter it away. I’m a bit of a spendthrift but luckily I’ve been married to a man who isn’t for the last 40 years and we’ve always looked to our future retirement all through our married life.
Now we are both retired. (In our 50’s) we still have a comfortable income due to that forward planning and no debt..
The longer you wait to begin saving and investing, the harder it will be for you to reach your financial goals and retire with a decent income.
Thanks to compound interest, when you begin investing early enough your investments grow more spectacularly than when you start late. For example, a person who places $2000 a year in a savings account at age 18 can retire with double the savings of someone who starts investing just 10 years later. (Compound interest is magical). No matter how old you are, begin saving and investing as soon as you possibly can and encourage your kids to do the same.
Invest/save at least 10% of everything you earn as soon as you get paid, It’s called paying yourself first and it’s a great habit to get into.
Lower your expenses. Don’t buy that new car if you don’t need it. Your current car might be good enough for another year or two or even more. There is nothing wrong with driving a 5 or 10 year old car and using the money you would have spent on a new flashy car to instead invest in your retirement.
I bought a brand new car nearly 4 years ago only to watch it’s value crash as soon as I left the garage. I tried to change it a few months ago for another new car, the amount they were going to give me for mine was crazy, so instead of throwing another several thousand dollars away replacing it, I’ve decided to stick with my little Nissan for another couple of years at least!!
Thinking of buying a bigger house? Think again. If your current home is large enough, why not invest your money into your future, instead of trying to impress your friends and family with a big house you don’t need? We bought our little semi 40 years ago as a do upper so we could sell it and move to a bigger house. We never moved because we didn’t see the point for just us and our daughter. We’re still living in that little semi..
Believe it or not, the majority of millionaires don’t live in mansions, they live in the house next door. You just never realize how rich they are because they’re smart enough to invest their money rather than flash it around with expensive toys that lose value the moment they leave the showroom or store.
I’ve mixed with a number of Internet millionaires over my online career and the one thing that always struck me was just how ordinary they were. (They wore jeans and a T shirt just like me)..
And one more thing before I finish, who has more stress: The person with the big house and the big mortgage? Or the wise person with the small house, no mortgage and a big bank account?
Be good to yourself by investing in your future. You deserve no less.
Happy New Year Everyone…..
