Looking through social media, I always wonder how people budget. I make a decent amount of money (over $150,000/year), as does my wife (over $50,000), but we live on a budget.
I see people going to Mexico, Hawaii, and the Dominican Republic and putting kids through private school. I see friends driving monster trucks and hauling RVs to nice campsites. How can they afford all of these things?
What does society want? Who makes the most profit when we spend money? That is the question you have to ask yourself.
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Why does society keep pushing us to live alone, get divorced, attempt “to be happy,” upgrade our vehicles, buy new phones, etc.? Do you think this messaging is on accident or random?
Heck, even the push to put women in the workforce may not have been as altruistic (trustworthy) as may seem. More people in the workforce means the government receives more tax revenue.
The book “The Two-Income Trap” explains that the push to the suburbs began as soon as women entered the workforce. Elizabeth Warren wrote this book in 2005, and you can see in 2022 that it’s almost mandatory for both parents to work just to survive. They played us.
Budgeting with a purpose. You’ll need to budget to gain control of your life and finances. However, you can’t budget just because “you should budget.” You will need to have a higher purpose.
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This reason to budget is similar to losing weight. It’s tough to change your diet, monitor your calories, and exercise every day without a specific reason.
The reason I budget is to build generational wealth. I understand that every dollar I save and invest today will become a much greater force tomorrow.
What is wealth? Most people don’t budget because they think they are not wealthy. They falsely believe rich people have “extra” money to save and invest.
However, rich people can have even more money problems than poor people. Wealth is a mindset, and a fundamental principle is cash flow.
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Wealth is the difference between your income and expenses. If a janitor makes $5,000/month and spends $3,000 on expenses and lifestyle, she has $2,000/month in cash flow.
If a doctor makes $20,000/month and spends $20,000/month, she has no cash flow. So, who is the wealthier of the two?
Appearances mean nothing. The doctor will have a picturesque lifestyle, with nice cars, luxury vacations, and extraordinary homes.
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However, if she doesn’t work, her entire lifestyle goes up in flames. She has failed to budget for today and tomorrow.
The first step to budgeting is understanding who is wealthy and who is pretending. I drive a 2012 Ford Focus in Florida and a 2016 Ford Focus in California.
However, I make more money than almost anyone I see outside. I also have more money in the bank than nearly anyone. I am not bragging, but I make these observations routinely.
However, I drive an average car because I want money in the bank. I want my dividends and royalties to be “extra” money to add to my cash flow—not necessary to survive.
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If you believe the people driving Porches and Corvettes are wealthy, you may not be ready to budget. Some people did well with their finances and earned the right to drive nice cars—others not so much.
Do you want true freedom? True freedom is being able to survive if you lose your job. It is having the choice to walk away from a dead-end job and start a business.
True freedom is being able to see your grandchildren any time you wish and travel overseas on a whim. However, true freedom requires sacrifice upfront; it requires a budget.
A budget creates awareness of your cash flow. Once you see your cash flow on paper, it’s your job to ensure you allocate it all wisely. Some will go towards an emergency fund, investing, and having fun—every dollar has a purpose.
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My favorite budget. My favorite budget is the 50/30/20 (needs/wants/savings) I read about in “All Your Worth” by Elizabeth Warren.
If I had read about this budget in 2008, I would have known that my house was too expensive and bought a starter house instead.
If your housing is too expensive, consider getting roommates to reduce your out-of-pocket accommodation costs to under 10-20% of your overall budget. If you can lower your most significant expenses, you have a great chance of getting ahead.
My wife and I were in debt in 2019. Today, we have $250,000 in investments. We took on roommates to change our future and that of our kids.
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Beware of societal pressure. Many people say, “I don’t want anyone in my space.” Well, I don’t either; however, it’s necessary.
I can retire today, at age 41, and do very well. I am working another 3-7 years to build up our reserves and invest for the future.
If you don’t get roommates, work part-time, start a business, or start creating content, you will have to work into your 70s or 80s. You won’t get ahead doing what everyone is doing.
Your goal is to create as much cash flow as possible, then make that cash flow produce more cash flow by investing. If you can do this, you will have won the game of life.
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Your budget is the starting point to determining your cash flow and increasing your income while reducing expenses. It is the report card of life.
Conclusion. Money is the exchange of value. When you go through life without a budget, you tell the world you do not value your money.
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And because you work for your money by exchanging time, you are telling the world you don’t value your time. Time is our most precious resource, and wealthy people protect it at all costs.
American society needs people to spend money frivolously; that’s why they tell you budgeting is terrible. If you earn $5,000/month, they want you to spend $6,000/month.
There is no housing crisis in America. The only reason we don’t have enough housing is that people don’t share. A family of four wants 3,000 square feet to themselves.
Our budgets are out of control, so our spending is out of touch with reality. Social media glamourizes going into debt for cars, boats, trips, and jewelry.
I’ll be fully retired by age 50, without a care in the world. If you don’t have a solid plan to retire before 50, I ask you, “show me your budget?”
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