I’ve met thousands of hardworking people in the military over my last 24 years. However, a select few will ever truly get ahead in life.
To clarify, “getting ahead” means they will not worry about money. Our ability to handle cashflow keeps a constant stress on most of us.
Yes, we will always need to budget and review our finances, but we don’t need to stress over them. We can live enjoyable lives if we overcome our need to struggle.
Inflation vs. Passive Income
Your need to struggle. We inherited the need to struggle from our parents, teachers, and relatives—nobody taught us how to be happy.
The entire system revolves around everyone struggling. When we are unhappy or depressed, we spend more money; this can be on shopping, medicine, or vacations.
Whatever the case, the media ensures there is always negative news around the corner. When you add social media to the mix, you are sure to remain in the dumps.
Beating the struggle mindset. It’s okay to say you want to be rich. They trained us to believe rich people are bad, so we fear making money.
To beat your struggle mindset, define what you consider “being rich.” Once I found my definition of wealth, it was much easier to achieve it.
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My definition of wealth. My definition of wealth is having enough passive income to live a middle-class lifestyle. I want my passive income to be much more than my living expenses.
I found the words “passive income” in July 2019 and never looked back. As I retire, my passive income will be $12,000/month, and my family can live on $6,000.
I am wealthy by my terms, especially as someone who grew up broke. The struggle mindset doesn’t allow you to focus on happiness and dreams; it revolves around stuff.
You’re struggling because of stuff. Would you buy a new car if you knew it would add five years to the end of your working career?
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That’s precisely what happens when you buy a new car, upgrade to a bigger house, or take expensive vacations every year.
We are working to pay for our stuff, literally. The fewer things that you require, the sooner you can leave the workforce. It’s actually quite simple.
Why do you need stuff? Why do we need to buy fancy things? This question is much more profound than you realize.
Sure, the media brainwashes us daily, but there is more to the story. As children, if we don’t have, we want. If we do have, we want more.
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We develop a “wanting” attitude that we cannot satisfy. This “wanting” feeling leads to lifestyle inflation. We make more, and then we spend more.
To stop YOUR struggle, you must stop wanting. There is only one way to stop wanting: to turn your attention to others.
Helping others is the key. As soon as you turn your sights on helping others, you will want much less. You will appreciate every minute you spend with other people, helping them (and you) grow.
It’s okay to want to become rich to buy back your time; that’s the best reason to seek financial freedom.
Start a Community Garden or U-Pick-It Farm
The truth of the workforce. The truth is that the workforce makes you selfish. It seems you are working to pay bills and support your family, but that’s not the reality.
You start in the workforce to pay bills, but it becomes much deeper and darker. Instead of living in a small apartment with your spouse, you upgrade to a single-family home.
After a few years, you use good school districts to move to a nicer place. You use “safety” to buy a bigger, cleaner SUV.
You make excuses for not visiting your family or attending weddings and graduation. You begin to struggle financially under the weight of a middle-class lifestyle.
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Next, you must fund your vacations and luxuries on debt because who wants to wait five years to have fun? It is all a trap; that’s why they call it the rat race.
It’s okay to be different. You sense something is wrong, but you continue living the lifestyle. It feels like everyone has it figured out except you and your spouse.
People, I felt like this after 20 years in the military (year 2019). I made over $100,000/year, and my wife was over $30,000.
However, I couldn’t take my family to restaurants or ball games without using a credit card. I didn’t understand why I couldn’t get ahead.
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My wife and I took massive action by getting roommates, paying off debt, and investing in dividends. Once I saw how “easy” it was to get ahead, I started writing to let everyone else know.
Most people stop here. Most people stop thinking about it, although they sense something is wrong. This leads to struggle-mania.
You know your bills are adding up, and soon you’ll have no more lifelines. I understand you feel scared and tired, but it’s time to push forward.
The first step is to admit that you need help. You simply cannot “work” your way to success. You must have your assets work for you, even as you sleep.
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The only way to get ahead is to make money 24 hours a day. If you are trying to work a W-2 job to overcome compounding credit card debt, you’re in for the ride of your life.
The power of compounding. However, you can capture the power of compounding and use it as your teammate. Once you understand the concept, you’ll defeat debt, save for today, and invest for tomorrow.
If you are tired of being in debt, raise your hands. There are countless ways to get ahead, like getting roommates, bartering your skills, or starting a garden.
Conclusion. However, your struggle-mania mindset will stop you from properly vetting these ideas and concepts.
The Succeeding in Reading
It will tell you you are not good enough for a YouTube channel or blog. It will tell you you can’t invest because you’re not good at math.
The most challenging part of getting out of debt and living your dream life is defeating your struggle-mania mindset. They gave it to you at birth, so it is entrenched well into your soul.
However, with hard work and reading books like “The Psychology of Money,” you can get your life on track and free yourself.
What is your rich life? What do you dream about if money was not of concern? What are your dream locations to visit?
How much time do you want to spend with friends and family? Answer these questions, and start working on your plan. Good Luck!
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Disclosure: I am not a financial advisor or money manager, and any knowledge is given as guidance and not direct actionable investment advice. I am an Amazon Affiliate. Please research any investment vehicles that are being considered. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it. I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. All Right Reserved Military Family Investing
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