How to Keep it Rich

Below is an excerpt from the booklet “12-Month Budget.â€

In order to define what wealthy or rich means to you, you must spend some time with your thoughts and decide what would really make you happy. Is it a mansion and a yacht, or perhaps a three-bedroom home with a white picket fence? Perhaps it’s a Manhattan condo. Whatever it is, you have to decide upon it and save toward it.

Dream big! Dream very big! What do you want to be when you grow up? (This question applies to all ages.) Maybe you don’t know. Maybe you can’t figure it out because you are so bogged down with the day-to-day stresses of going to school, working or taking care of children. Well let me share a quote that may put things in perspective:

“First I was dying to finish high school and start college. And then I was dying to finish college and start working. And then I was dying to marry and have children. And then I was dying for my children to grow old enough so I could get back to my career. And then I was dying to retire. And now I am dying … and suddenly realize that I forgot to live.â€ –Author Unknown

Don’t let this be you. Define a goal, find out how much it costs, and enjoy it when you reach it.

GENERAL FINANCIAL GOALS TO HAVE

Perhaps you have never thought about this before, so here are some general goal ideas that most people who are keeping it rich have:

To build an emergency fund of at least three months of expenses in case of income interruption; or in the meantime, to pay for unexpected bills like getting your car towed (oh my fault, this is about you, not about me. LOL).

To pay student loan payments on time so you can build a good credit history and pay down your debt.

To pay down credit card debt so you can have more accessible cash each month once that bill is completely paid off.

To buy a house in order to have an appreciating asset that will gain value over time (and to have a nice, stable place to live in the meantime).

To save for retirement so that you don’t have to physically work after the age of 65.

To pay for kids’ college education so they don’t have student loan debt.

To take more vacations so you can enjoy relaxation in your rich life.

To open a small business so you can build sustainable, institutional wealth that can pass on to the next generation.

Typically, once there is a solid plan in place (not necessarily completed, but once the plan is in place) then people who are keeping it rich start to enjoy the finer things in life such as fancy cars, tours around the world, designer shoes and the such.