Articles

I bet you worry about money daily.

It’s not a happy way to live. Wouldn't it be nice if your financial life was going well, and you could spend your time thinking about other stuff?

Well, there are practical steps you can take in the short term... like setting up autopay so you never miss a bill. And in the long term... like paying off your mortgage in 10 years instead of 30.

But the whole point of this stuff is to make your life easier.

I say this all the time—my goal is not to turn you into a millionaire. My goal is to help you live a stress-free financial life.

That means:

• Not carrying any debt (I can help you with that here)

• Going to the grocery store and buying what you want

• Having enough in the bank to pay your bills and cover emergencies

• Paying off your mortgage quickly

• Staying on track to retire comfortably

All of these things make life easier. When you go to the grocery store, you don’t want to stress about buying the generic can of beans because it’s $0.20 cheaper.

It’s fine—even good—to focus on that stuff when you’re 22 years old and just starting out. But eventually, you want to be in a position to buy brand-name beans. That’s much more important than making enough money to buy a $15 million house.

Still, you’re not going to get there overnight...

It’s Going to Be Difficult

You’ve probably heard of The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck. The first line of the book is: “Life is difficult.”

Peck is correct. It takes sustained effort to live stress-free. Same goes for building a balanced financial life.

Other personal finance gurus will tell you there are easy answers. You know: 10 Easy Steps to Financial Freedom! But the truth is, there are no easy answers.

Sure, I can share tips and tricks. Like raising the limit on your credit card. Or maxing out your IRA on $17 a day.

But most of this stuff is just hard work. And accepting that it’s difficult will make your journey to financial freedom a little bit easier.

Blow Up Your Life

One of the hardest parts is asking yourself: How do I get more money?

In fact, it’s so hard that most financial gurus skip right past it. I think that boosting the revenue side of the equation is just as important—and potentially life-changing—as controlling your expenses.

Now, you could work longer, or harder, or ask for a raise. Or you could blow up your life and get a completely different job.

Changing careers is impossible for some people to fathom. They think their purpose on Earth is to do X—and that’s it. The reality is you can reinvent yourself. You don’t have to limit yourself to one career or one dream.

I didn’t know I could write a book until I did it. I didn’t know I could be a DJ until I did it. The key is you must be prepared to blow up your whole identity. If it’s wrapped up in your current job, it’s not going to work.

I’ve done this twice in my life—morphing from a military grunt to a Wall Street guy to a financial help guy.

All of these changes were difficult, but life is supposed to be difficult. Putting in the work is a big part of what makes people happy.

Financial Security Also Makes You Happy

When I say you should pay off your mortgage in 10 years, it’s partly because you will pay less interest. But the other part is, paying off your mortgage will make you happier.

Yes, I know you could take that money, invest it, and play the interest rate game. It might work out in your favor, and it might not. But there is no substitute for the peace of mind that comes from living in a house you own free and clear.

Because financial security makes people happy. That is the point of having money.

Jared Dillian