Calculating your net worth can be fairly straightforward — you simply subtract your liabilities from your assets. If you’re not sure what we’re talking about, check out this article on understanding your net worth to learn more. And after you’ve laid it all on the table, you may wonder, “How do I go from my current net worth to my dream net worth…quickly?” The answer is in your lifestyle.
Imagine you’re sitting in a room with the most financially successful person you know. How do they look? What are they wearing? What emotions or attitude do they exude? What makes them different from you? You may think the answer is simple… They have more money. But what if the answer is not as simple as you think?
To even the odds, you have to upgrade your financial mindset by believing that all of the opportunities to wealth that they have are available to you, too. You see, it’s not simply the money that makes the difference, it’s the lifestyle. Here are six ways to enhance your lifestyle while increasing your net worth.
1Invest your time in edutainment.
The more you know about money, the better equipped you will be to manage it. Listening to pros such as Ashley Kilroy, Carey Shuffman, and Nicholle Overkamp can serve as the perfect kick-off to your financial intelligence binge session.
2When you get new money, keep it.
There are countless ways to give away your money and only a few smart ways to keep it. Consider how to live below your means. How much money do you pay each month for luxuries such as your choice of meals for dinner, the phone plan you selected, and your monthly car payment? Instead of spending, ask yourself how you can make your money grow without any additional effort by saving and leveraging compound interest.
When you get a raise, or if you start a side hustle, sock that money away for savings or investing in a separate account earmarked for a specific financial goal. It is important to build your financial accounts and tailor your lifestyle to become a wealth builder.
3Get rid of the debt.
While this can be overwhelming, take your time and have conversations with your debtors to understand all of your options, like adjusting monthly payments, lowering interest rates, refinancing, and consolidating debt. You can also use debt-reducing strategies such as the debt snowball method and the debt avalanche method to optimize reaching your goal as soon as possible.
4Plan for emergencies.
Not only is this a safe and smart decision, but the money you save for emergencies also increases your net worth. Consider opening a new savings account for your emergency funds. Set up your direct deposit to automatically add money on a recurring basis, like two to three business days after you receive each paycheck so that you’re not tempted to spend it all. It is a best practice to save at least three to six months of expenses. After you’ve saved enough, begin contributing to your investment strategy, and make sure you’re verifying these things when selecting a new financial institution.
5Find free ways to spend your time.
From a free library membership to a casual walk in the park, get creative with ways you can spend your time without spending any money.
6Be wise about where you store your money.
Do you use a large national bank or a small local credit union? How much of your money is allocated to liquid assets, and which liquid assets should you have? Do you put more money into your retirement or your investments? And how do you do all of this and still have money left over to buy those new shoes?! These are phenomenal questions and, no worries, we’ve got you covered. This podcast episode with Nicholle Overkamp will help get you started.
7Pay yourself first.
Our good friend and financial expert, Ashley Kilroy, recommends that you pay yourself first by putting money away for savings before anything else. Keep things easy and set up auto transfers, so you don’t even have to think about it after you’ve set it up.