We all have friends that fall behind. We also have a buddy that excels even when the odds are against them. Getting ahead financially is always an interesting topic.

I was catching up with a friend the other day. This guy is super hilarious and is always having a great time. We get along pretty well and share tons of laughs. He can make everyone laugh. Sadly, his accountant is also laughing. Why? Because he’s pushing 30 and he just can’t get his finances together. I’ve tried to help him, but I don’t believe in giving unsolicited advice. I also don’t like to judge. When someone asks for tips, I do my best to share what I know. He just can’t get anything to work. He’s now getting older and still can’t manage to get his money right. I don’t want this to be you.

How can you prevent becoming that friend? What if you want to get ahead financially while your friends fall behind?

Put a little bit of money aside.

You don’t have to be a miser. You don’t have to stay in every Friday night while the whole world parties. You don’t even need to save 10% of your income. All I’m suggesting is that you get into the habit of saving a few bucks. You only need to put a couple of dollars aside. If you put $20 away every week, you’l have one thousand dollars saved at the end of the year. This adds up over the years. You won’t get rich. You certainly won’t fall behind on the positive side of things.

Once the savings are working out, you can then jump to the other side of the financial success equation.

Increase your income.

Can you find a way to make more money? By increasing your income, you can save more money, pay down your debt, and get ahead.

What are my best tips for making more money?

  1. Get a part-time job. Are you too proud to serve coffee or drinks? You can easily make more money by seeking out a part-time gig for your evenings. Plus, you might meet some interesting characters in the process. What do you have to lose?
  2. Freelance on the side. My favorite topic. Have you considered freelancing? You can use any of your skills to make money!
  3. Switch jobs. Alright, this is easier said than done. However, switching jobs can have a positive impact on your earnings for the rest of your life. You shouldn’t be miserable at work every single day.

Those are three ideas worth trying. You have nothing to lose.

Consistency is key.

I’ll say it again: you won’t get rich overnight. You won’t become the next Mark Zuckerberg. You have to be consistent over time. I have one account where I began depositing $25 bi-weekly. Then I upped it to $50. Now this account has $6,000 in it. That’s a lot of money now. $25-50 every two weeks was nothing when you think about it. That’s only a few less drinks.

To get ahead, you have to be consistent. Just like with working out. You can’t just hit the gym once and expect to see results. Finances take time.

Experiment with new ideas!

“The value we create is directly related to how much valuable information we can produce, how much trust we can earn, and how often we innovate.” — Seth Godin

It’s scary to create your own path, but I can promise you that it’s worth it. I hope that you guys are trying new ideas out. Instead of looking for a job like all of my friends did, I chose to experiment with blogging and freelancing. I’ve enjoyed the ride thus far.

What will you try?

Never rely on will power.

Make someone else do the work for you. Will power just doesn’t work. We are not rational beings. We all eat fast food despite knowing how atrocious it really is. This is why I automate my finances so that money comes out of my account before I can touch it. Boom! The money goes and I have no say in it. If I relied on will-power, I would’ve used an excuse every single week.

“I don’t look to jump over 7-foot bars: I look around for 1-foot bars that I can step over.” — Warren Buffett

It’s your turn to get ahead financially!

Martin Dasko

Martin Dasko