From Surviving to Thriving

The past decade in personal finance has been focused on decreasing expenses. The theme has been to stop spending and go without. The message has been to start using coupons, stop buying coffee at Starbucks and stop paying for the all the extras in life. While the messages are not all bad, the focus has been one sided – focused on survival alone.

For many of us, we have been so focused on decreasing expenses that there is little room to decrease any longer. Many are already living bare bones and not able to enjoy all the sweet, little extras all around us. I believe many of us have decreased all we can and now it is time to look at the other side of the equation – increasing income.

In my new e-Book, Money Does Grow on Trees – 12 Steps to Increase Your Income, I focus on 12 relevant, easy to apply ideas to increase your income. Let’s look briefly at three chapters designed to help increase your income:

• Free Money – If your employer offers a matching 401(k) or health savings account (HSA), take them up on the offer. Even if you have to contribute in order to get the match, it is free money they are gifting to you.

• Work Inside Your Comfort Zone – Are there skills you have that come natural or you have professional credentials? If so, consider offering these skills to others for pay.

• One Person’s Trash Is Another’s Treasure – Are there any items you currently own that you no longer use? If so, someone else may be looking for that same item. You get to give it to someone who will it appreciate it and in return you increase your income.

While decreasing expenses is good, sometimes it is time to move on from just surviving to thriving. It is time to have fun and relish in the joys this life has to offer – right here, right now.

Start your journey of thriving and get your free copy of my e-Book, Money Does Grow on Trees – 12 Steps to Increase Your Income.