The Money Tree

By: Charles Joseph

Making money is not taught in schools. It is not taught in colleges. It is not often talked about in families. As a former banker, my job was to make sense of people’s finances and assets. Part of that job is asking the difficult questions. I might ask you why your account keeps overdrawing, and it turns out that pesky auto loan is just a little too high. A penny saved is a penny earned.

So, let’s talk about making money. Making money. Saving money. Have you ever thought about refinancing your home or auto? Have you sat at home at the end of the day wondering if you will be able to pay the mortgage? So, pay yourself. A penny saved is a penny earned in my book. Did you know that every one to three years it is recommended that you look at refinancing your auto? What if I could lower your monthly payment by one hundred dollars a month? Better than getting that second job? Yes and no.

But let’s say that you have done all of that. You have a great credit score. Your payments on your assets are theoretically as low as they can possibly be given present economic conditions. And you still wish you had a little extra to put into the bank account. The answer is to generate income.

Sounds easy. Just go pick some money off the money tree. Nope. Phone a friend? Maybe, if it is a true emergency. I have been asked in the past how to generate more income. Generating income is today’s equivalent of the hunt. The difference is that, in capitalism, your “kill” comes from servicing others in the most notable way. So, what services are you capable of rendering?

Are you in construction? Have you considered home repair on the weekends or rainy days? Or maybe you are a writer. Have you considering the endless online publications looking for a writer just like you? Maybe you are a chef. Go serve others by offering cooking classes. The problem isn’t that there aren’t any other ways to make money. The problem is confidence in yourself and your craft.

How confident are you in your chosen craft? What are you good at that you enjoy? The good news is that since you are taking on projects outside of your job you make the hours, the rules, and the pay. I know. Pretty awesome.

Income comes in so many forms. Of course, there are many ways to save money. But most people don’t want to deal with it. The paperwork. The uncomfortable questions. The off-chance that someone asks you a question that you don’t know the answer to. The possibility that you will have to work your second stream of income for less money initially. These things will happen. I promise you. So anticipate it.

Earl Nightingale, a famous author in the motivational industry, once said that most people are not willing to use their brains by sitting down for a few minutes to really think about their lives, their goals, and their strategies. Do a service to yourself and sit down, jam out, and just free think. Think about the possibilities. Think about the dreams that you had that you let go of because you told yourself you were too tired, too broke, or too busy to do anything else with your time.

Be creative. There is no such thing as a bad idea when it comes to free thinking. Jot your ideas down and move forward with action. This writer has done it. And you can too.
By: Charles Joseph