Financial Tips to Save and Break Away
You’ve probably heard a thousand ways to save money during your life. And hilariously, most of the tips out there work for someone, so try out a few methods and see which works for you as an individual!
Is there anything in your life you could do without? Perhaps a cup of coffee? Cable TV? That luxurious car? Your commitment to your dream will motivate you. Remember, this is just temporary, but you’ll be surprised by how easy it is to get used to not having something after a very short while.
Here are some more tips:
Make It Visible
Get a big jar with a coin slot in the top, place it in a visible spot and then tag a huge poster of a beautiful beach or a vision board (more about that later) behind it. Make it glamourous. Make it yours.
Celebrate How Far You’ve Come
Celebrate the amount you’ve saved, however small, or the steps you’ve taken. What about the solar panel you’ve invested in? Toast with your loved ones. If you don’t have a lot of spare cash, put the money somewhere where you can’t get your mitts on it! If you’re putting away 10% of your income every month, make sure you can’t draw that little treasure out when things get tough.
You Don’t Need to Save that Much
Yes, it’s nice to have a comfy, substantial wad of cash to fall back on, but you’ll be surprised how little you actually need to live it up in Bali, Bolivia or Bermuda.
Get Off The Grid
This may seem like a counterintuitive way to quit the rat race, but you’ll love how self-sufficient it makes you feel.
Once you’ve decided upon the 1-2 locations you adore, you can start installing the keys to self-sufficiency into your new home: solar, water, and heating technology. The cocktail of power-saving instruments you replace the regular ones with depends a lot on the climate you’re in.
Could a rainwater catchment system solve your water needs in the rainy season or winter? Is there a well nearby? Reed bed waste water treatment systems cost around $5,000 plus installation. They help you with your water bill and make for a happy conscience, too.
Solar could help you heat your water, or give you extra power. What are your heating needs? One benefit of living in warmer climates is that you won’t need to heat your living space as much (if at all!).
A fireplace bio fuel, electric or pellet stove insert helps make your traditional fireplace more efficient, plus they make a home feel cozy. Installing more insulation or closing off areas that don’t need to be heated could also be a smart hack that gives you some tasty ROI for years to come.
Studies have shown that we use less than 40% of our living space on a regular basis, and simply providing supplemental heat to the rooms you use the most can reduce heating bills by 20-40%.
The average heating bill in the USA is between $80-125. Let’s say $100, and you then save 30%. If you use the same insert for the next five years, that’s $1800 minimum, since heating prices are forecasted to rise substantially during the next few years.
The little savings you can make throughout your house and your life can really add up over time, giving you more money to spend on what you really want.
Vision Boards, Visualization and Dream Outlines
As Tony Robbins says,“We can change our lives. We can do, have, and be exactly what we wish”. What do you want to be? If you’re reading this article, you want a better life. But your ticket to freedom, where does it come from?
Well, your imagination.
A super hack to harness the power of your imagination involves vision boards, visualization, and dream outlines.
Dream Outlines
This can be a simple list. Take each area of your life, and write 10 things you’d like to achieve. How much would you like to earn? How many hours a week would you like to spend? What activities would you like to do with your kids? The more precise, the better! Let your imagination run wild. Dare to outline your ideal life.
Vision Boards
Vision boards can be general or specific. To make one, you’ll need a cork board you can hang on the wall, or even a poster to pin up somewhere visible. Use your dream outline to fuel your imagination and pick out some photos of the things you want the most. Pop them on your vision board and let your vision board subtly influence you positively while you gaze upon it daily.
Visualization
Visualization works on your emotions and it makes you think more positively. You get inspired more often! Remember when you used to day-dream at school, thinking about a guy or girl you liked coming over and asking you out? The same applies here, but you’ll be day-dreaming about another type of fantasy, like a new job or an ideal weight. Try and visualize a positive scenario every day for at least 20 minutes.
Coaching, Health, and Networking
In part 3, we’ll be looking at some more power hacks you can use to quit the rat race completely and be the best version of yourself.
Because you deserve that, right?
