If you come from a poor home and get a good job or business, act on these 7 things
1. Cut emotional spending immediately. You’ll be tempted to “treat yourself” or help everyone around you. That mindset will keep you in a cycle of poverty.
You must delay gratification because luxuries now can sabotage your future.
2. Accept that you can’t save everyone. Friends and family will expect financial help. Set boundaries early. If you don’t, you’ll become a crutch, not a solution, and you’ll drain yourself dry.
Don’t be too fast to tell anybody who cares to listen that you are making lots of money. Because once they know, they will swallow hammer the next day.
3. Avoid lifestyle inflation. Just because you can afford nicer things doesn’t mean you should upgrade everything.
Keep your rent low, your car old, and your expenses boring until your investments can pay for your lifestyle. It may not be easy, but just try. Because you will exchange words with a university student who doesn’t know what it takes to make money and you’ll be forced to spend to prove you have arrived. See you see village.
4. Learn to say no without guilt. You’ll be misunderstood, resented, even insulted for changing. People may call you selfish or arrogant. Let them. Protecting your financial stability is not up for debate.
When you are balanced, you will be able to help as many people as possible and they will be grateful. But for now, they won’t understand.
5. Build an emergency fund like your life depends on it. Because it might. One bad month without a cushion can wipe out years of progress.
I would’ve said aim for 6 months in savings, but I don’t know your situation, so try and save what you can.
6. Educate yourself aggressively. No one taught you wealth. Study money, taxes, investing, real estate, and business like your survival depends on it, because it does to be honest.
Financial illiteracy is a silent trap and ponzi scheme people will be lurking around to deceive you.
7. Audit your circle. Some people only liked the broke version of you because you were easier to control or relate to. As you grow, expect envy, manipulation, or passive aggression.
Keep your circle tight, and surround yourself with people who are disciplined, not just familiar. You know where you are coming from and you don’t need to go back.
