Recently the Huffington Post interviewed financial expert Tony Robbins on what he believes to be the secret to financial success. The simplicity of his advice seemed both valid and easy to digest for readers. He recommends these three tips for anyone, whether they are a millennial that has no money and is in a ton of debt or a baby boomer that still has no savings.
He breaks his advice down into these simple guidelines that must be followed.
“Taxing Yourself”
His advice is to place an imaginary tax on yourself whenever you get paid and recommends setting that price at roughly 20%. You get to be your own version of the government in this way. You should automate this system to where your 20% comes out of your paycheck and into your savings account. It’s hard to force yourself to put money away, especially when you need it but taking the time to make the process automatic will help you keep your money in that savings account so it doesn’t get “lost” along the way.
“Invest”
The mere idea can be boggling to someone that struggles to pay rent but investing doesn’t take much. We recently wrote an article that shows you the benefits of using the app Mint. This app takes the change from each transaction you make and invests it in government bonds, small and large business stock, and more.
“Building”
There is more than one way to invest and Tony recommends a technique called “asymmetrical” investing. This just means you should invest as little as you can so you have the lowest amount of risk involved with a good return.
Online, there are ways to invest your time and skills and turn them into money. Sites like Upwork and Shopify connect you to people that want what you have and are willing to pay for it. Spending some time and making money on these sites is another way you can put money towards the first two pieces of Tony’s advice.
These items take time and you won’t see large returns immediately, either. However, they are safe and reliable ways to start saving for your future.
