Welcome back to the Saturday Success Series email!
This week we have:
Master Yourself: the only real way to “breakthrough”
Master Your Money: they’re not smarter than you
And of course…
The Weekly Special: How to reduce your ‘Big 3’ expenses
The goal here is maximum value, so let’s get to it.
If you’re ready to build your own audience: Twitter is the platform to do it and Create 24/7 is the guide to use. Comprehensive and fully guaranteed. Grab yours today.
Master Yourself
Everyone is always looking for THE way to breakthrough creative block.
Some say take a walk in the park, some say go do something wild, and others will tell you to sit and have some wine. These are all well and good and probably work for some.
But I’ve discovered there’s only one way to really breakthrough and create important shit.
And it works for everybody.
Feelings.
In particular, feeling your feelings frequently.
Sit with them, process them, and then use them mercilessly. Use them until you’ve worn those feelings out and new ones take their place.
Having a legit process in place is helpful too, but humans create the best things when we’re angry, sad, elated.
Your emotional creations connect to other people because everyone relates to feelings. And when you make things with feeling, others recognize it quickly.
So I strive to surround myself with people who create feelings in me that allow me to create important things in return.
I strive to read articles or have experiences that elicit strong emotional responses. I like to get mad or sad and then I like to create.
And once the feelings are flowing, the creativity soon follows.
Master Your Money
Most wealthy people are no smarter or more talented than you.
They just execute their plan daily and let compounding do its thing.
The plan?
Create heavy cash flow
Buy assets regularly
Hold long term
You create cash flow by creating income streams.
“Easiest” way? Create mini businesses.
A writing business. An affiliate business. A coaching business.
Keep creating. Keep scaling. Keep investing.
Weekly Special
How to Reduce Your ‘Big 3’ Expenses
Living well in America is expensive.
The average rent, overall, is 1,300/month. But I know most people pay significantly more. The average mortgage is 1,800.
Average food cost for a family of 4 is 1,200/month.
Owning a car (car payments, insurance, gas, maintenance, etc.) is about 800/month.
The average salary is 5,100 per month (gross). Though obviously many live on a lot less. You can see how these Big 3 eat up most of your take home pay.
Here are some ways to reduce the Big 3 expenses.
Big Expense #1: Housing
Live with your parents or your family for as long as you can.
I lived with my parents until I was 27, then again from 32–34. This alone has helped me save anywhere from 40–60% of my yearly salary. It was the catalyst to me growing my wealth.
Refinance your mortgage to find better rates
You can save hundreds of dollars a year on interest and pay your debt off faster. This may not be the best time to do that, but keep it in mind.
Get a roommate
When I did move out of my parents house the first time around, I had 2 roommates split a 3 bedroom home with me.
I only had to pay a third rent and a third of utilities. It was great! I was still able to save 20–30% of my yearly salary this way.
And yes, I found roommates on Craigslist, and it worked out perfectly. They’re still my friends.
Negotiate rent
Yes, this really can be done in certain situations. If you have money saved, try offering to pay the year in full for a discount.
If you’re handy, you can also offer to work for a break in rent.
Live in a smaller, cheaper home
Think about it…the bank says you qualify for a home that costs 350k, but you can find a nice home for 250k.
Now you’re paying less for the house and less interest but also- less in taxes and energy.
Big Expense #2: Transportation
Become a 1 car family
I’ve approached the topic with my girlfriend. Particularly because I work from home now and I rarely go anywhere unless it’s with her and the kids. And when we do that, we use her SUV. We’re not ready to pull the trigger yet, but I have the feeling once we do, we’ll be glad we did it.
Because even though I’m not spending much on gas anymore I still have to pay a couple thousand a year in insurance, registration, maintenance, etc.
Consider no car
Particularly if you live in a more urban environment or if you have friends/family willing to take you to run errands or if you work from home.
Drive less
Work remotely if you’re able to. Have things delivered via Amazon, where shipping is often free. Host friends at your place instead of traveling for meet ups.
Shop insurance yearly
Loyalty to your car insurance company is a money pit for you. Shop yearly to see if you can save with a new insurance company.
Big Expense #3: Food
Cook instead of eat out
The same meal you pay 15 dollars for at a restaurant could be made for 5 dollars a serving at home. I don’t even need to do the math for you to understand how this adds up.
Also, think of your health. So much fat, sugar and salt is hiding in restaurant meals. Make your coffee and smoothies at home too.
Mix and match meals
Two nights ago I made penne and chicken meatballs with spinach. Last night I made a salmon and mango quinoa bowl. Now tonight we’re having a chicken meatball and spinach quinoa bowl.
I look up some recipe ideas and I shop for the week using these ideas where I can use the same ingredients in different ways.
Shop sales and use coupons
The weekly circular is your friend. Find out what’s on sale and look up ways to use it in your meals.
Also, clip coupons! I just started doing this and I love seeing the price change at the end once the coupons are scanned. Saving 10–20 bucks a trip? Sold.
Our grocery store also offers points that you can use to take money off gas. See what other offers your store has.
Thanks for reading! If you found this valuable, please share with someone who could use it. See you next Saturday!
Interested in building your online writing into a 4-5 figure business? Get The Medium Formula for less than you’d pay for dinner.