Everyone wants to be wealthy, but for most of us, that’s a distant dream called “someday”. Some of us may eventually find a way to become self-made millionaires, but putting your hopes and dreams into someday just isn’t going to cut it.

The younger you are when you start, the better, however, most of us can start building wealth and planning for the future. There is no straightforward or short way to wealth, but maybe these tips will help you get started while you’re young.

1.End the cycle of procrastination.

The biggest mistake most people make in their youth is thinking there is more than enough time for everything. A lot of young people believe that building wealth or saving for retirement is something “older” people do and focus more on the here and the now. Unfortunately, this type of thinking starts the vicious cycle of, “I’ll do that next month or next year,” and this goes on until you realise your 10 or 20 years older and by this time, it often feels like it’s too late. The first step in ending the procrastination cycle is to start saving and investing. Don’t wait any longer, just start doing it.

2.Please understand, there is no magic to building wealth.>

You may be looking for or thinking there is a magical solution to becoming wealthy, but there actually isn’t. Rather, there is a way it’s done and that is by first making more than you spend and by saving or investing the excess. Talking to a certified financial planner could be a great way to get started on this.

3.Invest in Number One: Yourself.

The next thing you should be working on is investing in yourself by spending some of your time on educating yourself and refining your skills, and meeting people who may be able to help reach you reach your goals. The more doors you open; the greater the possibilities you have for receiving higher salaries and coming across greater opportunities. 

If you’re planning on following what we’ve said in points 1 and 2, then you’ll definitely need to create a budget. Having firm limits on your expenses will help you further refine your budget so you can start funneling more money into your investments.

4.Pay down debt.

The frustrating and stressful part about debt is that the interest rates and payments chip away at your revenue and often drags people down. The faster you pay down your debt, the faster you could start saving more money towards the future.

5.Diversify your efforts.>

If you are interested in becoming a self-made millionaire, then you’ll want to start diversifying your efforts. What we mean is, don’t put all of your savings in one place or don’t build up on one skill, or stick with one group of professionals. Diversifying your efforts in all directions will allow you to have a backup plan in case something doesn’t work out the way you had hoped.

If you happen to be looking for some information and advise on investing and planning for the future, then talk to one of our wealth creation advisors on the Sunshine Coast to see how they might be able to help you get started.