Thread by @robertoblake

While I'm not a millionaire, I am someone who went from $6/hr to 6 figures a year as an earner.

If I were to impart any advice to ppl who have a toxic relationship w/ money and work it would be the following:

(THREAD)

Frugality doesn't have to be a life sentence, and minimalism can make you miserable.

Have a very clear understanding of what makes you happy and optimize your life around that. It may not take as much money as you imagine it would.

But let's talk earning/saving/investing.

How much you earn comes down to SPECIALIZATION, not how HARD you work, but how HARD you work is.

The level of DIFFICULTY means there are fewer ppl to compete w/ you or replace you and it means those who pay you are paying bc they lack the skill or time or desire to do the work.

The best way to position yourself to EARN more is to specialize in a creative or technical field.

If that is not suited to you then consider pursuing a TRADE and stick with it and become a MASTER if you can and also try to learn LEADERSHIP skills.

My path forward was that I moved into management in retail to earn more, and then into positions that had some commission component.

When I moved into corporate life as a Web/Graphic Designer it was because I SPECIALIZED in certain skills and software.

Learning Software and Techincal Creative Skills can be done online for free.

DO NOT LISTEN TO PEOPLE WHO INSIST THESE JOBS REQUIRE A DEGREE!!!

Every job I got, I managed it with a portfolio and references. Just prove you can do the work, and also network and shoot your shot.

Once I had a good job with a good salary I continued to moonlight to make extra money.

If I could go back to my 20s, even though it wasn't a lot of money I would have cut back on my hobbies and invested that money instead.

Starting at $1 if I had been investing $100 a month of my money with only an 8% return into Index Funds or Individual Stocks since age 18, today that money would be worth $48K.

$50/mo would be $24K either way it all adds up. That could be toward a house down payment.

If you can continue to stay on top of in-demand skills and use your spare time to find side hustles and add new income streams, you will have less financial anxiety.

You don't have to give up fun, you just need to ask yourself how much free time you actually need...

Skills give you options and agency. Because of my skills, I was able to leave a toxic work environment and strike out on my own as a freelancer.

By making the most of my time and by networking I was able to eventually become an entrepreneur through skill alone with no investment

There is a largely perpetuated myth that lack of access to capital is why people can't become entrepreneurs.

If you are able to read this "tweetstorm" then that does not apply to you.

The free access to education, software tools, and a device that sees this message is enough.

The software and online platforms and services I used to get to a point of making $3000 a month independently within the first year of leaving my job, are a shadow of the FREE software and platforms and opportunities that currently exist.

The key was that I DID NOT Earn $3000 from a single source of income the way you would with a 9/5 Job.

Neither do the wealthy earn the majority of their income from a single source.

It was this concept that ultimately would become the recurring theme for me.

My advice would be to start with adding 1 new type of income source each year.

Nobody needs a JOB. A Job is a means to an end, it is an income source. For most ppl, their job doesn't even suit their skills or sense of purpose.

Treat it as an income source. Do not be romantic.

If you can build multiple income sources, and if you can start to lessen the amount of time required to earn money by not trading your time for money, but using your time to earn it at something you can become faster at over time, you will have more freedom and more choices.

To obtain more freedom and choices you have to get back your time, and you have to earn more money to use as your 2 main resources besides energy.

But if all your time and energy is spent on making money, you will never have time, and therefore not freedom or choices.

This is where the concept of earning passive income, or what I call "automated income" comes into play.

Because of my background in web design, I already understood that websites are available 24/7 and as a consumer, I was already buying things online in the middle of the night.

It occurred to me that websites and apps and platforms can work for you 24/7 and would make the best Employees.

In the old world, you became wealthy based on how many people were doing work and creating value instead of you. Now it's about how many MACHINES can do your work

In order to add new income streams, I began using various different platforms that would allow me to provide value to people and receive money for that value.

If I can create value ONCE, but it can be consumed an infinite number of times, then that is how I could automate money

After about a DECADE I have over a dozen income sources with many of them being both PASSIVE and Recurring with my largest TRULY Passive Income Source averaging $5000/month in recurring revenue.

Obviously, not all of them are this successful.

There are several ways to use the internet to make money:

Sell a done for you service.
Sell a made-for-you product.
Sell someone else's product/service.
Become a content creator.
Become a brand ambassador.
Create a membership/subscription service.

I have done all of the above.

Making money sounds great, but how to best spend it wisely and investment is something teach less of.

My high income still has a frugal lifestyle and I also financially support several family members.

Everyone's circumstance is different.
Understanding this is key.

DO NOT TRY TO KEEP UP WITH THE JONES'S.
Prioritize your actual needs and long-term desires.

Do not be seduced by fear of missing out or by envy of what others have.

Prioritize FREEDOM and CHOICES.
Do not play status games, only money games.

My biggest financial regret will always be not investing sooner and not being educated about investing until the last 5 years or so.

One of my favorite accomplishments is being DEBT FREE. Getting there is about discipline.

That 780 Credit Score required a blood oath

REDUCE SPENDING.
REDUCE DEBT.

INCREASE SKILLS.
INCREASE INCOME.
INCREASE SAVINGS.
INCREASE INVESTMENTS.

That's as straight forward as I can make it.

I'm going to add something here to show you.
**not financial advice:
If you go into a mortgage pay it off early or basically pay double...

For retirement even if you are 30 years old and you have $0 set aside if you can get to a $75,000-$120,000 a year income through building a business or intellectual property and maintain it or grow it higher and invest while being frugal, even starting late you can be set up well