Living Paycheck To Paycheck? How To Stop The Misery

Real estate investors who find themselves living paycheck to paycheck are often unable to put a stop to the misery. It can be tough to get off of that hamster wheel. Thanks to this helpful guide, would be investors are able to eliminate these types of concerns from their life…without having to make any unwanted sacrifices in the process.

There are four simple steps that need to be taken. Be sure to read on and learn more….

1. Owning Our Current Financial State

One of the main problems with living paycheck to paycheck is that it is tough to own it. Everyone would like to think that they have more cash on hand than they actually do. It is a common impulse. However, those who are unwilling to own it are never going to be able to change it. In order to fix the problem, the would be real estate investor must first admit that there actually is a problem.

Related: Cost Segregation For Multifamily Investors: Why It Is Necessary

Those who do not take the proper level of responsibility for their current predicament are forced to continue living it. There is no shame in having money problems. People get laid off on a regular basis. Health problems can drain a savings account rather quickly. Regardless of what the issue may be, it is time to address it before it is too late.

2. A Sober Assessment of the Situation

In other words, it is time to stop with the wishful thinking. It is time to assess the situation and decide what needs to be done going forward. Writing down all monthly expenses and seeing which of them need to be cut is a great start. What about net worth? This is another area that needs to be examined, so that the real estate investor is able to discern what changes need to be made.

Related: Uncle Sam’s Cut: Planning For Your Taxes

Struggling to get a handle on things? Filling out a full financial statement is a wonderful place to start. This document gives investors the chance to list all of their expenses, their assets and their debts. There are financial statements that are easy to use and they can be found online. Fixed expenses, variable expenses and all other expenses must be included. This paints a clear financial picture.

3. Developing a Greater Understanding

This is the part where the real estate investor starts to gain control of their current financial state. A wealthy individual understands their cash flow and makes the right decisions each month. The wealthy folks out there do not worry about discretionary income. They put their savings account first. When money is stashed away in savings, this is the equivalent of paying our future selves.

In order to gain financial control, it is important for investors to stop putting themselves last. Those who allow themselves to prioritize fun stuff and variable expenses are only making a bigger hole for themselves. The cash flow funnel must be pointed in the right direction. Fixed expenses may seem unchangeable but in reality, there are decisions that can be made. Moving into a smaller apartment or getting a different car are wise choices when fixed expenses are eating into savings.

4. Growing Income

This may seem too simple to be an actual step. Wouldn’t everyone just make more money if they were able to? Once the previous steps have been taken care of, growing income and increasing the amount of money on hand gets much easier. There are a wide range of ways for a real estate investor to expand their current income and grow the money that they already have on hand.

Related: How To Finance Your First Flip: 3 Foolproof Methods

Whether the investor is looking to actively increase their income by taking on hourly employment or they are looking to open up some passive revenue streams that allow them to amass wealth as they sleep, there are no shortage of roads to take. The only limit is the investor’s own imagination.

Now that the investor is well aware of the steps that they need to take, it is time to put an end to the misery associated with living paycheck to paycheck. Building wealth is all about developing the proper mentality. Those who are willing to take the aforementioned steps are able to avoid the typical pitfalls. It is time to be as honest with ourselves as possible and achieve a greater level of success in the world of real estate investment.