Your 20s may seem like an unpredictable time. You’re building your education, gaining job experience, developing yourself socially, learning the likes and dislikes of many different things, and more. With all that’s going on, there is no reason to wait to start wealth-building, especially if you want to retire early.
The earlier you start, the faster you get to your goals. There are many ways to do it, too, with varying degrees of risk. Here is how to build wealth in your 20s.
1. Don’t expect to build wealth quickly.
Wealth management takes long-term effort, smart decision-making, and financially responsible. There is no get-rich-quick scheme that is going to work to make you a millionaire overnight.
While saving $1 million is more than possible, it will take years to get there. Avoid any suspicious financial opportunities and seek the smartest strategy to keep and grow your money.
2. Start working and increase your earning potential.
Unless you were born into a situation with hundreds of thousands of dollars already to your name, to build wealth, you need to work to put that money in your pocket.
The more you work, the more money you get paid. Your earnings should also increase over time, especially if you’re in a sector with upward mobility. As you go through your professional life, find something you’ll enjoy doing that also pays you well for your efforts.
3. Create a monthly budget that minimizes spending.
No one has built wealth spending. Your 20s is a time to create a personal budget, identifying money coming in and money going out. If you have debts, identify what amount you will pay every month. Set aside an amount for your savings.
Stop spending money on things that aren’t returning you that much enjoyment. Look for alternatives or ways to spend less on similar necessary expenses. Through these efforts, you get the most from the money you make.
4. Create multiple streams of income.
If you’re not happy with the income from one job, consider a second. Look at side hustles. Consider how you can use your skills.
You can build a skillset that can be turned into additional monthly income if you have additional income streams, even if you only net a hundred dollars extra per month. At the end of the year, that’s $1,200. No matter what it is, every dollar you make adds up.
5. Set aside money every month for savings.
A key point to any wealth-building plan is to set aside an amount every month to put into your savings. This can be difficult for people swimming in debt who may struggle to make ends meet, but it’s something, even if it’s just $20 every two weeks.
That money is how you start to build for your retirement. It’s a little at a time. It doesn’t look like much to start, but it’s impressive at the end of the year when you look at the extra you have saved.
6. Temporarily lower your living expenses.
Is there a way for you to live for cheaper and save yourself $100s a month? For a lot of people, the answer’s yes. Eat more foods from the grocery store than from restaurants. Downgrade Internet and TV subscriptions if you aren’t using what you have. Lower your monthly rent by taking on a roommate.
Even if you have to compromise temporarily on how you’re living to save money, that will not be yours forever. Further down the line, you will have the wealth to live more comfortably. Until then, though, the lower your expenses, the better.
7. Start investing and do so with a long-term outlook.
You don’t need a million dollars to invest. You can do so with as little as $20. You won’t be raking in the big bucks, but it’ll get you started growing your income. You can download several investment apps to your smartphone and get started.
While there are riskier investments, i.e. cryptocurrency, that probably aren’t worth taking a risk on, there are also very stable investments with fairly strong long-term returns. You may want to solicit the input of someone experienced or a financial institution to guide where to invest for long-term security.
8. Become financially literate.
You can’t rely on others to make the right decisions for your money. The more you know, the better served you will be. Start looking up the terminology. Develop knowledge of how money works, understand how to invest it, and get to know the different approaches to managing finances and the merits involved.
You may want to read books by individuals known for wealth-building, or you can do your research online. A financially literate person will understand what’s being told to them and won’t be so lost regarding how to build wealth.