Right now, more than 80% of households in the United States live on a paycheck to paycheck basis. This means that a lost job could result in financial disaster for a large chunk of the population. Once you get into the trap of relying so heavily on one paycheck, it can be pretty hard to break free from that cycle. There are ways however to reduce your reliance on that paycheck and get other streams of income rolling in.
Whenever we get a job, we get excited about that paycheck and the temptation is there to get a nicer car, or a nicer house or just to spend more than we should. Before we know it, we’re stretching our limits. If you get a raise, the same thing usually happens. Instead of taking that money and using it to make more, we simply throw it out the door on things that we don’t really need.
We’re not saying that you have to live your life like a Spartan – far from it. However, you should never rely solely on one income to meet your needs. This is a recipe for disaster, and for thousands of Americans, this can be the risk of ending up homeless. So, how do you break free from this cycle and open up more streams of income?
The easiest answer is to get a second job so that you have more income coming in each month. The only problem is that most of us are spread so thin that it is just not feasible to try to work more. You can try starting your own little side business, but again, if you don’t have a lot of time, this can be more trouble than it is worth.
The second choice is to find a way to create passive streams of income. This is money that you don’t have to “work” for. In essence, you’re not doing anything, but you still have money coming in. Examples of passive income include investments, interest payments and dividends. You make that initial investment and then sit back to watch the money roll in.
This is the most ideal means of making more money to reduce your reliance on your paycheck. However, there are times when you may not have enough cash to create a new income stream. In this situation, you can try what is called leveraging debt. This means getting a loan that will be used for an investment to create more income.
Now, we do not recommend leveraging debt on risky investments, this is just a bad idea. It is best to start small, with something that you feel comfortable will have a good rate of return. This may mean a high interest bearing savings account or something similar that has less risk than a stock.
Whatever you decide to do, the important thing is to stop relying on that paycheck. Once you do get more income coming in, don’t fall into that same trap of overspending again. Put it aside, or use it to invest in new income streams.
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How many stories have we all heard about the entrepreneur that came to America with five cents and turned it into an empire? It’s stories like this that make us long for a piece of that American dream. We all wish that we could turn our nickels into big money, but most of us don’t know how to do it. The secret is using debt wisely to leverage more income producing streams. No one can turn five cents into five million dollars overnight, but by taking chances and finding ways to use debt smartly, you can become financially independent, just like the entrepreneurs of old.
