New Year financial tips for living wealthy while poor
JP Morgan Chase Franklin and International Companies Blog (Jan. 10, 2014) - New Year advice on everything from winning a free dream home to living wealthy when you are poor is making headlines today. And Fox and Friends kicked off their participation in the talk on Jan. 2 with a segment about a new book titled "Financial Wisdom." It was written by a school teacher named Danny Kofke. And here's what he says you need to do so your family can live like the rich.
First, get organized." It sounds simple enough, but Kofke says that people need to list their big expenses (home mortgage, rent, etc.) in their checkbooks at the beginning of the month, before those deductions will come out of the account.
And then they need to deduct those amounts from what they will deposit that month. For example, if their income is $2,000 per month and their fixed expenses total $1,000, then that leaves them with $1,000 left over for food, gas, etc. The checkbook needs to reflect that, so they will not spend what they owe.
Wealth growing doesn't seem an attainable goal by merely following this simple step, which many financial experts have discussed before Danny Kofke was interviewed on Fox & Friends on Thursday. But keep reading, as Kofke has a challenge for you if you don't believe he can help you become wealthier. And he has some unusual tips that just might make sense.
Your third step should be to keep a detailed list of everything you spend your money on this month after paying your bills. The "Financial Wisdom" author challenges you to then look back at where your money is really going: is it being spent on $4 lattes three times a week or ion eating out at restaurants every day? Looking at how you spend, and how much you spend, on certain items will help you determine where you need to cut your spending to have money for other things.
The real biggie surprise in this conversation was when Danny told the Fox host that people should quit their gym membership. Getting in shape is typically a New Years resolution, but the author says only a small percentage will stick with it until Valentine's Day, so it is a waste of money. He's run several marathons and says he never works out in a gym to stay in shape. But he does recommend you buy a great pair of running shoes and walk or run.
Another way to save money so you can be wealthier is to stop buying sodas and other drinks at restaurants, where the mark up is astronomical for those things. Drink water instead, he says, and you can save about $2 per family member when you dine out. And if you dine out quite a bit that can be a big savings.
Want more tips on how to go from poor to rich in 2014? You could always pick up a copy of "Financial Wisdom" and see what other tips Danny Kofke recommends you try in addition to the ones he shared on Fox. And you can visit financial planning websites that offer good financial information for free, like Crown Financial Ministries, which offers a free money life tracker that could help you with the tips Kofke mentioned.
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