Too many of my clients and workshop participants exclaim that they don't make enough money. This feeling pervades all socio-economic and age groups, from wealthy to minimum wage earner, from the recent college graduate to the person getting ready to retire.
There are two sides to every argument. Actually, my late father used to say, "There are three sides to every argument: his side, her side, and the truth."
Instead of blaming the income side of the equation, let me suggest this: what about the expense side? Everyone who approaches me with what they think is an income problem, and I do mean everyone, unless they've just been laid off, makes plenty of income. As a matter of fact, I suggest that many of them could even live royally on their income, and perhaps they have and didn't realize it because they were too busy spending their money in the wrong area(s).
So let's talk about the spending side. If you have a job, chances are you're making enough money, you simply need to learn how to make better spending decisions. In his book, The Automatic Millionaire, David Back talks about discretionary spending. That's exactly where we start the learning process of spending better.
Let's talk about the opposite of discretionary spending, which would be non-discretionary spending. Duh! Non-discretionary spending are the three basic needs: food, shelter and clothing. Guess what? No one tells you what to eat, where to live and how to dress. So? Well, that means there is no such thing as non-discretionary spending! Yep, you got it. What that means is that you decide what to eat, where to live and how to dress.
That should free you up some. Actually, that should free you up a lot. Let's start where you live. Could you enjoy life without some of the luxuries your current residence provides? I bet. You could live elsewhere, perhaps even more convenient to work and where you party, and give up some amenities you never use. How much could you save each month if you moved there?