Cookies are used for the best experience on my website.

Accept Cookie Policy

No internet detected

Check your connection and try again.

Logo Image

No match found

Buy a coffee

I launched this blog in 1995. Since then, we have published 1603 articles. It's all free and means a lot of work in my spare time. I enjoy sharing knowledge and experiences with you.

Your support

Have you learned something new by reading, listening, or watching my content? With your help, I can spend enough time to keep publishing great content in the future.

Or, select an option below:

A small slice of my data processing time each month

It's ongoing work running this site and what's really great is ongoing support. Here's a sense of what goes into this site: research topics for discussion. Manage the Tech stuff: website, SEO, graphics, email, back-end servers, DNS routing, edge servers. Create advertisements and load the campaigns in Google Ads. Manage the social media forums (Facebook, Reddit, Twitter). Write updates to the blog. Keep GitHub up-to-date.

$4.50 — A large cappuccino at my local

Things just work better with coffee! I like to take the kids to school then grab a cappuccino from my local on the way home before beginning the things that take mental energy.

$8.99 — A month of Netflix for some quiet nights in

A lot of the work on this happens after hours when I should be relaxing on the couch. Help me make it so and I promise to keep off the devices for a bit!

$11.50 — Fund a month of email delivery

This site sends out thousands of emails every month. For that volume and to ensure deliverability, I need to pay MailChimp.

$20 — Pay for one month of AWS storage fees

Websites are not free. The storage alone takes some cash. If you are willing to lighten the burden, we can keep this site up online.

$30 — One hour's pay for a graphics artist

Art doesn't create itself without a hand to guide it. I can't draw, so I need to pay others to help.

$45 — Pay a full-stack web developer for one hour

Much of the work on this site happens on weekends which means giving up time with the kids. Help me pay the developers so I can give my kids more time.

Cheat Code to Building Wealth in Less Than 5 Years

Author

Tim DENNING


  • 931

  • 4415

  • 1

  • 0

  • 0

A simple 4-step formula you can copy.

Photo by Marvin Meyer on Unsplash

Building wealth is only limited by your mind.

The challenge is many of the obvious ways to get wealthy, so you can buy back your time back, are complex.

Complexity stops many people from achieving the goal. Let me give you a simple formula I discovered.

Create a high income (like this) 🔗

When you see this heading it probably makes you want to scream.

I’m not here to shame you. If money is a problem or some dumb boss owns all of your time, the answer you already know is to make more money.

Earn more money, get a higher income. How?

Add new skills to your skill stack.

If you’re not making the money you want then it’s skills that are missing. The good news is online education can help you get more or upgrade the ones you have. It’s why self-education has become a cult on LinkedIn.

The key is not just to add skills to your skill stack but to choose the right ones. Learn new skills like these:

  • Web design
  • Basic coding
  • Social media
  • Video editing
  • Zapier automation
  • Persuasive writing
  • Content marketing
  • Launching a newsletter
  • Artificial intelligence use-cases
  • Online community management

On their own, none of these skills are amazing. But when you start to layer skills it differentiates you in the free market and that’s how you get your income up.

Lower your expenses to the floor 🔗

There are people making $100K a month that live paycheck to paycheck.

No joke. It’s not how much money you make but how much you keep. It’s why I rent a basic house in an area full of government housing. I don’t need a fancy house to live the good life.

I just need four clean walls to shelter my family.

Maybe you don’t want to cut back on housing like me. Perhaps you could trade the expensive car for a good second-hand Toyota. Or maybe go through all your subscriptions and cancel most of them.

Tadah! Expenses gone.

Invest all your extra money 🔗

Now you’ve got extra money from a higher income and lower expenses.

The next step is to invest the money to buy financial assets that build wealth — unlike consumer assets that depreciate (cars, luxury bags, iPhones, etc).

The mix of assets you decide to buy (also known as asset allocation), differs for everybody. It depends on your age, net worth, and risk tolerance.

I prefer to invest my money in cash, stocks, real estate, and Bitcoin/Ethereum. And yes, cash is an asset. It gives you optionality in a recession to spot discounts and get an unfair advantage.

To invest properly you either need the help of a professional, to get yourself a financial education, or a combination. Choose wisely.

Become a badass tax-efficient individual 🔗

This last one is mostly forgotten about.

It’s not about tax avoidance, like what billionaires do. No, it’s about tax efficiency. Let me give you an example.

I used to earn money, have it get deposited into my personal bank account, pay 50% tax, then buy financial assets.

Now I earn money, have it deposited into my business bank account, then invest the money in financial assets. One day when I sell those financial assets I will still have to pay 50% tax. But in the meantime, I get to invest most of my income, which buys me more assets.

If I want to delay the tax further, I can use those financial assets as collateral (like a security deposit) and get a loan against them. Then I can buy whatever I want that way.

Understanding tax efficiency can make you 3x wealthier in the next 5 years. Read about it and hire quality accountants and tax lawyers to help.

How this strategy differs from conventional money advice 🔗

What’s different about this cheat code to wealth strategy you’ve just read may not be obvious.

First, it’s based on optimism. There’s no scarcity mindset or debate about equality that belongs in a deadbeat’s tweet in the Utopian land of nowhere. The basis is if you have an internet connection, equality can exist for you.

Second, it takes into account inflation and money printing. Every year government-issued currencies are worth less. Currency melts like an ice cube. When you focus on owning quality assets, it stores the time you gave up to make the money a lot better.

Because true wealth is a store of time you can use whenever.

Third, it doesn’t require a genius to execute. You don’t need to be an entrepreneur running a 5000-person Silicon Valley tech company. You don’t need to have rich friends or special access.

All you need to do is focus on execution and stick to the plan.

Fourth, you don’t need to sell out or be above average. Anybody can do this with a little time, patience, personal finance books, and some good ol’ fashion positive psychology.

So take my 4-step formula and try it out. It’s unlikely to make you poorer.

Because if you have a valuable skill stack, and lose all your money, you can always make it back again. I’m living proof.

Disclaimer: This is not financial advice, the information in this article is for educational purposes only. Never invest what you can’t afford to lose. I disclaim any liability or loss incurred by any person who acts on the information, ideas, or strategies discussed in my articles. Do Your Own Research. Consult a financial professional before making any major financial decisions.

This license allows reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, so long as attribution is given to the creator. The license allows for commercial use. If you remix, adapt, or build upon the material, you must license the modified material under identical terms.