Rich or Wealthy – are they the same? Robert Kiyosaki, author of the book “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” thinks otherwise. He says the rich have lots of money, but the wealthy don’t worry about money.

While the former makes money, they are not financially free till they get prudent with their finances (managing expenses and investments that is). A wealthy person in turn has provided for his financial freedom by saving enough to sustain a lifestyle or by building adequate passive income sources. 

Some simple strategies can make you wealthy as well:

Set a purpose

Money is a shallow motivator. Money at best is an external goal for a financial plan that lets you buy a house, car, gadgets and so on. Ideally, you should work for a larger purpose – say to become financially free or retire early to pursue your long-cherished passion. 

So, set an internally driven goal that is self-propelling and that motivates you to save more.

Get started NOW

In a crowded department store, when there are multiple queues, you start somewhere. Isn’t it? If you are lucky, you jump to new queues and ultimately get to a counter. If you never got into the line, you never get to the front.  Similarly, you need to start saving today without worrying about how you can retire or build a decent retirement nest. 

While the target might look intimidating initially, start taking action now. If you can save only a few thousands, start with it and scale up later. The pursuit of perfection can freeze you. Instead, keep moving forward …and just do it. 

There are two ways to improve your flows – either by increasing your income or by reducing your expenditure. If you are not earning enough, work towards improving your income by doing a side hustle or shifting to a better-paying job. Also, cut back where you can, which will allow you to save more. 

Manage risks 

Building wealth is all about prudent management of risk and return. Become too conservative and you end up eroding your wealth. In the past, annual inflation has been in the 6-7 per cent range. So, if your portfolio doesn’t earn that much, your wealth will be eroded.

Therefore, seek a decent exposure to equity which will in turn help you earn more than inflation annually. Your asset allocation is a function of your age, understanding of risk, investment horizon, and financial target. By hiring a financial advisor, you get to identify the ideal asset mix for your investment portfolio. 

Not least, manage the downside by having emergency funds and insurance in place. 

Be disciplined

You might have the best plan and strategies in place. But if you are not disciplined, you might not get there. Automate your investment process, so that there are no second thoughts. SIP (Systematic Investment Plan) is the best mode of investing for retail investors. This should be ideally the first thing to go off your monthly income. 

Saving is a collective effort. Get the family on board and give them the ‘big picture’ so that they know what a delayed gratification could mean to their future.

Seek help

Don’t be averse to seeking professional financial help. If you are not familiar with your finances, hire a financial advisor. While they will charge you for their services, in the long run you will still be financially better off. Typically, financial advisors help you identify your financial goals, make an investment plan and also reduce tax liabilities in the process. 

Look for a certified investment professional with good credentials and a solid track record. 

Takeaway

Wealth is also a form of delayed gratification where you make a choice between consumption today and wealth tomorrow. Being wealthy is all about setting a ‘real’ purpose, becoming disciplined and just doing it.