Empowering you to lead a joyful and creative life

Continuing in my series of Ten Reasons Not To Have What You Want, reason #2 is “I can’t afford it.”

As we look at each of the reasons you may have put in your way about why you can’t have the life you want, let’s see if we can change your perspective.

Because the way you think will have a definite impact on getting what you want.  As the old saying goes, if you think you can’t, you’re right.

How much would you need to get what you want?

Let’s say, for example, one of your goals is to use your talents to start a business but you feel like you can’t quit your day job.

Well, who says you have to quit your job?  Many people who start a business do it on the side until they have built up enough momentum to take the leap.

It also doesn’t have to be an all or nothing situation.  What are some other ways you could make some small steps toward doing what you want?  Could you take one small action a day?

See Reason #1 It Will Be Too Hard to spark some other ideas.

Maybe you can figure out a way to reduce your hours at work, but still get as much done.  Can you work from home part of the time?  Can you offer another service for additional income?  Can you get a raise?

There are always possibilities that open up when you look at your situation with fresh eyes.

For instance, you may have a situation where you need a specific amount of money to achieve your goal.  Maybe you have a trip or something in mind that you want.

There are a few avenues to take to get more money.

Earn it.

Earning the money you need offers lots of options and I’m just touching on the concept here.

You can do something full time, part time, seasonal, have an internet business, do something on the side, etc.  Check out my post on Blogging to Earn Money as one interesting possibility!

You can do something temporarily to earn extra money or add it permanently to your repertoire. Do you have a product or service you can offer?

Can you make more from what you are already doing?

Sell Something.

Do you have stuff laying around that could bring in extra money?  Maybe gold jewelry you no longer wear, clothes or furniture in great condition to take to a resale shop, a used car, treasures in the attic?

Speaking of selling gold jewelry, I was just at a party at my friends house where you bring your unwanted gold jewelry. Since I usually only wear the jewelry I make now, I’ve already given away a lot of my old jewelry.

I had a few tangled up thin gold chains that didn’t weigh much and I wasn’t going to bother bringing them. I did anyway, and happily walked out with an extra $100. Lots of people walked out with substantially more.

I realize something like that won’t change your lifestyle but once again, thinking small may add up to bigger results. You may have a lot more money “laying around” than you think.

Save It.

Where might there be some hidden opportunities for your to save money in your current situation?  It’s easy to have habits you aren’t even aware of where you may be spending more than you need to or to make some small changes that can really add up.

Or depending on your situation, you could even make some big changes with big results like moving into a less expensive home or trading your gas guzzling car for a fuel efficient one.

Consider this.  If you earn $100 and pay $25 in taxes, you end up with $75.

When you save money, you are able to put the whole amount “in your pocket”.

Coming soon is a book my sister and I have written on Creative Money Saving Ideas where we give all kinds of strategies to save money without sacrificing or feeling deprived.  I can’t wait to share it with you!

What if you combined all three strategies above and found a combination of things you could do to get the money you want or need?

What are some ways you can think of that will eliminate your reason of I can’t afford it?

Filed under: Brainstorming, Money Saving Ideas, creating a life you love