Although the majority of Americans are still shaking off the effects of the Great Recession, they continue to spend 110% of what they earn and allocate 100% of their income. In his new book titled, “Spend & Grow Rich,” successful entrepreneur and business coach, Gary Barnes, reveals how smart spending can actually help us grow rich. “While everyone’s income is different, the one thing that we all have in common is that we spend money,” says Gary Barnes, founder of Gary Barnes International. In his book, Barnes identifies five first steps that lead to spending money and growing rich.
· Knowledge Empowers Us. Knowing where we are is essential to finding a path to take us where we want to go. Sometimes, we discover things are worse than we thought. Other times, we find out that they are not as bad as we were afraid.
· You Are (Already) A Millionaire. It’s not about how much money you make that gives you the financial freedom that you desire. Implementing a system that helps you maximize the power of the dollars that come into your control creates financial freedom.
· Balanced Spending. Master the art of balancing spending by:
· Using your money wisely
· Accumulating wealth that will serve you well into your retirement years.
· Learning the differences between people that successfully manage money and those who are always in financial stress. The way money is allocated both before and after monthly and necessary expenditures is the foundation of the Two-Tier Spending Plan.
· Make a Plan Together with Your Partner. If you are married or have a significant other who has his or her finances combined with yours, it is very important that you both be involved in gathering the information and in the decision-making, implementation and accountability phases of the Two-Tier Spending Plan. You will have different spending habits and different perspectives on many issues. If you both go through the process together, discussing at a non-emotional time, you can avoid many emotional or heated discussions around finances later on.
· Assets and Liabilities. Before you can start to eliminate your debt, it is important to know your monthly income and total assets before moving onto debt elimination. List your income sources, your financial assets and your intangible assets such as your desire for a better life, your determination, your family and friends, your health, etc, then evaluate your liabilities.
“’Spend & Grow Rich is a simple and practical plan that is meant to help people get their financial lives on track with a few easy steps, affirms Barnes. “By following the steps in my book, it is my goal to motivate and empower people to be able to eliminate the mindsets that constrain them from receiving financial abundance.” Gary Barnes is a passionate author, business coach and former financial planner for over 30 years with a mission to help people. To learn more, visit www.garybarnesinternational.com.