Why is earning money so difficult

Think about it. How much time do you spend thinking about how idiotic someone is because they drive a junky old car or how awesome another person is because they live in a mansion? If you notice at all, I suspect you may give it a fleeting thought for a few seconds, and then you move on to focus on what you are trying to accomplish. No one is really paying much attention to our possessions.

They are all too busy worrying about themselves. Many reckless spenders poke at frugal people because deep down they envy their stronger financial position. They put others down to elevate themselves and to justify their own wasteful splurges. I have been practicing financial planning long enough to realize that many, if not most, of the people who flaunt an aura of success actually have very little wealth and a lot of debt.

I also have observed that many of those who appear to be poor are actually the ones with all the money, no debt, and much less stress.

They figured out a long time ago that they did not want to be like the Joneses at all. Many years ago I met a young couple who lived a very nice lifestyle spending more each month than they were making. They had a sizeable mountain of debt, no savings, and very little insurance. We have the home of our dreams, a pool, a boat, and our dream cars.

What do we do now? Needless to say, they lost everything—or at least that is what they would tell you. However, too much wealth and fame at an early age rendered him incapable of controlling his spending or taming his addictions.

He spent excessively on luxury cars, several mansions, and exotic pets like tigers, squandering away Rs 2,, crore. Later, severe alcohol and drug addiction, court cases and convictions ruined his career. Clinging to Kingfisher Airlines, which was launched in and grounded in , led to his downfall as the company kept piling losses. Mallya defaulted on bank loans that were taken to keep it afloat. Compounding this error was the fact that he continued to maintain his lavish, extravagant lifestyle.

This wisdom applies just as well to stock investors, who refuse to get rid of a loss-making stock in the hope of recovering their money someday. Nifty 18, Zomato Ltd. Market Watch. ET NOW. Brand Solutions. Video series featuring innovators. ET Financial Inclusion Summit. More money is better than less money, right? That is the conventional wisdom. Work longer: Work more hours at your current job, or get another job and work that, too.

I hate to bring it up, but this is a path that some people take at the cost of their character. Walter White did it. They are content with what they have. That contentedness is an economic choice.

You could realistically do something like become a real estate agent, and potentially make two to four times what you make currently. But most people do not want to change jobs. They define themselves as a high school teacher. I help children. It is understood that people in those professions make sacrifices, so a certain amount of prestige comes with the job. That prestige is worth something. And you can quantify how much it is worth — simply ask people how much money it would take for them to give up their job and do something a little more distasteful.

You could save up some money, buy a piece of property, and rent it out. With the Kindle store, anyone can publish an eBook and make money on Amazon. And the Kindle app is now available on almost any device laptops, iPads, smartphones and yes, Kindles so your global market is huge! Considering Amazon is the ultimate selling machine and remember people are looking to spend , that is a fantastic deal. The key to success with eBooks is to create value, and write non-fiction.

Simply bundling information you have researched and compiled on a common problem eg. Another big tip is to have a great cover designed browse these so it stands out, and once your book is live on the Kindle store it's really important to get some reviews so it shows up higher in results.

Encourage readers to leave an honest review at the end of your book. The best thing about this lucrative idea is that once you've invested the time say 20 hours , you'll earn a passive income for years to come! For more tips see our guide on making money from eBooks. Affiliate marketing If you've got a good presence on social media or perhaps you even have a blog or website, you can start bringing in money immediately by promoting all sorts of companies, products, services and offers online.

Sign up as a publisher on the Awin network, check their offers blog or browse the merchant listings to find something you think your friends would be interested in, grab your affiliate link and share it.

If someone buys can be within up to 90 days using your link you'll make a nice commission. To take it a step further, set up a website read our guide or a topical Facebook page and invite all your friends to join it and post your affiliate offers on there. Mobile phone recycling. You can earn good money and help the environment by recycling your old mobile phones and other unused devices. Maybe ask your parents if they have any lying around too.

Head to our page on making money from old phones for the best companies to use and how to ensure you get all the cash quoted to you online. Become a 'Clickworker' The Clickworker.

And for us, it's an easy way to make fast cash from our couch. There are a variety of tasks, but most commonly they involve mindless data entry, web research or form filling. You are rewarded and paid in cash via Paypal for the work you do, and you can choose for what and when you work.

Give it a go. Claim tax back Many students work part-time or during the summer months, and others will be on placements or paid internships. More often than not, if you are a student working during the year, you will be overpaying income tax. Simply because few students reach the personal tax-free income allowance each year but are put on an emergency basic tax-code by their employers meaning tax is being paid when it shouldn't be.

To learn more and calculate how much tax back you might be due, see our guide on student tax refunds. Get cashback when shopping. This is not only a way to make money but also to save money as a student. There are a number of cashback sites out there which pay you the commission they otherwise would have earned. We recommend signing up with Top Cashback, Quidco. Part-time job. A part-time job is the obvious first choice, opted for by most students looking to supplement their student loan.

It provides a pretty steady flow of income and can enable you to gain valuable work experience. But good jobs are not always easy to find! Start with our student job search, then check local classifieds and your university careers service for vacancies. It's also worth signing up with CV Library, a free service which will match your CV with suitable part-time jobs and career opportunities.

Read our guide to finding a part-time job whilst studying for more tips. Gigs on Fiverr. Fiverr is now the world's largest marketplace for people to make money selling small services known as 'gigs'. What you offer could be absolutely anything, from writing and translating, social media posting, playing pranks and teaching to creating music, voiceovers and short video clips for people all around the world! Whilst it might not seem like much, it can quickly add up and there are plenty of examples of people making a really good living from the site.

The key is to get a system in place which minimises the time spent on each gig. But there is another way to profit even more from Fiverr for potentially far less work. By simply reselling gigs elsewhere.

For example, find a decent logo designer then reply to jobs on Upwork or even local classifieds. If you're not interested in selling at all there's SO much good stuff you can get done for yourself. Have a browse and get inspired! Review music for money If you love music, make it your business by reviewing unsigned bands and artists online for cash with Slicethepie. This may not sound like much, but if it's something you enjoy then it shouldn't be hard work and is another thing for your CV.

To get started, head over to Slicethepie now or read our quick guide for more info. There are sites out there that you can upload your notes to, along with your price, and then when another student downloads them you get paid. You can either advertise on campus or list them online very easily on Amazon Marketplace just bear in mind they take a commission on books sold. Here are 29 other things you can sell right now! Types of competitions available to enter vary from simple registration forms and Facebook page liking to answering questions correctly over the phone to being a TV game show contestant.

Imagine you made it onto Deal or No Deal instead of just watching it! Start by entering our very own monthly student competition Follow our Instagram page to see when our next one is! Then head to our active competitions page to enter other free competitions that we have found.