Financial Freedom and Lifestyle – Improve your independence

Do you know that you do not have to be a millionaire or billionaire to say that you can achieve your financial freedom? Do you ever wonder that a lot of highly educated people, who have college degrees ending up being financially poor? And yet, you can also find self-made millionaires who are dropped out of college? WHY? Probably because of a lack of financial education.

But honestly, your financial freedom and lifestyle play an important role in the comfort of living your life. Because your lifestyle can either make or break you if you are not aware of your personal finances.

As a simplified definition, financial freedom is the freedom from worrying about money. While your lifestyle is the way of living your life.

Here are the major things that you need to check if you desire to achieve financial freedom through your lifestyle and improve your financial independence.

Financial Freedom – Spending Habits Versus Your income

Your lifestyle often reflects on your spending habit. To achieve financial freedom, you need to realize that you have to live below your means. Meaning the amount of money you spend should not exceed the amount of money you earn. As simple as that.

Well, what are the things you need to optimize here? Where to start in order to achieve your financial freedom through better spending habits?

1. Look at your bank accounts – track down how much you earn and spend, let say per month.
2. Make a budget out of your spendings (expenses) per month.
3. Adjust your spending to make sure that you don’t exceed your income.
4. Make sure there will be some amount of money left for investments.

Financial Freedom – Housing Choice

Your housing choice plays a big role in your financial freedom and lifestyle. Normally, the housing mortgage occupies the biggest part of your budget. So choose a comfortable home that will not lead you to burden by paying mortgages every month. Owning a house, of course, requires more expenses aside from mortgages, which varies depending on which state or country you live in. This includes taxes, insurance, renovation, maintenance and so on.

Remember:

1. You do not need a big house to call it your home.
2. You do not need a huge house to live comfortably.

Well, the choice is yours.

The book millionaire next door – is recommended to read if you need inspirations for this.

Financial Freedom – Transportation Means

Well, your transportation means are very important. Whether you need a car or a bicycle every day basing on the distance between your home and your workplace. Well if you need a car, consider buying a second-hand car – like 3-5 years old car. This is because the value of a car depreciates for up to 60% within the first 3 years.

That means if you buy a brand new car, you probably are paying an unnecessary huge premium. Well if you buy a second-hand car, you can make a pretty good deal of getting a car with a good condition at a reasonable lower price – around 50-60% off the price compared to the brand new car.

Remember:

1. You do not need a luxury and expensive car to meet your transportation need.
2. To consider working near your home, and then you can use a bicycle and just have one family car instead.
3. You can maybe consider working from home to minimize your transportation expenditures.

Financial Freedom – Your Source Of Income

This is the most exciting part. Your financial freedom and lifestyle depend on your source of income. So you need to consider creating multiple sources of income. If you have a day job today and then you need to start now, so you can eventually free yourself from it, unless otherwise, you do love your job like me.

I am a registered nurse and I can never think of quitting my job totally although I am already capable to do so. Although the advantage with my profession is that, I can work freelance as an on-call nurse – which pays higher than the normal or traditional employment here in Denmark.

Here are some kinds of passive investments that can create multiple sources of income.

1. Investment in the stock market and mutual funds. 
2. Real estate investment and rental business
3. Crowdfunding investments
4. Passive online business – like writing an ebook.
5. Affiliate marketing

Financial Freedom is a choice

Every day, you make small and big decisions that are constantly influencing your lifestyle. Your financial freedom will never be achieved unless you take charge and in control of your personal finances and lifestyle. Well, this is easy being said than done.

Achieving financial freedom is a lifetime engagement in everyday life. It requires endurance, perseverance, self-discipline, motivation, and determination. Above all, never forget to dedicate any success to the Almighty as He is the source of everything. Keep the faith and the blessings of abundances will shower you.

If you need help or if you have any question, just comment below and I will be happy to help you to the best I can. Good luck and God bless.