Do These Things in 2022

I was able to become a millionaire by the time I was 30! No, I was not born into a trust fund. I started with zero and used simple investment strategies to get to where I am today. 

If you're on TikTok, you may have heard of people investing into stocks (or stunks), crypto, NFT’s, the metaverse, you name it! However in this lesson, we are going back to the fundamental basics of investing. I want you to think in terms of long-term reward as opposed to a get-rich-quick payout. 

The F.I.R.E. Movement

First, I want you to dive into something called the FIRE Movement. FIRE stands for Financial Independence, Retire Early. If you've ever been told to save 10 to 15 percent of your income for retirement, you were lied to! Who wants to retire when they are old and not able to do things like they used to? 

I will warn you, taking part in this movement comes with a great cost or sacrifice, if you will. Participants don't just save 10, 30 or 40 percent of their income; they save more! 

Last year, I lived in a van tiny home and traveled the United States with my wife. Because we didn't have the expenses of a regular home, our cost of living was roughly $1,000 per month. Combined with my high income, I ended up saving around 98% of every dollar that I made!

Now, that might be a bit extreme of an example. The FIRE Movement is all about being frugal. Things like meal prepping instead of going out, not ordering expensive drinks, or only buying clothing and home items you need are all ways to practice frugality. Small sacrifices like these over the period of a decade add up to big savings over time. 

When you get a raise or promotion, your instinct is to go out and celebrate! Maybe you spend a little more than usual on a fancy dinner or splurge on a new car. Just because your income increases, doesn't mean your cost of living should increase too. If anything, you should double down and decrease your cost of living so you can invest more in the future! 

If you’d like to learn more about the FIRE Movement, I recommend watching the documentary Playing With Fire. It's a great look into the life of financial freedom!

No matter how much money you make, the reality is that you cannot save your way to retirement. You must learn about investing! What are good investments? What are bad investments? The most tried and true way that has built the most wealth for people of all different backgrounds is (drum roll please)... the stock market!

Although it may seem so at face level, the stock market is not all about trading and selling for a quick buck. True investing is about being diversified. True investing is about building a solid portfolio. 

Building a Diversified Portfolio

Your portfolio should be balanced based on your personal financial goals. If you're reading this post, you most likely share the common goal of quitting your 9 to 5. Wouldn't it be amazing if you didn't have to work? How awesome would it be to have your money make money for you? 

One of the best books I've read on the subject is Money: Master the Game by Tony Robbins. He talks with some of the world's greatest money masters of our time, including Ray Dalio who is a favorite of mine! 

I will warn you that nothing is guaranteed. However if you look at the history of the stock market since its inception, it's a proven way to make a profit over a lifespan! It is not a get rich quick scheme but it is the most guaranteed way to retire.

What Should I Invest In?

Legally, since I’m not a financial investor, I cannot tell you what to invest in. That being said, I can share what I personally invest in. 

ETFs

An ETF is short for an exchange trade fund or an index fund. I prefer these funds over mutual funds because of the cost. When you invest, it's not free; it costs money! It is typically a small fee that gets taken from the amount you invest over the years. 

Mutual Funds

A mutual fund is constructed by a “robot” that is trying to match the algorithm. 

When you hear a market is up, it may not actually be up with a mutual fund. Sometimes they are up, but most of the time they aren't. In addition, because somebody else is doing the matchmaking, mutual funds cost more in overhead.

Acorns

One of my favorite apps is called Acorns. It is essentially a robo-advisor. The app factors in your financial goals and risk tolerance and makes a portfolio for you. 

Personally, I invest into my Acorns account daily via dollar cost averaging. I also invest my spare change by rounding up on all my purchases. Again, small sacrifices add up over time! In the past 12 months alone, I’ve made $4,189! My money is now making money for me.

So, there you have it — my secret investment strategy. Remember, your portfolio should match your goals, not mine! Your job now is to think about your future, envision the life you want, and take action!

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out!

As always, peace and God bless.

I make new content every single week, so be sure to subscribe to my Youtube and follow my Instagram @brambilabong and TikTok at @AdrianBrambila. I also have tons of resources and courses on my website that you won’t want to miss. Head over to www.adrianbrambila.com to learn more about what I do and how I live a financially free life.