Alas, way too often money gets in the way of Life. And, more often than not, the issue is too little money. So we will not address the bizarre issue of too much money- at least for now.

So what’s the secret? Many books claim to answer this question. We have read several of them. Some were helpful, others not so much. This is a short ramble, so here we go…

It’s pretty simple, but not that easy.

Treat money with the respect it deserves. Get comfortable with your money. Keep it around. Don’t waste it. Take care of it. Be a good steward. Don’t flaunt it.

Earn more. Spend less. Avoid debt. Live well within your means. Save 10%, 20%, 30%. Be different. Don’t act like most do. Most are just getting by- often barely.

Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Don’t make promises to yourself and your loved ones that you can’t keep. Don’t get the cart before the horse. Patience. Time.

Think about and act upon what’s really important to you. Make sure it’s really important. Don’t fool yourself. And make sure enough money is there to do it. Become an excellent cost/benefit analyst- with an emphasis on cost, until cost is not such an issue.

Think long-term. Make financial independence your goal. And, when you reach that goal, then you can coast, even splurge a bit.