5 Money Moves That Put You Ahead of Everyone Else

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1. Save at Least 20% Before You Spend a Dime

If you wait until the end of the month to save, you’ll never save.

You have to treat saving like a bill. It’s non-negotiable.

When you pay yourself first, you flip the game most people lose.

Here’s how that 20% can work in your favor:

• 10% for short-term goals, like vacations or new appliances.
  
• 5% for long-term investing, so your future self can relax.
  
• 5% for your emergency fund, because life loves surprise expenses.
  

👉 Here's How You'll Do It: Set an automatic transfer every payday so your savings happen before spending even starts.

Make It Easy: Open a Betterment Cash Reserve Account to automate your 20% savings and track your progress effortlessly.

2. Avoid Lifestyle Inflation After Every Raise

Most people earn more and instantly upgrade their lives instead of their bank accounts.

If every raise turns into a new bill, you’ll never feel richer. just busier paying for things.

Want to actually get ahead? Keep your spending the same when your income goes up.

You’ll thank yourself later when you see these results:

• Faster debt payoff, because you’re applying extra money instead of inflating your lifestyle.
  
• Growing savings rate, even without changing your habits.
  
• Less financial stress, since you’re no longer chasing “more.”
  

👉 Here's How You'll Do It: Every time you get a raise, increase your automatic savings contribution by the same percentage.

Make It Easy: Consider using a monthly budget dry-erase board to visualize your current expenses and track lifestyle creep.

3. Build Multiple Income Streams That Work While You Sleep

Relying on one paycheck is like standing on one leg. unstable and stressful.

If you want real financial security, you need money coming in from more than one place.

Your second income doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming.

Here are a few low-effort ways to start:

• Rent out extra space through platforms like Neighbor.com or Fat Llama.
  
• Offer quick freelance tasks on TaskRabbit or Fiverr for weekend cash.
  
• Start a small side hustle, like reselling thrift finds or creating digital printables.
  

👉 Here's How You'll Do It: Pick one idea that feels easy and test it for a month. Don’t overthink it.

4. Invest in Index Funds and Stop Chasing “Hot Stocks.”

You don’t need to be a Wall Street genius to grow wealth. You just need patience.

Index funds quietly outperform most active investors because they let you win by staying consistent.

While others panic over market trends, your money grows on autopilot.

Here’s why index funds are the ultimate wealth hack:

• Low fees mean more money stays in your pocket.
  
• Diversification reduces risk without the need to monitor daily fluctuations.
  
• Long-term growth that compounds quietly over the years.
  

👉 Here's How You'll Do It: Open a brokerage account and set up automatic monthly contributions into a total market or S&P 500 index fund.

5. Buy Quality Once Instead of Cheap Over and Over

If you’ve ever replaced the same $30 blender three times, you already know this one.

Buying cheap feels smart. until it starts costing you more in the long run.

A smarter move is paying a little more for quality that lasts.

It saves you:

• Money, by avoiding repeat purchases.
  
• Time, since you’re not constantly replacing or fixing things.
  
• Stress, because reliable items just make life easier.
  

👉 Here's How You'll Do It: Next time you shop, compare the cost per use. not just the price tag.

Make It Easy: Keep a household inventory tracker notebook to note what lasts and what breaks easily.

📌 SAVE IT FOR LATER! 📌