On a scale of 1 to 10, where are you in life?

I know that might sound like a weird question, but let’s be honest: are you where you want to be?

The reason I ask this is that most people spend their entire lives playing financial catch-up.

You either earn more than you spend and have money left over, or you spend virtually everything you earn and are gradually dragged backward by rising prices.

And here’s the annoying part.

Everybody gets to increase their prices except you.

Tesco can put its prices up. Your energy supplier can raise its prices. Your insurer can raise its prices. Your landlord can raise the rent.

Try telling your boss you’ve decided to increase your salary by 14% from Monday and see how that goes.

The game isn’t exactly fair.

If you can’t consistently increase your income, you’re beholden to those who can keep increasing the prices of the things you need.

Food. Energy. Housing. Insurance. Transport. Council tax.

Unfortunately, you can’t announce that electricity has become a bit expensive, so you’ve decided to stop using it until prices improve.

The world is also full of crazy people. Wars start, governments change policies, interest rates shift, energy supplies are disrupted, and events thousands of miles away can suddenly affect the cost of heating your home.

We constantly hear stories about people choosing between heating and eating. That may be the extreme end of the problem, but we’re all affected by the same basic mechanism.

So, while we like to think we’re in control of our financial lives, much of the time other people are setting the numbers.

Give Yourself a Pay Rise

The obvious solution is to earn more than you spend.

But here’s where it gets interesting.

Why wait for somebody else to decide what you’re worth?

Instead of asking, “How can I get a pay rise?” perhaps the better question is:

“How many different ways can I create for money to reach me?”

A book can earn royalties. A YouTube video can continue earning long after you’ve uploaded it. A website can generate income. Investments can pay dividends. A small business, digital product, freelance skill, or side hustle can generate an additional stream of income.

You don’t necessarily need Champagne & Helicopters.

Prosecco & Ubers will do nicely to begin with.

And you don’t need to become a millionaire overnight, either.

Imagine creating an extra £100 a month independently of your salary. Then £250. Then £500.

Eventually, perhaps £1,000.

Suddenly the washing machine breaking isn’t a national emergency.

The car needing new tyres doesn’t require a meeting with the International Monetary Fund.

And booking a holiday doesn’t involve staring at your credit-card balance through your fingers.

That’s the real point.

Politicians will promise to make your life better. Employers might give you a raise. Governments may cut one tax while quietly finding another pocket to investigate.

But nobody has quite the same incentive to improve your life as you do.

Perhaps real wealth isn’t Champagne, helicopters, Lamborghinis, or enormous houses.

Perhaps it’s simply having enough money coming from enough different places that nobody has you completely over a barrel

Because ultimately, the greatest luxury money can buy isn’t a helicopter.

It’s choice.

More money = more choice..

P.S. Want to give yourself that pay rise instead of waiting for someone else to do it? The Side Hustle Blueprint is packed with practical ideas for creating extra income alongside what you’re already doing. Because your next pay rise doesn’t necessarily have to come from your boss.