How to Get Rich From Nothing (25 Ways & Tips to Help)

Yes, it’s possible to get rich from nothing.

I know that might sound strange but it’s indeed possible.

This article reveals some of the best ways and tips to help you get rich from nothing.

 

Importance

The beauty and power of mathematics is that addition, subtraction, and multiplication are constant.

In other words, one plus one equals two, one times 1 equal 1 and two minus 1 equals one.

This result is the same regardless of where you live, what you do for a living, if you have good arithmetic skills or not all or even if you’re having a bad day.

The answers are always the same.

Also, consider the beauty of the number zero.

Even if you subtract zero from zero you get zero.

However, the power of zero is that whatever you add to that number will equal that added number.

Therefore, one plus zero equals one or zero plus two equals two.

You get the idea.

If our financial situation can be represented by the number of zero, anything that we do or earn or save or invest when added to that number zero will put us in positive territory.

Let us therefore take the beauty of the number zero or having nothing and find ways to bring us into positive territory.

 

Personal Story

Several years ago, I found myself in the unenviable position of not only having nothing to show for my hard work or a zero net worth, my net worth was in negative territory.

The good thing is that although it could have worsened.

It didn’t and this was due to the realization that something needed done to address the situation.

No matter which way I did the math, my finances always came up to the same negative number.

Subsequently, through education, my personal commitment and the help of a debt reduction program, I was empowered to turn my situation around and eventually got into positive territory in working towards accumulating wealth through a financial plan of action.

 

25 Ways & Tips to Help You Get Rich from Nothing

 

1. Honest Assessment 

If wanting to get rich from nothing, the first powerful step in the process is a candid assessment.

The assessment should include where you are at financially, where is it that you want to be and what may be any challenges that you are facing to prevent you from reaching that goal.

 

2. Attitude

The assessment should include your attitude towards money.

The reflections should be introspective regarding your relationship with money, any negative attitudes such as I’ll never be rich because my family was always poor and so will I, etc.

Another possible uncomfortable evaluation needs to be about your spending as it relates to buying spontaneously, spending today and not worrying about tomorrow, etc.

It might be a good idea to start a financial journal and capture some of these thoughts so that you can refer back to them from time to time and remember.

 

3. Plan of Action

The powerful action step that can be taken is to create a plan of action.

This plan of action should be a reflection of how you want to achieve your goals and objectives.

For example, if you want to have an emergency fund set up, what is your plan of action in achieving that emergency fund?

Questions that would need to be asked is what is the goal, typically six months of income, when do you want to achieve that goal, and therefore how much money are you going to set aside in a interest-bearing account to make that objective and goal happen?

This is the same process needs to be followed by your other financial goals such as how much you wish to have in savings, what is your retirement goal, clearing of indebtedness, etc.

 

4. Budget 

An important financial document that goes hand-in-hand with your plan of action is the formulation of a budget.

The budget should capture on a ledger or through a spreadsheet all of the income and expenses associated each month with your household income and expenses.

A budget, optimally, should balance out with the expense side including the amounts of money set aside for savings and retirement, etc.

Ideally, the income side of the budget should be a 5 to 10% overage so that any potential expense contingencies can be covered.

 

 

5. Learning 

The best way to earn is by learning.

It is important to take free seminars, read books from authors who are well respected in the world of personal finance, etc.

The purpose of reading or learning is to not only educate yourself but be inspired by their stories as most likely they contain their journey of turning things around from nothing to obtaining wealth.

 

6. Financial Journal

Often, we do our due diligence and formulate a budget and follow that budget as a guideline for our personal finances.

However, it is the spending of money that is not captured in the budget that can be an issue with attaining financial freedom.

Spending that is not controlled or done in the spur of the moment can be likened to a small leak in a boat.

It is nothing at first but eventually, if not addressed, can be the demise of that boat.

Therefore, a strategy to keep tabs on your spontaneous financial spending is to keep a financial journal and record every item that is purchased and what the amount was.

You may be surprised as to how much money is being spent on a cup of coffee here, a bag of chips there, or other small items but all have a tendency to add up and could amount to significant dollars being spent that could be utilized towards adding to your zero balance.

 

7. Work the Plan 

Often, we have the greatest intentions and purchase something that we have every intention of utilizing.

A case in point would be the purchase of any physical fitness equipment that after a certain period of time, it begins to gather dust or becomes a clothes rack or not utilized for its intended purpose.

So, it can be with the plan and the budget.

It is important to visit and revisit the plan of action to make sure that you are following the steps that you had laid out to reach your goal.

Sometimes, the plan needs to be readjusted and that is certainly acceptable.

The main thing is that you have the plan, refer to it frequently, and follow it accordingly.

 

8. Expenses 

As it relates to the budget, another important exercise is to go over the budget with the purpose of seeing where certain items can be trimmed, and the money put to better use.

For example, in the entertainment column if you have a number of streaming services that you subscribe to, the possibility of reducing the number of services that you have down to one or two might save a considerable amount of money each month.

Also, you may want to look at what you’re paying for cable and as it relates to the cost of the service and the practical use of over 100 channels that are provided to you and your viewing habits.

By cutting down on some of these services you could save well over $100 a month that can be added to the mathematical equation of that number plus 0.

 

9. Pay Yourself

Before we leave the expense side of the budget it is important that you remember that there is one bill that should always be paid first.

The bill that it is a priority for payment is to yourself.

The optimum percentage of that payment should range anywhere from 10 to 20%.

This payment can be money that is set aside in your savings, towards your nest egg, or investment.

The payment can be spread out over these categories, but the important thing is to remember to maximize the interest that you can receive on this money through investment vehicle.

 

10. Competition 

Most of us thrive on the incentive of competition.

We take it personally and as a matter of pride accept challenges and follow-through.

Therefore, a potential great way of adding wealth to what you currently have is to be part of a challenge between you and another individual who has a goal and desire to turn around their financial life.

The incentive can be good-natured as the loser prepares a meal for the other individual, or if you lose buying a meal for the other individual, washing of the other person’s car, etc.

Another possibility of the competition could be the achieving of certain goals over a certain period of time. For example, who has done the best for a certain quarter of the time.

 

11. Driving 

Remembering that the budget is a two-sided document, in addition to looking at the expenses, it is important to look at the income as well.

Consideration, in the light of the income side of the budget is for an additional stream of revenue.

One potential way of doing this is by utilizing your car and putting that asset to work by driving for a food delivery service or the transportation of individuals.

Two such websites include uber.com which transports individuals through the use of the person’s private vehicle or ubereats.com that transports food ordered from a restaurant to a customer.

To sign up requires the individual access the website or through the app and make application, provide a copy of their driver’s license, vehicle registration, have a good driving record, pass a background check, etc.

 

12. Freelancing 

To add revenue to the income side of the budget, there are a number of opportunities that you can take advantage of by freelancing.

Freelancing is that opportunity to take on a job that matches your skill and talent and perform this job for pay as an independent contractor.

There are a number of websites available that will help facilitate this process.

One such website is upwork.com.

On this website a number of individuals and businesses post jobs that need to be done and as a registered member of this website you can search for such jobs and make application.

 

13. Side Hustles 

Also, there is ample opportunity for an individual to earn money through what is called “side hustles.”

This process involves an individual going to work or provide a service for another individual either by being creative or by utilizing a variety of websites.

One such website is taskrabbit.com in which an individual can register and apply for a variety of odd jobs that need to be performed by individuals who post those jobs on this website or through the app.

Also, side hustles could be utilizing your vehicle to transport trash or move items for people or even utilizing your automobile as a traveling billboard. Possibility of utilizing your vehicle in this way can be researched by logging on to wrapify.com.

 

14. High-Yield Interest 

The good strategy to make your money work for you is to set up a tier system of investment.

The tier system of investment would begin with having a savings account and when that savings account reaches a certain level then transfer the amount needed to open up a high-yield discount.

As part of the tier system, you could also roll that money over into a higher interest-bearing account such as a certificate of deposit.

When that certificate of deposit has matured then you can roll that amount of money over into other investment vehicles.

 

15. CDs 

CDs or certificates of deposit, will offer a higher interest rate on money invested versus a typical bank savings account.

With a CD you have a number of investment options which could include a three month period, six month, one year, or five year investment.

The higher the number of months or years in which your money is invested equates to a higher yield on your investment.

The downside to a CD is that it ties up your money and if you draw out the money before the CD has matured, you will incur a penalty.

A good way to do conduct comparisons on what investment vehicles are available is to log onto Bankrate.com.

 

16. Blogging 

As it relates to earning more money, another possibility is by starting a blog.

A blog chronicling your exciting adventure of going from nothing to wealth would be an exciting journey in which others will cheer you on as well as resonate, possibly, with their own financial situation.

You can start your blog about your current situation, your commitment to turn things around, be open and real as to some of your personal discoveries, outline your plan of action, and so forth.

Also, you can write daily or on a weekly basis.

Your followers may choose to support you financially as well as the possibility of gaining affiliate advertising.

Additionally, there is the possibility of gaining a sponsor for your blog such as a financial investment firm or other financial institution.

 

17. Handcrafted Items 

If you have a skill or talent as it relates to creating handcrafted items, a great way of earning extra money is to sell these items on a variety of websites.

Two of those websites include Shopify.com or Etsy.com.

By registering on these sites, you are provided a virtual store in which individuals can shop for your products as a registered user.

You can set your price and these hosting websites will subtract their contractual costs with you being able to receive the remainder of money earned.

Handcrafted items such as the making of necklaces, jewelry, bracelets, knitted items, leather crafted items, etc.

 

18. Stock Market 

One of the best tried and true methods of gaining a good return on your money is by investing in the stock market.

This can be done by employing a brokerage firm which will assess your retirement goals, demonstrate your level of risk and offer suggestions on how to best utilize this investment vehicle.

Also, you can do this on your own by even purchasing fractions of stocks to begin the process of investing through this powerful return on your money.

One such company or app that allows for the individual to purchase fractions of stock is Stash.com.

 

19. 401(k) 

If your company offers a benefit of contributing to your 401(k), it is important that you take full advantage of this benefit.

In other words, if your employer will match up to 3% of your contribution to your 401(k), it is important that you submit or invest 3% of your earnings in order to gain the full maximum match from your employer.

To not maximize this opportunity is, in essence, leaving money on the table.

 

20. Taxes 

It is important to remember that sometimes it’s not how much you earn but how much you keep.

Therefore, as it relates to taxes, it is important that you take all of the legal deductions and credits that are available to you by IRS law.

A good investment may be to utilize a tax preparation service so that you maximize the amount of money that you are able to keep.

 

21. Home 

Another good way to get rich from nothing is to own your own home as soon as possible.

If you don’t own your own home, you are either living with someone or paying rent.

If you are paying rent, you are in essence paying someone else to get wealthy by paying your rent.

This provides no return on your money whatsoever.

 

22. Real Estate 

Also, a great goal to work towards is becoming a landlord and owning a rental property.

Not only will you be able to earn a fairly passive income as others pay you for the use of your rental home but also there are tax advantages that are afforded to a landlord.

Also, if you are not able to obtain this goal in a realistic set of time, you can also purchase REITs or gather together a group of investors to purchase a rental home and share in the profits.

 

23. Accountability  

An important aspect of committing to any goal is to try to attain an accountability partner.

This could be your spouse, member of the family, close and personal friend, etc.

The strategy of having someone hold you accountable is to ask them to be part of the plan of action.

This can be accomplished by the individual checking in on you to see how things are going and together to look at the plan and see that the goals and milestones are being met.

 

24. Diversify 

Another important aspect of creating wealth is to make sure that you diversify your investments.

Is important not to place all of your hopes or financial eggs in one basket.

Your investment and savings plan of action should include a variety of investment vehicles which could include investing money in the stock market, real estate, savings accounts, alternative assets (cryptocurrency, gold, silver, etc.), and more.

 

25. Stay the Course 

It is important to remember that anything worthwhile is going to take time.

This is especially true as it relates to building your wealth.

Consequently, it is important to be disciplined and stay the course.

Even if there are a few minor hiccups along the way, it is good to go back to the plan, reengage, and remind yourself to follow the course of action that you committed to.

 

Ways to Get Rich From Nothing FAQs

 

What Are Three Good Books to Read About Getting Rich? 

Three recommended books to read to get rich would include:

• “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill
• “The Automatic Millionaire” by David Bach
• “Your Money or Your Life” by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez

 

What Is Compound Interest In Getting Rich?

Compound interest is the financial powerhouse in which interest gets added to the principal amount that is invested or borrowed.

The interest rate applies to the new larger principal and over time can lead to exponential growth.

Einstein called compound interest the eighth wonder of the world.

 

You Can Do It

Rather than focusing in on the zero, it is important to focus in on the figure to the right of the equal sign.

Through a candid assessment of you and your situation you can become wealthy through a plan, budgeting, working the plan, and scrutinizing your income and expenses.

 

Conclusion

In the science of mathematics, there is no gray area.

There is only one correct answer.

So it is with our finances.

Any number plus 0 equals that number.

You are at zero.

There is nowhere to go but up as whatever you add to that zero will be positive.

Follow your plan of action and you are well on your way to wealth.