How Do I Plan to Gain My Financial Freedom with 5 Easy Steps in 2021?

Although I learned much from 2020, I started to create some plans for 2021. Same mistake with last year.

Unlike last year, my plans for this year are more on the money. About my financial freedom.

I suffered much of this problem this year. Since I'm a first-year college student, I don't have any income, except for 3-month $15 Medium paychecks.

As a result of long researches, I have determined X paths for myself.

You can steal, copy, and distribute these ways as you wish. The more people I can inspire, the better.

1)Save

The habit of saving is itself an education; it fosters every virtue, teaches self-denial, cultivates the sense of order, trains to forethought, and so broadens the mind. –Thomas T. Munger

When I was a little child, I was always planning to save money. I was calculating my money 3 months later or dreaming about what can I buy with them.

Unfortunately, I never managed it. I was a fatty child. A little bit. I was almost in love with the food. All my pocket money was going to the school canteen.

I was in a constant loop. Plan it. Dream it. Spend it. Then it was going back.

Assuming that I have become saner now, I begin this habit completely, thinking that I can prevent myself more. Here are the steps I am considering the following:

Tracking Expenses

We all know the importance of saving money. Yet, none of us can save the money we spend.

Before everything else, we have to write down all our expenses. After that, cut unnecessary ones. That's the basic rule.

I create a Google Docs table. From today, I am going to start following every step I take. Even chewing gum. Because the biggest effects are always hidden in the details.

Saving on Income

I don't want to inform you about the importance of saving again and again. We are all aware of this.

I want to say you how I plan to do it. Because there are many methods.

I'd like to use the 1/10 rule. I will set aside one-tenth of my income at the beginning. Of course, it'll rise when I increase my income.

I can handle this amount of money. It won't affect me much.

Saving on Time

Even we're in a pandemic situation, this will not always be the case. Although most of us are at home now and we have a lot of time to devote to ourselves. But we'll definitely spend a lot of time outside to meet the social hunger we longed for in the future.

I definitely do not pretend that I will not socialize.

I'll keep it small as possible I can. Because I realized that socialization is the biggest cause of fatigue during this period.

I have to work hard this year. I don't have time for needless rests.

2)Invest

"How many millionaires do you know who have become wealthy by investing in savings accounts? I rest my case." - Robert G. Allen

My favorite phrase is "passive income". It's everyone's dream. If I write an article about "How to Retire at a Young Age with Passive Income?", I'm 100% sure it will attract everyone who sees it.

In fact, even if it is not a very real thing, it is still partly true. There is such a thing as money earns money for you. It's real.

Investing in Myself

Let's start with the most important and never losing investment. Self-investment.

Every penny we spent on ourselves returns us to more information, more health, or more happiness.

For example, if I take a coding course with my first $ 100 instead of a fancy dinner, I have the talent to earn money when I finish the course.

I can specialize in coding. I can market. I can sell it.

After all this process, I'll have another 100$. Now, I deserved this fancy dinner.

Another example. Gym. If I subscribe to a gym for 50$, instead of my daily fast food meal, at the end of 6 months, I will exchange it for a fit and healthy body that everyone will envy.

Isn't it a very profitable trade?

Investing in Crypto Currencies

Another fact of today is cryptocurrencies. I'm seeing on Instagram some bitcoin posts.

"If you bought 10,000 bitcoins in 2010, now you could have zillion Ferrari."

Yes, they're true. But I'm not thinking that I'm late. I can even start investing now. But long term investing. Not trading. (Stressful processes aren't for me.)

Actually, we can say that it's like another type of saving. Unless there is an extra drop, it is an investment that I can trust.

Investing in Stocks

Every time I see a millionaire, they always have at least one stock. This is an unwritten rule I guess. If anyone who is financially successful does this, then it works.

But, unlike from cryptos, I don't want to start immediately. I think a little education is necessary to enter this path.

What did we say? Self-investment. Trade some daily pleasure for long-term pleasure.

As I said above, I am planning a long-term investment because of the same reason.

3)Create

In the money-making road, when you realize one element, everything is becoming more clear and easier. This element is creating a value.

Think for yourself. What are your criteria when you decide to buy something? Isn't it providing you value?

For example, the iPhone. With its brand awareness, safety, speed, design, etc. All them are valuable. So, creating some value, packing them, and promoting them is the basic formula.

That's why my plan is exactly like that.

With Vocal

With the establishment of Vocal, a very different convenience has actually entered our lives. Same as Instagram or Youtube. Because Instagram provides us to create our galleries or Youtube makes us filmmakers.

Vocal also provided us with this kind of opportunity. He made us bloggers without dealing with any technical stuff. Also, it gave us to make money easily. What you give to Vocal, Vocal gives you the same value.

With this ease, I want to create value very easily by sharing my experiences in the previous 2 steps and in the next steps.

I believe that this Vocal opportunity may cause more opportunities for me.

With Personal Blog

After the Vocal, I'll start to create a self-brand.

You can't build a reputation on what you are going to do.

- Henry Ford

Behind almost every successful person you see, there is a brand. I also plan to start this business with my personal blog page to use this advantage.

It will also make a great contribution to my freelance business that I want to establish in the future. Because a well-built personal brand will give people confidence.

With e-Book

The most reliable way to tell people your opinion is to write a book. Also, with the advantage of technology, this process became less stressful.

You don't have to print piles of papers or stock your books. You can easily write down your opinions and share them.

For now, I don't see myself as a book writer. I have to improve myself. I need some self-investment.

After that this e-Book is my main focus. Because it's the last corner to turn before video courses.

4)Sell

My previous 3 steps are also the type of selling situation. But now this process is based on creating a product instead of value.

I know I said before that all products also value but this will be concrete. This can be seen.

I want this because trade is the basis of the material savings of even the richest man in the world. You cannot even dream of wealth without buying and selling.

Selling Talent

If you realize it nearly all my plans are based on self-investment. Because I exist in this society as much as I invest in myself. Nothing more.

People start to respect and trust you after you have some talents and show them. They can even pay money for your valuable talents.

I mentioned my personal blog step, I want to a freelance career. That's why I'm building a self-brand.

This will be the safest port for me. In times of crisis, it will become a treasure I will never lose.

Selling Product

Aside from everything, I want to have a product that I can ship and make changes. I'm not sure if I manage to do it or not but at least I want to lay the foundations for my product.

The reason for this request is that I want something that stands alive to represent me. I do not necessarily have to produce it, it is enough for me to carry my brand on it.

I want people to come to their minds directly and share their feelings with me as they use them. The emotional connection has a big share of economic success.

Selling Time

I believe mentoring someone is one of the most sacred things in this life. The biggest example of this is our teachers.

Education…is a painful, continual, and difficult work to be done in kindness, by watching, by warning…by praise, but above all, by example. - John Ruskin

I'd like to be one of these mentors. May my experiences be a light to others. Let me enlighten your ways.

Anyway, if I can achieve what I have said so far, somehow I will automatically become a mentor. At least somebody will definitely ask me questions to enjoy my experience.

5)Aim

"A goal is not always meant to be reached; it often serves simply as something to aim at." - Bruce Lee

Let's say everything went as planned and flawlessly for a year. What will be the result? Of course, success.

But, it does not stop after achieving success. It is necessary to continue targeting and grow. But the top priority is to be able to do this without putting ourselves under stress.

Aim for Stability

Our first aim is protecting our system. Make it stable. Making sure it doesn't go down.

When you manage this stability, it means you don't lose anything. Not losing is one of the milestones of sailing new success.

Aim for Increase

"Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars." - Les Brown

It is almost always best to aim high. But the "almost" part is don't make yourself stressed. Being in your health while making money, on the one hand, is not a very profitable business.

But, in my situation, I can't see anything to disturb my health. So, I can continue to aim big.

I can save more, publish daily, create another e-book, or promote my new product. These are all good dreams.

Aim for New Goals

It's different from increasing. Sometimes you have to find new adventures. Being content with the goals you have will dull your creativity. I don't want this.

Continuously trying to create something new keeps the mind fit. This makes things easier for you.

Conclusion

After all these plans and experiences from 2020, I'd like to say something. If you're healthy and free, everything becomes possible. We see this in 2020.

Now, we're in quarantine, we can't go out freely and some of us are sick. This is a big problem.

We know that all problems other than these have general solutions. Our ancestors did not say health first for nothing.

Please stay healthy!