You don’t need to win the lottery to become wealthy. It’s much easier than that, and a whole lot more likely to happen if you create and maintain good money habits. Taken together, here are four money habits that will make you rich.

1. Save and invest

Always, always, always save and invest a portion of your income. Start out at 10%, and increase it each year from there until you’re setting aside a large percentage. If you do this from your very first job on, you’ll have painlessly accumulated a good sum of money. Do not touch this money at any point along the way, no matter how tempted you are. (Touching the money your money earns for you is another matter.) » Read more

Because money management covers such a wide variety of things, getting your finances into shape can be overwhelming at times. It can be hard to even know where to start, which can leave you paralyzed.

This can be true even if you break the things you need to do down by topic.

But there ARE a few strategies that can help. Here are some things to keep in mind. » Read more

What kind of talks do you give yourself about money? Be honest: Are they pep talks or whines? (Or maybe a little bit of both?)

What you say to yourself (and others) about money matters, so start hearing your words. As you start noticing the way you talk about money, remember you can always change your words and actions if you don’t like what you hear.

I’m not the only one who believes it matters, either. Dorethia Conner wrote #MoneyChat THE BOOK to help others get out of debt, manage their money, and create financial security.

Her book is clear, engaging, and actionable. (As creator of the Pay Off Debt app, the “Don’t manage your debt, get rid of it!” chapter heading produced an immediate Yes! in my book.) Dorethia’s pretty cool too! So here’s a little Q&A with her about #MoneyChat THE BOOK, which officially launched today on Amazon. Check it out :) » Read more

Sometimes you just don’t know where to start. There are all sorts of details to think about when it comes to whipping your financial life into shape — and then keeping it that way. What do you do first? What’s most important?

The details can feel overwhelming if you let them, so it’s imperative to prioritize. And that means prioritizing for what’s important in YOUR life. » Read more