How to Make Money by Investing in Yourself (I Quadrupled my ‘Investment’!)
5 Things to do to Invest in Yourself
When we talk about investing and doubling our money, it is usually property, shares and similar. Investing in yourself is just as important and can result in a huge increase in your income or net worth too. You don’t need thousands to invest in yourself either. Many courses, books and opportunities are under $100;
$2 to Millionaire
One part of this site is my challenge to double $2 multiple times until I have over $1,000,000.
My first flip was a book, second was a dress, third was a refer a friend bonus I promoted with Facebook ads, fourth was creating an eBook, my fifth double is here. And now for my latest.
Originally, I was going to buy or create a website and resell it. Then an opportunity to invest in me came up, I did it and it resulted in $400 extra from the $100 I invested. Here is what I did, how it helped and other ways I have invested in myself.
Disclosure, this post may contain affiliate links to products and services I use.
1. Courses
With so many courses out there it can be hard to know which ones are right for you. If you know what you want to learn about and get some recommendations based on that, it is much easier. For me, some of the courses I have invested in which resulted in increased income and opportunities are below.
Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing: being a website owner, I did this course a little while ago and it helped significantly on my other sites. My affiliate income doubled quickly and it has been a favourite way for me to make money.
Earn More Writing: I fell into freelance writing easily and had clients come to me. When I did this course, I really stepped things up though and was able to make even more plus increase my rates. The opportunities I’ve had because of freelance writing are amazing. Getting qualified to dive and doing dive trips throughout the South Pacific, doing once in a lifetime hikes through Europe and Indonesia, seeing the total solar eclipse in Indonesia etc.
Bundles: Throughout the year different bundles come up which relate to business, blogging, marketing. While I haven’t invested in any of them recently, in my early days these saved me a fortune and increased my revenue drastically.
For this stage of the challenge, I invested in a launch course and a course for confidence/self-love for a total of $79. I’m reluctant to reveal these as they also focus on a few specifics going on in my personal life I am not sharing at this time. Following the steps in the confidence course resulted in landed a $400 contract. And the launch tips will be used next year, so I will post about that then.
2. Books
I read 52 books last year and aim to read more next year. Reading is an essential part of every day for me and I try to do it in my morning routine. Often, on walks or when I’m driving I listen to audiobooks too. My preference is physical books though.
Here are some of the books I’ve read recently which impacted my life, business and finances.
We Should All Be Millionaires
I wrote a review on We Should All Be Millionaires. It’s essential reading for all women, especially women of colour (my daughters). We are worth so much more than we think. I loved the $10,000 challenge in this book too. Get your copy of We Should All Be Millionaires.
Unleash Your Inner Money Babe
More of a woo-woo stylebook and focusing on the Law of Attraction, I have read and followed this book a few times. It’s a 21-day challenge to manifest $1,000. I’ve done it for higher amounts as well and each time did really well. It can be a little difficult on a few of the days though.
Lucky Bitch is another great read on the law of Attraction and money mindset. I know when I am focused and in the right mindset, it is so much easier to generate money, not just from my work either.
Quit Like a Millionaire
Given the difference between Mr Aspiring Millionaire’s upbringing (poverty in one of the least developed countries in the world) to Ms Aspiring Millionaire growing up in Australia, this book was a must. The author describes their upbringing in China and values as a result of it plus how they invested to be able to quit at 30. My review on Quit Like a Millionaire is here.
Buy Quit Like a Millionaire here.
The Compound Effect
Small changes add up. Instead of overhauling your whole life, look at the life you want and the steps you need to take to make it happen. I wrote about The Compound Effect here. You can buy a copy here.
Other Ways to Invest in Yourself
So while I used the money in this double for a course, there are so many other ways you can invest in yourself. I truly believe in having an amount in your budget for this purpose.
3. Qualifications
Take a class you’ve always wanted to. Go back to school and get that qualification you’ve always wanted or which could increase your income. The time will pass anyway and you’re never too old.
School does not need to be an expensive university. There are different options if it is a degree you want or need. Also, you might find other courses work for what you need to advance your career or income. For example, it could be a completely different skill you learn that enables you to create another income stream.
Ms Aspiring Millionaire will be changing careers completely in her late 30s. Mr Aspiring Millionaire just did a course that cost $30,000 to advance his career and in 2 years will do the next stage which will be another $30,000 but the earning potential is huge.
4. Therapy
Previously viewed as something only people who had major issues needed, more and more people are realising the benefits of therapy. Good therapy will help you overcome numerous issues as well as teach you skills to handle different situations.
We live in extremely stressful times. Most people might not realise how much it has impacted them. Therapy is a great way to invest in yourself.
If you can’t afford therapy, consider reading What Happened To You by Dr Bruce Perry and Oprah Winfrey. It is a book I will recommend forever. For helping to understand others and ourselves, this book is a must-read for everyone. it was eye-opening how trauma impacts us all, our reactions, triggers and how to help. The stories in it are so moving and for someone who has experienced extreme trauma, it was validating.
5. Health
Whether it’s joining the gym, getting good running shoes and committing to running, signing up for weekly yoga or buying the things for a home gym, investing in your health will go a long way. When you are unhealthy or sick, it impacts every area of life.
Prevention is better than a cure so it’s best to do what you can to invest in your health and live a good life.
How do you invest in yourself?
