Increase Your Cash Flow by Investing in Yourself — Cortez Frank Sanchez

I am a product of the late 80’s and I have survived the Great Recession of 2008. This was a very challenging time for me as I was fresh out of high school, with limited education on how to manage credit and I made my coins via various temp jobs that were not always lucrative or consistent. I have made mistakes and learned from them, which has made me the wise consumer that I am today. In adapting to the changes in the market place, I have a competitive advantage in increasing my cash flow and I am happy to use my platform to share that with you. Not all of these may suit your personal situation, but feel free to take what you need and share with a friend so we can work together in building a community of prosperous people. Because let’s be real (or Frank ☺️), you probably did not learn these things in grade school.

Be Frugal

There was a time where I simply could not afford to pay full price for anything, and there is no shame in that. Having a honest conversation with yourself about you financial wellness gives you a foundation to work with. By being honest with yourself you have already made the first step in solving the problem even if your credit score, bank account or credit card statement is not cute. If you have done this please give yourself due credit and pat yourself on the back (or a hug if you feel inclined to do so). The next step is adjust your spending habits that match your particular situation. Sure this may sometimes mean staying your broke a** home, but there is also a plethora of fun things you can do that don’t break the bank.

Groupon - Groupon now offers cashback at restaurants. Sometimes as high as 20-25%. If you are dining out on your lunch break anyway you might as well put those coupons to work. This takes minutes to set-up and $2 bucks is $2 bucks. If you want to be fancy and treat yourself to a weekend adventure, a date night or a trip to the spa perhaps Groupon is the option for you. If you have to splurge on a Groupon until you can afford to pay full price to go out, many of us have already been there before. Work it out and do what you need to do, your bank account will thank you for it.

Planning your Meals - Going out to lunch could cost you upwards to $5-$17 a day, especially if getting coffee out is a part of your daily routine. Not everyone can take such a blow to their wallets and there are low cost options that don’t require a lot of time if that is your primary deterrent. In my office I have a toaster, a bag of bagels and some pre-made snacks to stop me from having hunger emergencies throughout my workday. I find that apples, tangerines, breakfast bars and instant oatmeal travel the easiest. By having food on standby, you are not as likely to overeat because you got busy and waited until your hunger became an emergency. You may find that when you do go out to eat that you are not overspending from the desperation your hunger has created.

Coupons and Rebates - Ebates and those coupons that come in the mail are your friends if you let them in. Why not save money on the things you already pay for. Ebates is my go-to around the holidays, birthdays and whenever I am shopping at a major retailer. Sure 2%-10% may not seem like a lot at first, but I have made about $200 from rebates alone. This translates to a months worth of a electric bill in Arizona during the height of summer or a flight back home to the east coast. Shameless plug, when you sign up and click here I get a referral bonus. You never know when miscellaneous income will come in handy.

Paying your Credit Card - I didn’t learn this secret until I took college mathematics. Did you know most credit cards calculate interests daily? It is alright if you are not a mathematician, but my major take away was by paying your credit card multiple times a month instead of in one lump sum when it is due, you could save yourself a great deal of money. I have seen this increase my credit score and most months I use my credit card points to pay off the interest rate on my billing statement. My secret is I use my credit card for most of my purchases, pay them off bi-weekly (leaving some balance but not in excess) and maximizing my reward points. This is sometimes the ideal situation as I can make money from the credit card company instead of them making money off of me. If your credit card does not offer you points I would recommend checking out Hustler Money Blog to see which card has the best options for you. They also have information on coupons, flight deals, freebies and which banks offer bonuses for opening new accounts. As quiet as it’s kept, the money I will be getting for opening a bank account has allowed me to splurge on this website. Also did you know that your credit card purchases are often insured. Oh Yes! Read the verbiage on your credit card statement to see what you may be entitled to.

Switching Phone Providers - I have saved at least 50% on my phone bill by switching to a pre-paid service. After paying off my phone with one of the leading cell phone providers I was able to switch the sim card and pay significantly less. I will advise you to do your research and see if you can get adequate service for where you live before doing this though.

Ask for Discounts - This may take practice if you don’t do this already. I started off small to see what discounts I could get over the phone with my insurance company. I found out that I was eligible for a student discount and I saved $60 off the 6 month premium price by paying it off at once instead of doing installments. If you have multiple policies you could potentially combine them together to reduce your rate. Insurance companies are sneaky though, they make it difficult to compare pricing by buying blogs that review their products under the guise of not being affiliated with the insurance company.

“I Truly believe that we are here to bless and prosper each other. I reflect this belief in my daily interactions.”

— Louise Hay

Be Generous

The photo above is from my $6 grocery haul from a program called Produce on Wheels Without Waste. This is a program where the Borderlands Produce Rescue saves food from being wasted and at such a reasonable price I can cut my grocery bill and share the excess with my neighbors. Perhaps your neighborhood does not have this exact program but there is likely organizations near you that are happy to give. In Arizona, our public libraries have free tickets to local museums and exhibits and you can share your time with someone who has not been to these places. I like to make a habit of writing positive reviews, taking surveys and sending personalized messages thanking people for their time and their labor. Being generous with your kindness not only helps the giver by elevating their attitude but positive attitudes can be contagious. The rise of social media has left many people feeling isolated and small gestures can mean so much. Thoughtful inexpensive gifts help people feel included so I will occasionally buy things for friends, family and co-workers when I am out and about. Sometimes just offering to buy a soda when you are making a trip to the gas station can make people feel counted. There are times that good deeds are returned but that should not be the expectation.

Step Three:

Level up with the money you saved…

Invest in YOURSELF

Let’s be Frank, who is the 40 hour work week really serving? If you are not elevating yourself, you are at best funding the dreams of other people. You deserve to have peace of mind, opportunities for advancement and the ability to live your best life. For me investing in myself meant saving money for my 2020 travel found, branding myself via my website and changing my spending habits to raise my credit score. (I am on my way y’all!) Perhaps you have been working hard all week and you need to travel to the beach. Maybe you can use your tax refund to pay for that certification that is going to put you on the road towards that promotion that you want. You probability had a image of what investing in yourself looked like before you read this article. Let that be your guide. If you need a some idea’s you can try playing Self-Care Bingo until that idea comes to you.

Thanks again for reading my rather long blog post, as you can see I am enthusiastic about helping others in whatever capacity I can. If there are other topics you would like to hear about please do let me know. Your participation helps motivate me to create content. Don’t forget to share and subscribe if you like what you have read. Have a wonderful day and take care.

Cheers,

Cortez ^.^