For most people, financial freedom is a vague goal or destination. They may not know exactly what financial freedom means to them, they just know that it is some place they would rather be.
But what does financial freedom really mean and how do you achieve it?
What is Financial Freedom?
Financial freedom is the freedom to live the lifestyle you want even if you aren’t bringing in a regular paycheck.
Think about that for a second. Not bringing in a paycheck but still living the lifestyle you want? That’s a dream life and doesn’t seem very realistic, right?
Wrong!
Before most of us even have a chance to think about financial freedom, we are locked into a lifetime of debt from education and housing, and forced to work at one or more jobs for most of our waking hours just to stay above water.
From this position financial freedom seems like some distant, impossible dream.
It doesn’t need to be this way.
The first step on the road to financial freedom is to fully visualize the life that you want to lead and the steps that you need to take to get there.
According to a recent study by GOBanking Rates, they found these three items as American’s biggest financial fears:
1.) Never being able to retire
2.) Always living paycheck to paycheck
3.) Living in debt forever
These are definitely some reasons to worry about, but what can you do to avoid this?
By visualizing your path to financial freedom, you can see how these essential steps can take you from where you are now to where you want to be. Below we will go over the different types of financial fears and freedoms along with how you can work to obtain them.
Freedom From Fear
For most people, an unexpected bill or expense is an event that can cause physical symptoms from the stress and worry. With finances already running as tight as they can, any added expense risks pushing your finances into an unmanageable mess.
Nobody enjoys paying bills but nothing is worse when you don’t have the money to make the payment. Then you have debt collectors calling you and next thing you know your credit score starts taking a hit.
When most people imagine the road to financial freedom, their first stop is a freedom from this kind of fear.
Freedom To Work
Another common point on the road to financial freedom is the freedom for people to spend their time working how they would like.
Many people still accept that they will need to work for a living, but they want to spend their time working at jobs they want to do.
The freedom to work means the freedom to choose exactly how you make a living, whether this means working less hours or for lower pay at a preferred job or being able to afford to take risks to achieve your dream career.
Freedom From Work
The freedom from work may seem like a distant dream to most people, but it is actually easier to achieve than most people believe. The freedom from work means never having to do anything that you don’t want to do because you need the money.
This level of financial freedom means that all your time is yours to spend how you like, and you never need to worry about making ends meet.
Luxurious Freedom
A dream home in a beautiful neighborhood and a few small vacation homes dotted around the world? All the cars, clothes, toys and other things that make life sweet at the tip of your fingers?
Visiting exotic, beautiful and exclusive locations and events whenever you feel like it?
Luxurious freedom may seem like nothing more than fantasy, but people do live like that, and many of them were not born into wealth. Your path to financial freedom can end here if you make the right decisions and work hard at it.
Your Path to Financial Freedom
So how do you go from where you are now to where you want to be?
There are many important steps involved on the road to financial freedom, from smart money management to debt consolidation, but the key part of any road is smart investing and allowing your money to work for you.
Learning to trade is one of the more popular ways to achieve financial freedom, because it is a path that will also lead to being your own boss and having the ability to work from anywhere in the world.
We currently have one of our own traders, Roberto, who is living his dream as a traveling trader. He is traveling all over Europe AND making money at the same time.
Below you can check out his latest episode in London where he meets new friends, experiences new food and cultures all while making money!
This is just one example of what investing and trading can do for your life. Having financial freedom is one of the most liberating ways you can live!
Final Thoughts
Very few people achieve financial freedom as a result of their income, they do it by using that income wisely to increase their wealth many times over.
Learning how to invest wisely and trade effectively is a simple supplement to your life that will allow you to build wealth at a rate that would otherwise be impossible.
You can start this simple step on your road to financial freedom today. Now is the time to begin.
Let us know what financial freedom means to you in the comments below!