In today’s world, money is one of the basic survival needs. Every person is working hard to earn money. Some people want to be rich and successful. Others are having a hard time surviving daily because of money problems.

“Money problem” is found everywhere in the world. In Nepal, the rich have businesses and high-paying jobs. The poor survive on daily wages. And, the middle class is trying to work hard and save some money for the future.

Most people in Nepal have day jobs as their primary source of income. They are working for that paycheck at the end of the month. But most of them are not very fond of their jobs. Their only motivation to work is money. They work harder to get promoted and increase the amount in their paychecks.

Financial Freedom

Everyone wants to achieve financial freedom. We want to spend money on the things we love—food, clothes, travel, car, house, etc.

It is possible to achieve financial freedom living in Nepal. You can make a lot of money and at the same time enjoy doing the things that you love. You can even quit your day job and achieve financial freedom.

Seems impossible?

To achieve financial freedom, you need one thing—financial intelligence.

In his book Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki explains the importance of financial intelligence. He says that schools teach us the importance of working for money. They do not teach us how to become rich, but they teach us to work for the rich. Kiyosaki also says that the rich don’t work for money. They make money work for them.

Everyone is capable of making lots of money and becoming rich. But your goal should not be to become rich. It should be to achieve financial freedom. If you focus on achieving financial freedom, you can quickly become rich.

How to Achieve Financial Freedom?

The short answer is to become financially intelligent. But what is financial intelligence?

Let’s take an example here. Suppose you win the lottery and you make Rs. 1 crore overnight. You are so happy and excited. You don’t know what to do with that money. Maybe you buy a car, go shopping, throw a party, and buy expensive gadgets (because you can). Soon you realize that almost all the money is gone. Now you are back to your old state.

This example shows the lack of financial intelligence. Remember this:

Financial intelligence is crucial because it teaches you how to make money and teaches you what to do with it.

Robert Kiyosaki says this vital line in his book. He says:

“Money without financial intelligence is money soon gone. It’s not how much money you make, it’s how much you keep.”

To achieve financial freedom, you will need to consider the following.

1. Save More, Spend Less

It seems obvious, but it is essential. Do you realize how much money you spend on things you don’t even need? You go shopping even though you don’t need clothes. You eat outside almost every day. Hanging out with your friends and drinking that daily coffee is costing you a lot of money. You see some fancy gadget online and order it even though you don’t need it.

Track your spending and make sure you spend only on things you really need. The next time you are about to spend your money on something, stop and ask yourself this: Do I really need it? This question can help you save a lot of money. The more you save, the more money you will have.

2. Invest

Don’t just save to save. Save to invest. Kiyosaki says that you should invest in assets if you want to be rich. Assets include stocks, bonds, real estate, property, etc. If you don’t know about investing in assets, start learning. Start with investing in stocks. You can learn how to invest in the stock market of Nepal for free online. If you have friends who know about investing in the stock market, learn from them.

But remember, investing should be done with proper knowledge. You can lose money in the stock market if you don’t know what you are doing. Educate yourself before starting. Start by investing in the primary market. Once you learn about the market, invest in the secondary market.

3. Side Hustle

If you are working a day job and it is your only source of income, you need to start a side hustle. The number one secret of the rich is that they have multiple sources of income. You must have at least 4-5 sources of income to achieve financial freedom.

Here are some side hustles you can start to create more sources of income:

• Dividends from investing in stocks
• Interest income
• Blogging
• YouTube
• Instagram/Tiktok (via. Influencer marketing if you have a large following)
• Affiliate Marketing
• Selling products/services online
• Online courses
• Teaching/Tutoring
• Freelancing
• Part-time jobs
• Podcast

You can do so many things to make money besides your day job. But the most common excuse: “I don’t have time.” It’s understandable. You work all day at your 9-5 job. You come home tired and don’t feel like doing anything else.

But if you want to achieve financial freedom, you have to make time for it. Build your skills. Almost every skill can be learned online for free. It is only a matter of how much do you want it. Give at least one hour a day to learn.

Find more details about making money with side hustles in my eBook: How to Build Side Hustles & Make Money Online

4. Minimalism

Minimalism refers to living with only the things you really need. It would help if you got rid of the things you do not need.

Do you have unused furniture lying around in your house for years? Give it away or sell it. We all have clothes we do not wear that take up a lot of space in our closets. Give them away as well.

We have a lot of other material possessions that we own but do not need. The sensible thing, of course, is not to buy these things in the first place. But if you already have them, get rid of them. Minimalism is about living a simple, distraction-free life.

Takeaways

Achieving financial freedom is possible living in Nepal. You only need one thing for it—financial intelligence. To become financially intelligent, you should build your skills. Learn more.

The first thing you can do today is spending less and save more. Track your daily spending and see what you can change. Stop unnecessary spending habits. Start saving more. Remember, as Warren Buffett says:

“Don’t save what is left after spending. Spend what is left after saving.”

Secondly, invest in assets. Begin by investing in the stock market. If you don’t know how to do it, start learning. Thirdly, start a side hustle. Increase your income sources, build your skills if needed, and make time for it. Have at least 4-5 sources of income. Lastly, live a minimalist life. Learn to live with fewer material possessions. Live a simple life.