The fundamental financial lesson we learn from an early age is to save money. So, I thought saving was the way to go.

“Save 10% of your income.”

Whatever job I took or side hustle I built, my first rule was to save as much money as possible.

I’d cut back on eating out, cancel unwanted subscriptions, and even avoid hanging out with friends just to save some money.

Sure, it worked because I saved a few hundred dollars each month. However, it was never enough because I would never feel like I had enough.

Something deep hit me when I realized it would take me years of this frugal lifestyle to save a meaningful amount, like $10,000.

That’s when I became aware of my situation. Then, I asked myself, “What if instead of trying to save my way there, I focused on making more?” The surprising part was that I was actually able to make an extra $10k, realizing it was easier than saving the same amount.

Let me explain how I did it.

Saving Has a Ceiling. Earning Doesn’t.

No matter how good you are at cutting costs, there is a limit. For example, rent, utilities, groceries, etc., are fixed (and rising). Eventually, you can’t cut back any further without sacrificing your quality of life.

When I was in “extreme frugal mode,” I realized I was saying no to dinners with friends and experiences that actually made me happy. It felt restrictive, like I was playing defence all the time.

On the other hand, making more money doesn’t have the same ceiling. There is no limit to how much you can create, sell, or earn.

You can keep stacking income in ways you simply can’t do with saving.

Making Money Builds Skills

When I shifted my mindset from saving to earning, I began finding more ways to make money. For instance, I started writing online and building websites.

At first, these were side hustles that brought a few hundred dollars a month from freelancing.

But even that small win boosted my confidence.

Then,

• $500 turned into $1,000.
• $1,000 turned into $3,000.
• $3,000 turned into $10,000.

The desire to make more money helped me build skills that would keep paying me for years.

Saving never taught me that. Cutting out Netflix didn’t increase my earning potential. But building a skill did.

Extra Income Scales Faster Than Savings

Let’s do some simple math:

• To save $10,000 in one year, you must cut $833 from your monthly budget. That’s brutal.
• To earn an extra $10,000 in one year, you must make $833 a month on the side. That could come from one freelance client, a small coaching gig, or a part-time project.

When you break it down like that, it feels more achievable.

Plus, the second option actually adds to your lifestyle instead of shrinking it.

Money From Earning Feels Better

Here’s something nobody talks about: saving feels like deprivation, but making money feels like freedom.

When I landed my first $1,000 freelance project, I felt unstoppable—not because of the money itself, but because I knew I had created something valuable out of thin air.

Compare that to the time I canceled my Spotify subscription. It didn’t feel like a smart move. Maybe for a day or two. But mostly, I just missed listening to my playlists.

The psychology of earning beats that of saving every time.

You Don’t Have to Work Harder; Just Smarter

When I tell people it is easier to earn an extra $10k than to save it, they often assume I mean “work more hours.” That is not the case.

The real key is leverage. Here are a few examples:

1. Freelancing: Use a skill you already have (writing, design, or marketing) and sell it online.
2. Digital Products: Write an e-book or create a course once, then sell it repeatedly.
3. Content Creation: Build an audience around something you enjoy. Eventually, that attention becomes income.

These don’t require 40 extra hours a week. They just need a smart system.

Saving Still Matters, But It’s Not the Game Changer

Don’t get me wrong: saving has its place. If you are spending recklessly on stupid things you don’t need, no amount of extra income will fix that.

But saving alone won’t move the needle like making more can.

The real wealth-building formula is:

Spend wisely + Keep earning more

One without the other leaves you stuck.

If you are trying to reach your financial goals, stop focusing only on what you can cut. Start asking, “What can I create, sell, or earn?

The latte you skip might save you $4. But the skill you build might make you $50,000 over the next few years.

Saving $10k is hard. Making an extra $10k is surprisingly easier and way more rewarding.

A few years ago, I was flat broke with no savings or long-term plans. I’d tried different “money-making” side hustles, but none of them worked.

I thought maybe I’d made a mistake trying to make money online and should get a real job to pay my bills.

But I still had the determination to give it a shot.

I didn’t know where to start. I had no niche, zero audience, but lots of time. So, I spent it testing “internet habits” people claimed could work.

Some flopped. Some worked a little. And a few were absolute game-changers.

Here are the 9 internet habits that helped me go from broke and overwhelmed to earning $11,000 online. You can steal the habits you like and ignore what you don’t.

1. Publish Something Online Every Day

I started writing one short post daily on LinkedIn, Twitter (X), and sometimes on my blog. I wasn’t so smart, but I was desperate.

At first, no one noticed. But 30 days later, people started replying. After three months of consistency, I landed my first freelance client.

Publishing builds trust. It shows up before you do. I didn’t need a portfolio; my daily posts did the job.

2. Document Everything You Learn

I started a simple blog about my struggles with freelancing and shared my wins and failures.

It felt pointless initially, but people began asking for advice after a few months.

I packaged it into a $5 e-book.

Lesson: Your expertise doesn’t need to be groundbreaking. People pay for clarity and someone who’s one step ahead of them.

3. Collect Emails From Day One

I created a free newsletter on Kit despite having fewer than 10 subscribers.

I sent weekly emails and added links to my services and mini-stories.

Six months later, one subscriber turned into a $1500 client. I still work with him today.

Lesson: Don’t wait until you have 1,000 people. Start with whoever’s listening now.

4. Productize Your Knowledge

Once I realized people kept asking the same questions, I turned my answers into a paid guide.

I used AI to outline it, took a weekend to write it, and launched it on Payhip.

I made $187 in the first month.

I’ve sold multiple e-books and guides with the same strategy.

You don’t need a huge audience; you need a specific problem and a clear solution.

5. Learn Copywriting

I didn’t sell anything until I understood the power of copywriting.

I read free resources, studied headlines, and practiced writing sales pages in Notion.

When I rewrote my offer using copywriting basics, people understood what I was doing and started paying for it.

Copywriting is a cheat code. Learn it once, use it (to sell) forever.

6. Send Cold Emails Like a Human

I used to send 50 cold emails that got zero replies.

Then, I changed one thing: I made them sound like I wasn’t trying to sell.

I’d say:

“Hey Paul, saw your article on ecommerce secrets. Super sharp. I help people like you repurpose content into emails and lead magnets. Want to chat?”

My reply rate increased. So did my bank account.

7. Create Before You Consume

Reels and YouTube videos consumed a lot of my time. So, I made a deal with myself not to scroll on my phone until I created something first.

Even if it was just a 100-word post or a newsletter draft, I had to create something before I could do anything else.

My productivity grew significantly, and it also gave me momentum — something you need when money isn’t showing up yet.

8. Track Every Dollar and Analyze What Works

I kept a simple spreadsheet, noticing which platforms, strategies, and client types generated the most income.

This data guided my focus towards the most profitable activities.

It turns out that 80% of my income came from just two sources — clients and products.

I doubled down on those and eliminated time-wasters.

9. Charge More

I was undercharging for months.

• $50 blog posts
• $200 websites
• $5 e-books

I would only get a few sales, and it was frustrating.

Then, I doubled my prices because I’d heard that charging more increases your value.

I got more sales even after increasing my rates. And that was a big lesson for me. I use the same strategy with my agency‘s clients.

Raise your prices. Worst case: Someone says no. Best case: You hit $11,000 faster than you expected.

Bonus Habit

Invest in skills that pay immediately.

Instead of long courses, focus on skills you can monetize within weeks. For instance, I learned basic graphic design, social media management, and email marketing.

I learned most of them freely on YouTube and free software trials.

These skills paid off and added a few dollars each month to my bank account.

Takeaways

You don’t need luck, viral growth, or fancy gear to make money online.

You need habits — small ones, repeated daily, and stacked patiently.

Start publishing often, helping more people, and selling to your audience. You will surprise yourself, just like I did.

When I started writing online, I didn’t know how to monetize my work. I wrote over 100 articles without earning a single penny. Then, I got into freelance writing, taking a few clients and earning a decent income from them. Some months were great; others were ghost towns. I was always chasing the next project, the next invoice, and the next “yes.”

Then I stumbled into the world of digital products. I saw so many writers and creators earning “passive” income by selling courses, e-books, guides, checklists, etc.

At first, I didn’t think it was possible, and it felt like a scam. But I kept seeing creators, regular people, talking about selling $20 templates, $49 e-books, or $200 courses — all on autopilot.

So, I wanted to give it a shot.

I always wanted to be my own boss and have control over my time. When I was working a 9–5 job a few years ago, I started writing online because I wanted to build an online business. I knew that writing could help me to begin my one-person entrepreneurial journey.

I also didn’t have the capital to start an actual business, nor did I have a fancy setup or a clear roadmap to lead me towards my goal of being my own boss. I only had a laptop, Wi-Fi, and a lot of determination.

Fast forward 12 months of hard work, and I’ve built four solid income streams, each one bringing in money, flexibility, and the kind of freedom I used to only dream about.

It wasn’t overnight, but it also didn’t require thousands of dollars to start. What it did require was building some skills, leveraging them effectively, showing up consistently, and utilizing AI to work smarter.

Here’s how I did it, and how you can too, even if you’re starting from scratch.

1. Writing Online: My Blog & Medium

I started writing online about topics I’m passionate about — creativity, self-improvement, and earning money online. I did it first on my blog, and later, I discovered Medium, which was a game-changer. The Medium Partner Program helped me earn from views and reads.

Initially, traffic was slow. However, I was consistently publishing 2–3 articles per week. One of my stories gained traction after I wrote about 20 articles, and I earned my first $10. Then, things began moving quickly, earning me $50 to $100 each month.

On my blog, I added Google AdSense and signed up for a few affiliate programs. I’d link to tools I actually use. Every click and signup started to add up. This also brought a few dollars each month, although it wasn’t much.

What helped:

• Publishing 2–3 quality articles every week
• Writing about real-life experiences with actionable takeaways
• Including internal links to older blog posts and affiliate tools
• Promoting articles on LinkedIn, X, and other social platforms to increase reach
• Guest posting on other websites

2. Freelance Writing & Website Development

I shared my articles on LinkedIn, which helped me attract clients — businesses and individuals who wanted help with writing content for their websites.

I happily started working for clients who needed help with content marketing and SEO. I offered services like article writing, website content, sales copy, and more.

I also developed the skills to build simple websites, which required no prior coding knowledge. It started when I needed a personal website for my blog. After that, I built a few blogging websites for myself, which gave me the confidence to begin offering website development services to small businesses, creators, and professionals. I received referrals from LinkedIn and friends for my website development service.

My freelance writing and website development service makes me $1,000 to $2,000 each month.

What helped:

• Offering discounted or free work to build a small portfolio
• Listing services on LinkedIn, website, and other channels
• Asking for referrals after every successful project
• Writing articles about my services

3. Creative Agency: Helping Others Build Their Brands

One of my friends was skillful in consulting and graphic design. He was seeking a collaborator to explore the industry further. We became business partners and founded Creato Ink, a creative agency that offers branding, content creation, website development, and social media management services to small businesses and individuals.

Initially, we had no clients, no testimonials — just skills and determination to start something big.

So we reached out to small business owners in our city and within our local network. We offered our services at a discounted rate to build a portfolio. We focused on delivering way more than expected. Referrals started to snowball.

It all began with a friend in Australia who needed help with his e-commerce business. Then, his referral significantly helped us find more clients and further build our agency.

We now help many businesses develop their online presence from scratch — and charge real money for it. We generate approximately $3,000-$ 5,000 per month from our agency business.

What helped:

• Creating a clean, simple portfolio site using WordPress
• Offering free brand audits to start conversations and get referrals/testimonials
• Documenting our work on social media to attract inbound leads

4. Digital Products: E-books That Sell While I Sleep

Once I had a few articles doing well and followers who resonated with my story, I turned one of my most popular topics into a digital product.

My first e-book was titled “How to Build Side Hustles and Make Money Online”. It wasn’t perfect, but it was helpful, honest, and based on real experience.

I created it in Google Docs, designed the cover on Canva, and sold it through Payhip. However, I priced my first e-book at $0, with an additional option to pay what the buyer wanted. It helped me attract more readers because they didn’t have to pay anything if they didn’t want to. It was also helpful in attracting email subscribers and growing my audience.

Later, I wrote and sold multiple e-books, which helped me make a few hundred dollars. My recent e-book, AI-Powered Content Creation Toolkit, has been receiving a positive response from the audience.

By selling e-books, I understood how to write for people, not just platforms.

What helped:

• Starting with a clear topic my audience were interested in
• Keeping the first e-book short, simple, actionable, and free
• Adding a call-to-action in my blog posts and social profiles
• Re-investing early sales into better design and reach
• Promoting my e-books by writing articles about them and sharing on social media

Lessons I’ve Learned Along the Way

1. You don’t need a huge following to start. You just need a few people who trust you. Start building an audience from day one by using an email list.
2. Consistency beats complexity. Show up every day, even when it feels slow.
3. Start with what you have. I utilized free tools, platforms, and templates. Most of my income streams required zero capital to start.
4. Document your journey. People want to learn from someone who is a few steps ahead of them. They want real-life experiences and lessons, not some woo-woo theory.

Summary

When I started this journey, I had no money to invest — just skills, ideas, and the willingness to figure it out.

A few years later, I went from nothing to four income streams:

1. Writing Online (Blog + Medium)
2. Freelance Writing & Web Development
3. Creative Agency
4. Selling Digital Products

It didn’t happen overnight, but it happened faster than I thought it could. And if I can do it with zero capital, so can you.

The internet is full of opportunities. You don’t need a big budget — just the courage to begin, and the commitment to keep going.

The first dollar I earned online felt better than any paycheck I’ve ever received because it was mine.

You can have that too. Just start and take a chance at your dream!

If you’d told me a few years ago that I’d be running a side hustle building websites, I’d have laughed and said, “Yeah, right. I don’t even know what HTML stands for.”

The idea of building a website seemed like something only tech-savvy coders could do. But today, I’ve built over 20 websites for myself and my clients and earned thousands of dollars in the process. The best part? I did it all without writing a single line of code. How? WordPress and a whole lot of free YouTube tutorials.

If you’ve ever thought about building a website but felt intimidated by the technical side of things, this article is for you. If I can do it, so can you. I’ll walk you through how I got here and share a simple guide to get you started on your own website-building journey.

Let’s get started!

How I Stumbled Into WordPress and YouTube University

I’ve always wanted to start a blog and write articles. I even tried one in 2016 using Google’s Blogspot. Sadly, the website broke down due to technical issues, and I never bothered to get back into it.

During the 2020 lockdown, my interest in starting a blog reignited. I also had a lot of free time then.

My journey began with a simple Google search: “How to build a website without coding.” That’s when I discovered WordPress, a platform that powers over 40% of all websites on the internet. I quickly realized that WordPress was beginner-friendly and didn’t require any programming knowledge. But I still had no idea where to start.

That first website was a mess. I picked a free theme, slapped some text, and called it a day. It looked like a toddler designed it, but I was hooked. The best part? It was all free. YouTube became my classroom, and creators like Tyler Moore and WPBeginner became my unofficial professors. Over a few years, I watched hundreds of videos, pausing and rewinding to follow along. I learned everything from picking domain names to tweaking layouts at my own pace.

It wasn’t instant. My early sites were rough, like when I accidentally made a client’s homepage bright pink because I didn’t understand the theme settings. But with every mistake, I’d search “how to fix [insert disaster here] in WordPress” and find a video to save me. Slowly, those clunky sites turned into sleek, professional ones.

Four years and 20+ websites later, clients are paying me real money for something I taught myself for free. You can get there too — it just takes time, curiosity, and a willingness to mess up a little along the way.

Your Step-by-Step Guide to Building a Simple WordPress Website

Building a basic WordPress site isn’t as scary as it sounds. Here’s how you can create something decent, even if you’re starting from scratch like I did. No coding is required — just a bit of patience.

Step 1: Get a Domain Name and Web Hosting

First, you need a home for your website. Your domain name is your site’s address (like www.yourname.com), and web hosting is the space where your site lives online. I started with Hostinger because it’s beginner-friendly and often offers deals—like $2.99 a month with a free domain for the first year. Other solid options are SiteGround or Bluehost.

Here’s what to do:

• Go to a hosting provider’s website (e.g., Hostinger.com).
• Pick a plan — basic shared hosting is fine for starters.
• Choose a domain name. Keep it simple and relevant to your project (e.g., “JanesBakery.com” if you’re a baker).
• Sign up, pay, and jot down your login details. They’ll email you a confirmation with the next steps.

Pro tip: When I built my first site, I agonized over the “perfect” domain name for days. Don’t overthink it — just pick something and move on. You can always tweak it later.

Step 2: Install WordPress

Good news: most hosting providers make this easy. With Hostinger, for example, you’ll see an “Install WordPress” button in your dashboard after signing up. Click it, follow the prompts, and bam — WordPress is ready. It takes maybe 10 minutes.

Once installed, you’ll get a login URL (like yourdomain.com/wp-admin), a username, and a password. Save those somewhere safe — I learned the hard way after locking myself out of my second site for a week.

Step 3: Pick a Theme

WordPress themes are like pre-made outfits for your site. You can find many free ones in WordPress by going to Appearance > Themes > Add New. Search for something like “Astra” or “OceanWP” — they’re lightweight, customizable, and free to start with.

When I built a site for a friend’s photography business, I chose Astra because it has a clean, gallery-friendly look. Install your theme, activate it, and your site will take shape. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect yet—we’ll tweak it next.

Step 4: Customize Your Site

This is where the fun begins. Go to Appearance > Customize in WordPress. You can change colors, fonts, and layouts without touching code. Want a blue header? Done. Bigger text? Easy. Play around until it feels like “you.”

For pages, head to Pages > Add New. Create essentials like:

• Home: A welcome page with a quick intro.
• About: Who you are or what your site is about.
• Contact: A simple way for people to reach you.

I once spent hours perfecting a homepage, only to realize that no one scrolled past the first section. Keep it simple, and focus on what matters.

Step 5: Add Plugins for Extra Features

Plugins are like apps for your site. Need a contact form? Install “Contact Form 7.” Want better SEO? Grab “Yoast SEO.” Find them under Plugins > Add New. Most have free versions that work great for beginners.

My go-to combo is:

• Elementor: A drag-and-drop builder to design pages (the free version is plenty).
• UpdraftPlus: It allows you to back up your site. It is a crucial plugin for your WordPress site. Trust me, you’ll thank me when you accidentally break something.
• W3 Total Cache: Speeds up your site so it’s not sluggish.

Start with a few and add more as you learn what you need.

Step 6: Add Content and Go Live

Now, fill your pages with words, photos, or whatever you have. Use Elementor to drag text boxes and images around like a pro. When I built a site for a local café, I imported their menu as a PDF and added some food pictures—it took an hour, and they loved it.

Once you’re happy, hit “Publish” on your pages. Your hosting provider made your site live when you installed WordPress, so just visit your domain to see it in action. Share it with friends, tweak it as you go, and congrats — you have a website!

A Few Tips From My Journey

• Start small: My first site was just a homepage and an about page. Build confidence, then expand.
• YouTube is your friend. Search “WordPress tutorial 2025” for up-to-date videos. Pause, rewind, and repeat. You can find solutions to all your problems with a simple YouTube search.
• Mistakes happen. I once accidentally deleted a client’s entire homepage. Backups (and a quick apology) saved me. I still make silly mistakes, but now, with more experience, I know how to solve them quickly.
• It takes time. Four years sounds long, but every site I built taught me something new. You’ll get faster.

You’ve Got This!

Building websites with WordPress isn’t rocket science — it’s just clicking, dragging, and learning as you go. I went from knowing nothing to earning real cash, all thanks to free tools and a little persistence.

Start with that domain, install WordPress, and mess around. Before you know it, you’ll have a site you’re proud of — and maybe even a client or two. Don’t aim for perfection. Start simple and keep learning.

Got questions? Hit me up — I’m proof you don’t need to be a tech genius to make this work.

When I first started writing online, I had no audience, connections, or idea of how to make money from it. I didn’t think about any specific niches or the purpose of writing.

But I knew one thing—I loved writing and wanted to find a way to make it sustainable. I wasn’t even thinking about monetization then; it came to my attention only after I had written over fifty articles.

My first goal was to earn my first $1,000 purely from writing.

I didn’t know how to do it, but I was sure it would happen. I tried monetizing my blog with Google ads, but it was one of the worst ways.

It took time, trial and error, and a lot of persistence, but I eventually hit that milestone. And the best part? I did it without needing a massive audience. Here’s precisely how I made my first $1,000 writing online — and how you can do it too.

1. Writing on Medium.com

I used to publish only on my blog when I started writing online. But it did not help me grow my audience or make money. Then, I discovered Medium, and it was a game-changer for me.

Medium was the first place I started consistently publishing my writing. At the time, I knew little about SEO, audience building, or marketing, but Medium allowed me to focus on one thing: writing.

The Medium Partner Program pays writers based on member engagement with their stories. I wrote about creativity, self-improvement, online writing, and personal experiences—topics that resonated with people. My first few articles barely made a few dollars, but as I wrote more, a few gained traction. One article brought in over $170 alone, and collectively, I made a few hundred dollars from Medium in my early months.

Writing consistently and experimenting with different topics helped me gain traction. I learned that you don’t need a huge audience to make money; you just need to write content that connects with readers.

2. Selling e-books

I quickly realized that relying on Medium’s algorithm wasn’t enough. I wanted more control over my income, so I wrote and published my first e-book.

Instead of charging a specific price for my e-book, I used Payhip to keep it “Pay what you want.” This means that people could either get it for $0 or pay any price they wanted. I learned this strategy from other writers on Medium, and surprisingly, some readers downloaded my book for $1, $2, and more, even when they could get it for free.

The first time someone bought my e-book, I was shocked. Someone was willing to pay for my writing! Then, I wrote another e-book, priced at $4.99, and promoted it in my articles and social media.

Within a few months, my e-book sales added a few hundred dollars to my total income. It wasn’t a bestseller, but it proved that even with a small audience, you can make money by packaging your knowledge into something valuable.

I learned that You don’t need a 200-page book to start selling. A well-structured guide that solves a problem is enough to start earning.

3. Freelancing and Ghostwriting

While I loved writing on Medium and selling e-books, I wanted a more stable income, so I turned to freelancing and ghostwriting.

At first, I had no idea how to get clients. I started posting my articles on LinkedIn, and fortunately, I received positive feedback from my connections. Businesses and individuals began contacting me, offering me paid writing jobs. I made $30-$50 per article at the time, which was a lot for me.

As I built my portfolio, I landed better-paying clients. Some paid $100 per article, others even more. Ghostwriting was incredibly lucrative because many businesses and creators needed content but had no time to write it themselves.

I did this for a year and stopped because I had to focus on building my agency and wanted more control of my time. Freewriting and ghostwriting paid well, but I didn’t want to do it long-term.

4. Tips and Donations from Readers

One of the most surprising ways I made money was through reader support. I set up a Ko-fi page and occasionally mentioned it at the end of my articles. I didn’t expect much, but to my surprise, readers who found my content valuable started tipping me. Most left $3, others $10. One generous reader even gave me $36 because he was fascinated with my writing.

This wasn’t my main income stream, but it reinforced something important: if your writing helps people, they’ll want to support you. Even a small, engaged audience can be enough to start earning.

I learned that you must first provide value. If people love your work, they’ll happily support you financially.

Final Thoughts

When I added everything up—Medium earnings, e-book sales, freelancing, and reader tips—I had officially earned my first $1,000 from writing. More importantly, I had proven that making money as a writer was possible, even without a massive audience.

If you’re just starting, here’s my advice: don’t wait until you have thousands of followers to monetize your writing. Start small, experiment with different income streams, and keep showing up. Your first $1,000 is just the beginning.

Being rich and making money is everybody’s dream.

You want to afford things and live a life with freedom. That’s what money is all about — freedom. The fancy cars, big houses, and other material things will be boring after a while. But what remains is the ability to do what you want, when you want.

Money is a sensitive topic because everybody has a different perspective on it. Some need money for basic survival and to afford necessities like food and rent. Others see money as a tool to achieve their dreams of starting a business or investing in assets. Whether you already have money or want money, one thing is sure: You always need more.

In his recent interview, Jim Carrey said he is retiring and added, “I have enough. I’ve done enough. I am enough.”

That’s rare.

Money won’t make you happy, but:

Money can buy you everything, but what about your emotional well-being? We’ve heard wealthy people being depressed and mentally unstable. If money made them happy, why would such things happen to them? Maybe I’ll be able to answer this question when I become super wealthy.

Money will solve most of your problems. You can gain control of your time. You will become powerful because you will have the power of choice, the power to own your time, be respected, and live your wildest dreams.

Money isn’t everything, but it is a necessity.

Money might not buy you happiness. But not having money surely won’t.

I’ve read many books and articles, listened to podcasts, and consumed other financial content. They have given me immense knowledge on how to make money and become financially free. Summing up all the money advice I’ve learned, below are the only four things that will actually make you wealthy.