That’s a quote from the movie Forrest Gump starring Tom Hanks. Hanks’ character Forrest receives a letter from his partner, Lieutenant Dan, that a company they invested in, a fruit company, was doing really well.
That fruit company turned out to be Apple. It did so well that Lieutenant Dan tells Forrest they will never have to worry about money again. Forrest’s response, “Good. That’s one less thing.”
Wouldn’t it be nice to have one less thing to worry about? What if money was that one thing?
The role money plays in all of our lives
can sometimes feel overwhelming.
You need money for food, housing, clothing, and utilities. And those are just the essentials. When you add spending money, entertainment, and schooling, it can genuinely feel like there’s a never-ending list of things to pay for.
But what if it didn’t feel that way? What if it wasn’t that way?
One of the topics that I often speak about when I give talks is the “enough number.”
This is the number you aim for in your wealth-building journey that will get you to the moment Forrest was experiencing. The moment when money is one less thing to worry about.
So, how do you calculate your enough number?
You take the total of your current monthly expenses, multiply it by 40%, then take that number and multiply it by 300, and you will have your enough number.
Let’s take a look at an example below.
Let’s say you have monthly expenses of $7,000. Multiply the $7,000 by 40%, and you get $9,800. Let’s round that number to $10,000 for simplicity.
If we multiply $10k by 300, we get $3,000,000, which will be your enough number.
The enough number is your net worth goal.
Try the exercise and determine your enough number.
Once you know your enough number, it’s time to get to work.
The first step, calculate your current net worth to see how much of a gap exists between your current net worth and your enough number.
Once you know that, it’s time to close that gap.
How?
Generate cash flow and buy assets.
Look, the truth is to build wealth, you need income and/or leverage to invest.
Income from your business, your 9 to 5, or other assets is what will allow you to invest in more assets.
For example, if you make $8,000 a month and your monthly expenses are $7,000. You can use that $1,000 to invest directly in an asset such as a dividend-paying stock or art, or you can take that $1,000 and use it as leverage to build wealth.
For example, save $1,000 per month and use that as a down payment on a property or save $1,000 per month and use it as a down payment on a business you buy. Either option has the potential to generate an excellent cash flow.
You can use that cash flow to invest in more assets to get to your enough number.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying it will be straightforward. In fact, it will be the opposite of easy because it takes time. Unfortunately, many of us aren’t willing to put in the work or time to reach our financial goals.
But if you are, I challenge you to walk through the exercise above. It can be life-changing.
asd
