Here is an outline of the strategy we use to create wealth; this is the first article of many.

Begin with your current income. For some, this comes from a job working for an employer; for others, this comes from a job they own, as in the case of private practice doctors, attorneys, etc. The source of your income isn’t what matters. How much you get and how much you spend does, however.

You need to next make sure that you are covering your living expenses. We assume that all of you who read this can at least do that much.

Your Spending - a lot of people have difficulty with this one.

Step one:

You need to spend as little as is realistic. Those with no children should live in a small place, such as a studio or one bedroom apartment (except those with unique situations, such as military housing or those who have paid off homes).

Drive only reliable, economical cars, such as Toyota Corollas or Honda Civics. Eat at restaurants only when necessary or on special occasions.

Eat nutritious but cheap food. When you travel, do so cheaply. Be frugal with your choice of clothing; buy inexpensive clothes that will not fall apart.

The choice of whether to get a TV or not is a personal one; some need it to stay sane; for others, it is simply a luxury. If you can do without, do.

Do not forget recreation! You cannot forget to enjoy yourself. Many people have difficulty keeping themselves in check. Try to tell the difference between impulsively spending money and enjoying yourself. There are many things you can do to enjoy yourself that don’t cost a lot of money, such as hiking, reading, watching the television, etc.

In summary, cut your expenditures by as much as you can.

It is better to spend a good bit for a product which will last a great deal of time than to spend a little for a product which will break quickly. Think of how much time you will get out of your product per dollar spent.

For great product reviews, read Consumer Reports.

In a nutshell, spend the least amount you can, but do not starve, let your social life die, or sit around bored. Instead, cut your costs, but stay realistic.

The Napoleon Hill classic, Think and Grow Rich, has continued to pose a challenge for readers ever since its publication in 1937. Hill claims to have implanted his secret to gaining wealth within the pages of the book in such a was that is is ‘hidden’ whilst it also remains in plain view. Actually, the secret is in two separate parts. The first part, he talks about openly, however, the second part is not at all so obvious.

It was around twenty years ago that I first read the book and I must have, quite simply, not been ready to receive the secret, because it certainly did not jump out of the page as the author suggested it would. In fact, even when I came back to the book, after many years, the secret still remained doggedly elusive, at least to me.

So I began to do a bit of research: you know, Google is your friend - right? Well, the results of that research were that whilst many people claimed to know the secret, generally there seemed to be quite a bit of disagreement about what it was. It made me think that perhaps there was no such secret at all and that I was probably just wasting my time.

Then I came up with an interesting thought. I realised that Hill had named certain successful people in the book ” people like F.W. Woolworth, Henry Ford, Charles Schwab, George Eastman and so on. He mentioned that they had all applied the secret to create their fortunes. So I decided to research these people because, if they all knew the secret, then, I reasoned, I should find some common ideas about success in their writing. To cut a long story short, I found no such common thread.

A friend of mine told me that he thought the secret was entirely subjective. He said that people had to figure it out for themselves; and that, he said, was why Hill had not specified anything in particular. In the end, the secret boiled down to pretty-much anything the individual believed it to be.

However, one day, it actually happened: I realised what the secret was. Just as Napoleon Hill had said, I recognised it and instantly knew it to be true; and I also realised why Hill had decided to hide it within the pages of the book in plain sight ” so to speak. Now that I know the secret, the big question is: will it make me rich? After all, that is the subject of the book.

Well, I have at least begun to use the secret; though I have plans to make much greater and more direct use of it in the future. I can now recognise when it is being used by others and I understand how and why it has been responsible for building the fortunes of very many successful people. There is no question about it, the use of the secret in my marketing is indeed having a dramatic effect on the results I am producing, so I believe that Napoleon Hill was absolutely right.

We have a nice little book on the subject that you can download completely free if you would like more information on the secret. Get it today and start putting it to use: your life will never be the same again.