For you, your family, and your business to pursue with hyper-focus, here’s one financial tip that will power you forward.
Be a true dreamer and get into the game!
Life is about living your dreams
But, are you waiting for the perfect time to start your journey?
Most people do the same, they keep waiting for the perfect time to start big.
Always dream big. But that doesn’t mean you have to start big.
To live your dreams, you must start working on them
Be a true dreamer and get into the game!
No matter, Whats your dreams and goals are, start your journey, if not in a big way, then start in a small way, with jumps and baby steps … it’s that simple!
We reach the top by taking the first step …
We all start with dreams each new year that we want to fulfill. We are full of determination to succeed. Some 10% of us will even turn our thoughts and dreams into goals and write them down. But few of us will look at the goals we wrote down on a regular basis as the year unfolds. Have you?
Take gym memberships: by the end of the first quarter some 75% of new eager members become not-so-eager members and drop out. Why?
Actioning your dreams, thoughts and goals is not an easy task. So, take the pressure off and focus on one goal, that you can live with easily and share with those that matter. And that is being hyper-focused on financial freedom.
Financial freedom
In the context of living in a post Covid cloud and if you live in an emerging country like South Africa, it’s not an easy task.
Firstly, let’s understand what financial freedom means. Let us agree it is different for each of us as we all are unique and have different aspirations. We do not have the same dreams nor the same ‘wants’.
And let us define wants: we need food and shelter to survive, but I want an ‘indigo blue Golf GTI’ and my friend wants a red convertible mustang. Yet, what we need is reliable transport.
So, what do you want? I can summarise that without knowing you: it is financial freedom ….
Financial freedom allows you to action all your goals now and in the future. Dreams without financial freedom remain dreams. Whether your goals are spiritual or healthy living it all revolves around the financial ability to implement your dreams and goals.
The foundation of financial freedom
Protecting yourself, the family, your standard of lifestyle and (future) retirement can only be done in hard currency. Western developed economies are robust and proven through world wars, recessions, and epidemics (including their constantly evolving democracies) as reflected by the strength of their currencies, US dollars, Sterling (GBP) and the Euro.
2022
2022 is a year that is proving challenging, yet the pound, dollar and euro economies are rising to the challenges. And that is where you should be investing and protecting your dreams and family. Yes, there are short-term benefits of choosing one hard currency over the other, but over five and 10 years, past winning history has proven to be a reliable predictor of the future.
Soft currency
Achieving financial freedom in a soft currency is a huge mountain to climb. If local inflation is 6% and devaluation of the currency is 6%, then you have to achieve 12% every year just to remain afloat. You are not moving towards financial freedom which can only happen when income exceeds monthly expenses, resulting in savings which are then invested and must earn more than 12% pa. This is a tall order in a soft currency.
Make currency depreciation your friend
If you convert local savings and capital into hard currency, from that moment on depreciation is your friend, as hard currency return/growth plus local currency depreciation becomes your friend and moves you towards financial freedom. Why is devaluation your friend? Because much of what we consume includes imported inflation. Take bread, why is the price up 500% over 10 years? Because between sowing the seeds, harvesting, storing in silos, transferring to the bakery, then the wholesaler, and finally the retailer, transport is required, and the fuel price reflects imported inflation.
Would a New Yorker, a Berliner, a Londoner … put all their faith and cash into a soft currency environment?
Where can I invest?
The choice is enormous and for most a daunting challenge. Do I go for hard currency stocks and shares, exchange-traded funds, index funds, mutual and unit trusts or treasury gilts and bonds or gold Kruger Rand coins which are dollar-priced? Certainly, leaving it in a bank account in hard currency is a start, but the return is minimal. In fact, one becomes poorer as inflation kills and exceeds the rate of interest available.
Alternative wealth investments is one solution. One has many choices. Alternatives provide portfolio diversification lowering risk with high yields and returns uncorrelated to the markets.