I've always been a very money minded person. When i was a kid, perhaps 4 or 5 years old, i remember raiding the coin jar (where my parents used to dump their lose change). I never took very much, just enough to buy ice cream. In kindergarden, i was the school bully; i used to make some of the other kids pay me 10 sen as "protection money", or to "take care of business" for them. When i was in primary school, i bought kuih from the canteen and resold them to teachers in the staff room for a profit. In secondary school, the other kids would pay me to help them with their homework.
Throughout my adult life, i've been sniffing for ways to make money. I've got my job, but i've never found that to be enough. So i've kept my ear close to the ground for any opportunity that i could take. Through the grace of God, and perhaps some good fortune and persistence, money hasn't been too hard to come by. Probably that's why when people tell me that they don't have enough money, or when they complain about how low-paying their jobs are, or if they tell me that they can't find jobs, i find it really hard to understand. I ask them in return whether they've really looked hard enough.
I've found that its not the "mega" job that will make you financially comfortable. Its rather the ability to build and maintain multiple revenue streams that will. One job with a large salary will probably make you a lot less money than many jobs with smaller payouts. That's what i've been trying to develop over the years: as many sources as possible giving me money. I'm not greedy. I don't ask for much from each. I offer whatever services i can at very low prices. I deliver as expected and take what was agreed. I keep people happy by never increasing the price for my service even though inflation over years increases my personal costs. When that happens, then i just find more jobs to cover.
A couple hundred here, a couple hundred there, maybe a thousand here and there. Keep the streams coming in. Its not important whether they are large of not, just as long as you have many of them. And don't be picky - money is money (as long as its halal). Even if it seems like you're asked to do a lot for little, its still money. Take it and add it to your existing streams.
For example, take weekend jobs tutoring kids at home. That'll make you a couple hundred a month. Sure, it means no social life but that's what you have to give up in exchange. Do odd jobs for people you meet from work. Perhaps open a side business where you take the skills you earn from your "day job" to perform freelance services. Meet as many people as you can and befriend them. You'll be surprised how many of them will end up giving you money. Find out how you can help them, then help them for a fee. Be the middle man - match people with others who can do the job and take a percentage. Save as much money as you can in the bank, ASB if possible, in a FD at the very least. The profit you make each year from such savings is another income stream.
Money is abundant out there. Jobs are easy to find. Be positive and less fussy. You'll soon find the money rolling in.
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