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The belief of not being able to afford things can have a very restrictive power. It can prevent you from accomplishing more and experiencing things you want to do. Instead, you’re left thinking to yourself, “I wonder what it would be like if . . .” or “I wish I could.”

If you want to accomplish more, achieve a goal, or even purchase something that is currently out of your price range, then do it.

Instead of giving up without trying, change that thought process. Get rid of the “I wish” and “I can’t,” and replace it with “How . . .”

• How can I afford to do X
• How can I make $X
• How do I accomplish X

It’s amazing what you can achieve and how creative you can get when you put your mind to something.

I was recently reminded of this because my sister and I were discussing how I am planning a trip to climb Mount Kilimanjaro and go on an African safari next year. She got choked up because this has always been her dream. That’s when she started to say those limiting things. “You’re so lucky you get to do that. It’s always been my dream and wish I could go.”

It really left my puzzled and simply replied, “You should come with me.” She followed with the, “I can’t. I wouldn’t be able to afford it.” That’s where the discussion ended.

To me, that just doesn’t make much sense. I haven’t set the money aside to pay for the trip, but that’s because I have yet to take the steps to create my budget.

In fact, I rarely pay for anything. Anytime I have an upcoming expense or I want something that will cost something, I simply find a way to make other people finance it for me. I might have the money, but why use it when I don’t have to.

I’m guessing this trip will cost upwards of $5,000. As soon as I was invited on this trip I said “yes” without hesitation - without looking at my bank account to see if I can afford it or thinking what it could cost. I immediately knew it was something I wanted to do, and therefore I will simply create the money. That’s why it is called making money.

Sometime within the next year, I’ll find a way to provide something of value, and I’ll have my entire trip paid for from the people that wanted what I had to offer. That way I don’t have to use any of my own money.

For example, when I was in college I wanted a new laptop. Business were just starting to catch on to the internet thing, but had incredibly slow computers that were infected by viruses and spyware.

So, I went door to door and asked the small business owners about their computer problems and offered to try to fix their computers. I did a couple things to clean up their computers, and they saw instant results.
Then I told them how with their high-speed connection and the amount of data that is being transferred on their machines, the problem will just come back over time. That’s when I introduced them to the disk I had in my backpack, which contained a document I created on how to do exactly what I just did. The disk also included a trial of a virus protection software program, which I had the rights to distribute for free.

I offered to sell the disk for $50 for each computer they owned, and promised to visit anytime they needed help. Looking back, I probably should have found a way to earn money when they upgraded the trial on the antivirus program as well.

At any rate, it didn’t take long for me to earn enough money to buy my laptop, with plenty of left over to enjoy the typical college lifestyle. All financed by Dean’s Sandwich Shop and the local travel agency.

This is how I tackle most of my incidental expenses in my life. If there’s an upcoming expense, I find a way for someone else to pay for it. That allows me to use my money for much better things, like investing.

Millionaire Money Habit: It’s amazing how creative and resourceful you can become when you think “how can I pay for this” rather than “can I pay for this.” Get rid of the limiting belief system, and this simple change in perception can create an entirely new outlook in life.