What Should You Do If You're Not Making Enough Money?

If you sometimes feel as if you are not making enough money, or if ends are not being met because of high credit card bills, utilities, rent, and so forth, it may be time to address this concern. Many on-air financial gurus will simply say, "Ask for a raise!" as if that is a legitimate solution to your problems. Sure, asking for a raise or promotion may work, but in this economy it is just as likely that your boss will tell you no employees are getting raises until things improve.

Instead of hoping to win the lottery or get a massive raise, you should take matters into your own hands. I have found that so-called "passive income" such as investment profits, web site advertising revenues, and rental property fees are the best way to boost your monthly or yearly take-home income.

The key is to have money coming to you from as many sources as possible. If you own an apartment, for example, you can rent this out to a tenant-now you have a check coming in every month.

If you are a good writer, you can establish your own blog and receive a check each month for the advertising revenue you bring in. You will receive, over time, a lot of "passive traffic" from people searching for relevant topics on Google and other search engines. If you lack the tech savvy or will to create an attractive looking blog, you can also publish some of your best content on AssociatedContent.com-this web site. They will pay you based on how many people read your work over time.

Finally, old-fashioned investments are another great way to boost your income. Invest in a pharmaceutical or large conglomerate company that pays a nice dividend-this is essentially "guaranteed" money. Reinvest the money you receive as a dividend; use it to buy more dividend-paying stocks. Over time, you can easily make a few thousand per month doing this alone.

Building your passive income does not mean you should quit your job. At least for the next six months or so, your "real job" will give you a source of income which you can draw on to finance some of your passive income projects.

Over time, however, your passive income will grow. I love getting "money for nothing" as the saying goes-it is also helpful to receive a set amount each month when you get sick or when a family emergency crops up. I can leave work until I am better and still get enough to live on.

So, in summary: keep the job, don't count on a raise (although certainly ask!), and become aggressive in your pursuit of new passive income sources. It will pay off.