Raising your net worth may seem like a tall order. You might assume you’d need to win the Mega Millions or suddenly discover a long-lost great-aunt who left you a massive sum in her will. The reality is far less dramatic — and far more achievable. While it may not be “quit your job tomorrow and move into a mansion” luck, rest assured there are practical, repeatable ways to build your net worth.
With a few easy, everyday habits, you can make saving more money and growing your wealth part of your routine — instead of waiting for a windfall or that next big career milestone. These are the same habits financially disciplined households use to outpace the average saver when it comes to building wealth.
1. Automate Whenever You Can
“Out of sight, out of mind” can be a principle when it comes to saving. That’s why people focused on improving their net worth often set up automatic transfers to savings and investment accounts, moving money before they have a chance to spend it.
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This approach steadily builds wealth-building accounts by reducing the temptation to overspend. It also reinforces the idea that savings is a nonnegotiable part of your financial life — not something you do only if there is money left over at the end of the month. Removing decision-making from the process via automation means you never miss your monthly savings contribution, your money compounds sooner, and you build wealth faster.
2. Living Below Your Means
Whenever you get a bump in pay — from a well-earned raise, a tax refund or a cost-of-living increase — it’s tempting to upgrade your lifestyle right along with it. If you can resist that temptation, you can create a healthy gap between what you earn and what you spend. That gap is where real progress happens, giving you more room to save and invest.
Living below your means doesn’t mean living like a miser. Instead, it’s about being intentional with spending on things that add genuine value to your life. For example, investing in a quality coffee maker to use every morning will likely bring more long-term satisfaction — and savings — than going through the drive-through every day, even if you can technically afford it.
3. Track Your Numbers
You can’t improve what you don’t measure, which is precisely why you should track your core financial metrics — net worth, savings rate, investment rates and spending — regularly.
Once a month, sit down with your financial statements and a strong cup of coffee and review everything with a fine-tooth comb. Look out for errors, creeping subscriptions or spending habits you want to adjust. Catching these issues early can keep them from snowballing.
4. Investing in Your Earning Power
While few people leap to the top of the corporate ladder overnight, you can begin the slow and steady process of building the skills needed to excel at work and increase your earning power.
Whether through books, podcasts, professional certifications or online courses, you can actively build skills that help you excel in your current role or launch a successful side hustle.
Another key part of investing in your earning power is learning to negotiate raises, change jobs strategically or develop income streams beyond your primary job. Gaining this knowledge doesn’t have to be formal — in fact, you can do it while scrolling social media. Following credible creators who focus on career development or entrepreneurship can help you add extra value to your day — literally.
5. Teach Financial Literacy to Your Children
Ensuring their families possess generational wealth is important to people with high net worth. Teaching children how to manage money responsibly is one of the best ways to protect and grow wealth across generations.
The best way for teens to learn financial responsibility is through hands-on experience. Many families rely on youth-friendly money tools to facilitate that learning. For example, apps like Cash App offer supervised teen accounts through features such as Cash App Families, which allows parents or guardians to monitor activity while teens learn to use debit cards, save and even invest, all in a controlled, monitored environment.
Setting shared savings goals and tracking progress together can open the door to meaningful conversations about building a strong financial future. Teaching teens positive money habits early on helps reduce the risk of costly mistakes in the future, while laying a foundation for building wealth of their own.
6. Invest in Appreciating Assets
Who doesn’t love shiny new cars and luxury goods? Unfortunately, as depreciating assets — meaning their value declines over time — they don’t really love you back. If you’re looking to build your net worth, you should channel your money toward assets that historically appreciate or generate income.
These may include diversified investment portfolios, real estate (including real estate investment trusts, or REITs), or even personal side businesses and skill sets that increase your earning potential.
7. Optimize Your ‘Big Three’ Expenses
Most people spend the most on housing, transportation and food — also known as “the big three” of a budget. Regularly looking for ways to reduce costs associated with these categories — such as lowering utility bills, sticking with reliable used cars and coupon-clipping at cost-efficient grocery stores like Aldi — can free up cash that can be redirected toward saving and investing.
Because these expenses recur every month, even modest reductions can have a real impact on how fast your able to build your net worth over time.
The Bottom Line
Raising your net worth doesn’t require a lucky break or sudden windfall. By sticking to everyday money habits, like spending intentionally, saving consistently and investing wisely, you can steadily build wealth and create a stronger financial foundation for yourself and future generations.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 7 Everyday Habits People Use To Raise Their Net Worth Faster Than Average
