Life isn’t fair…but if it was, we’d all have enough money to live comfortably.
But the world is populated by the haves and the have-nots.
But maybe that’ll change soon if enough people read this article and take some of this advice…
Folks on AskReddit talked about what they think is the easiest way to win a million bucks.
1. On the right path.
“Get passionate about a well paying job, study it and become good at it (examples: programming or sales)
Save as much as you can, live below your means
Invest your money in index funds, learn how to be efficient with taxes (examples: tfsa and rrsp in Canada)
Always be learning, read books about investing, and your job.
I started my journey 8 years ago with $0. I hit a networth of $400k this month. I expect to be a millionaire in 7 years.”
2. Time to buy.
“Honestly, one of the easiest ways is knowing how to invest in a market crash.
A good amount of people absolutely became millionaires last year with stocks. It does take a little bit of luck as well but it’s doable.
While others panic sell, you discount buy but only at your own risk.”
3. It just might work.
“(1) Live in country that has good paying jobs (2) Join military to get access to college funds and home loans (3) Get college degree (4) Find good job with good retirement plan and decent pay (5) Put away at least 20-30 percent of pay to savings and retirement
(6) Don’t try to keep up with Joneses (7) Marry spouse that followed 1-6 (8) Ensure one person in household is tight with money, while other is liberal – this creates good balance (9) Work butt off to get good raises (10) Give back to community – living below means doesn’t have to be unfulfilling.
Giving to others can be as rewarding as an expensive car, but it builds goodwill and equity you can tap into (11) Pray to God you don’t get sick or lose job.”
4. And there’s this.
“My conclusion after watching many get rich seminars is that the secret is to write a get rich seminar and charge people to view it.
Otherwise, if you got mildly lucky and already had a decent full time job, I’d say probably real estate if you can pull a return on your first home and just keep reinvesting the money into the business.”
5. Takes a while.
“I’ve seen over and over that buying real estate and holding it for many years is the surest track. I’ve also had this confirmed by multiple bankers.
The two problems with that plan are that it is going to create some work and that it takes years.”
6. Here’s the deal.
“Go get a degree in computer science. Work your a** off to get top marks.
Typical starting salaries at the biggest teach companies are hitting around $150k/year for new grads. It only goes up from there. By 5 years in, $300k/year total comp is entirely attainable.
Then live frugally, way below your means. Many of these companies are currently moving to entirely remote jobs, so you can live anywhere. Live somewhere cheap. Don’t pick up any expensive habits, like drugs. Marry someone even more frugal than you.
4 year degree. 8 years working. Yeah you could have a million dollars in your bank account in under 12 years.”
7. If you say so!
“The easiest way to become a millionaire is to become an expert (relatively quickly) in emerging tech fields such as AI and blockchain.”
8. Straight from the source.
“Pick up any construction trade with high demand – roofing, carpentry, excavating, concrete, plumbing.
Go work there at entry level position for 6 months, work your way up in 2 years to crew leader. You will make at least 100K as a good foreman. Than open you own company.
Start with small weekend orders, do a good job, don’t charge too much, be on time and always pick up a phone and work 50 hours a week. In 2-3 years you will make 200-300K per year.
So 5 years +- you will have your 1 million dollars and good business. Source: I did it myself.”
9. Maximize your chances.
“What you’re really asking is what’s the easiest, sure fire way to have a million dollars.
The easiest, sure fire way to have a million dollars is to pursue a traditional formal education, to work hard, to associate with people smarter and harder working than yourself, to spend as little money as possible, to hone your social skills, to learn from your setbacks and keep your mission on your mind, to stay grounded when it comes to lust or love, to focus on avoiding unhealthy habits, and to discipline yourself to have a healthy daily routine.
These things are way, way, way easier for people born smart, into the majority cultural/ethnic background in the most dominant and most stable countries, to emotionally kind, stable and wealthy, two parent households with supportive extended families.
But regardless of your initial situation, they’re the easiest, sure fire way to have a million dollars. You might still fail, but at least all of that stuff maximizes your chances.”
What do YOU think is the easiest way to make a million bucks?
10. 401K.
“In the USA we have a thing called a 401k plan (I’m sure other countries probably have something similar).
It’s a retirement plan offered through your employer where a percentage of every paycheck is withdrawn (pre-tax) and set aside. Many employers match a percentage of contributions, which is free money.
Once you’re enrolled in the plan, you have to decide how your money will be invested. There’s a lot of options and there’s no one right answer, so you may want to talk to a financial adviser if you’re not sure what to do. But it shouldn’t be too hard to get at least a 10% rate of return.
When you inevitably leave your employer for greener pastures, you won’t be allowed to contribute to that account anymore. The money is still there and growing, but if you want to contribute to a 401k then you’ll have to enroll in your new employer’s plan.
What you can do however is roll over an old 401k into an IRA. You can contribute up to $6000 per year to your IRA and the contributions are tax deductible.
Assuming you work for 40 years and get a decent rate of return on your investments, you should have at least $1 million saved by the time you retire. And you’ll have done it automatically with every paycheck. That’s what I call easy.”
11. Is this true?
“Get a job at the US mint.
By retirement you will have manufactured millions of dollars.
You will get to keep a tiny percentage.”
12. Pro tips.
“If you pick a growing, digital industry, then you can become an expert relatively quickly then build a business around it.
Digital businesses are great because they can scale so much easier than physical product businesses, e.g. an app can be distributed to a million people in an afternoon whereas a gadget needs a sales and distribution network, plus you need to find the cash to manufacture it before you sell it. AI and blockchain are examples of growing digital sectors.
Most big digital businesses have a mergers and acquisitions department that are on the lookout for businesses they could acquire to expand their offering and generate more revenue. The price they pay for a business varies, but four times revenue (not profit) is about right.
If you’re able to consistently show $250K per year in revenue, or even the promise of decent revenue, then it’s not too hard to get to a $1M valuation.
Also, compound interest.”
13. Where did you read this?
“Once I read somewhere, “You gotta find a way, doesn’t matter what, to get 5$ from people. Once you accomplish that and you hit a milestone of 1.000 hire a guy to do the exact same thing but give him 5$ per hour and keep it going.”
14. Sounds legit.
“Apparently there was a Nigerian Prince who recently d**d in my family and I have inherited $6.7M from them.
Some person told me this on email.”
15. For retirement.
“Make sure you contribute enough to your 401k to at least get the employer match!
A Roth IRA is also an amazing retirement vehicle.”
16. Hmmmm…
“Apparently David Koch used to tell this story (I am paraphrasing): “The way I became rich: When I was only 12 years old my dad gave me an apple, but instead of eating the apple, I sold the apple to a classmate for a quarter and with the money I bought two apples.
Then I sold the two apples. I kept going like this until I was 18 years old and inherited a hundred million dollars.””
17. Gotta keep it.
“Most people will make a million dollars with little problem.
If you work for 30 years, that’s only about $33,000 a year.
The trick is keeping it…”
18. Well, there’s that…
“I made my money the old fashioned way….
I got run over by a Lexus.”
19. Wow.
“Ask a million people for 1 dollar.
There is indeed someone who did that, in 2005. He made a website arranged in a 1000 x 1000 pixel layout. He then sold the pixels at $1 each, and in 10 x 10 blocks.
Advertisers could buy these blocks, provide an image link, and then provide a small slogan to show up when a user hovered over their image.
And he made $1,037,000 and change.”
20. Why not?
“Write a book entitled “How to make million dollars” and sell it for a million dollar.
People buy blank canvases for millions, why not this?”
21. Probably true.
“The average citizen is convinced self-help books will fix all of their problems.
Write “How to Become a Millionaire” and you’ll become one.
Following the steps will not.”
22. The most reliable way.
“Honestly, the quickest and more reliable way to do it for a normal person would be to throw every single penny you can into index funds, S&P500, Roth IRAS, and your employer matched 401k if you’re lucky enough to have one.
While even that’s a gamble, it’s the quickest and most reliable way to do it.
Also networking is the way to go if want to earn it faster. You have to be surrounded by people who have done it and/or can provide you with opportunities to capitalize on.
I have friends who shmooze with the right people and make s**t happen. It’s weird the personality you need for that. It’s a mix of always being on, having the right amount of agression, and a firm understanding that those people aren’t really your friends, but you have to act like they are for as long as you plan to be well connected.
The super successful people I know don’t only have a few friends. They have tons of “friends” that require constant tending to in superficial ways. Sort of like tending to a garden.
That makes them sound sort of slimy, and many are, but many aren’t. They just know the game.
I’ve never fully tried this, but I’ve never had great luck forming relationships with wealthy and well connected people for networking purposes. It’s like I give off a pheromone where they know I shop for clothes at Marshalls and use coupons.”
23. This is very specific.
“You break into Tiffany’s at midnight. Do you go for the vault? No, you go for the chandelier. It’s priceless.
As youre taking it down, a woman catches you. She tells you to stop. It’s her father’s business. She’s Tiffany. You say no. You make love all night. In the morning, the cops come and you escape in one of their uniforms. You tell her to meet you in Mexico, but you go to Canada. You don’t trust her.
Besides, you like the cold. Thirty years later, you get a postcard. You have a son and he’s the chief of police. This is where the story gets interesting. You tell Tiffany to meet you in Paris by the Trocadero.
She’s been waiting for you all these years. She’s never taken another lover. You don’t care. You don’t show up. You go to Berlin. That’s where you stashed the chandelier.”
24. Could work.
“The “easiest” way to make 1 million is to deposit 5k into an sp500 index fund and contribute 5k a year for the next 30 years assuming historical interest rate.
This is why literally any retirement plan, no matter how little you plan to contribute will be life changing once you retire. This is why compound interest is the most powerful force in the world.
This is not financial advice. Principal, interest rates, and results may vary. Investing always come with inherent risk, do your own research before investing.”
Now we want to hear from you.
In the comments, tell us what you think is the easiest way to make a million bucks.
Please and thank you!
