LIFE

Want to get rich? Listen up. April is Financial Literacy Month and we're teaming up with Biz Kid$, the authors of How To Turn $100 Into $1,000,000 to share with you all the financial tips and tricks you need to get financially fit in just thirty days. Ready to rake in the cash? Let's go!

Who wants to be a millionaire?

Ever wonder what it would be like to have a million dollars? That's a one with six zeros behind it. Eight if you count the pennies. $1,000,000.00. Go ahead... Dream a little. We'll wait. Ready?

While it's fun to fantasize about what you would do with one million greenbacks, in reality everyone needs to have a chunk of change set aside for their future. And Grandma's advice to "save your pennies for a rainy day" just ain't gonna cut it. You'll need to do more than that if you want to get to $1 million. It's going to take hard work, focus and discipline. Why bother?

Well, freedom: Money buys freedom. Period. If you have money, you have choices. Don't like your job? Where you live? Having money means you have the freedom to make a different choice.

A safety net: Life will throw unexpected curveballs at you, like a medical expense or car problems, and you'll need money to protect you from falling into debt.

Helping others: You, your family and your community can all benefit from you having money. Many millionaires use their money to help others in need, and you can too.

You might be thinking, "How am I going to get $1,000,000?" Relax. It's not as scary as it seems.

When it comes to money your past does not predict your future. No matter what your lot in life, no matter where you live or how you live—single parent, no parents, foster child, rich, poor, urban, rural—there of plenty of examples of kids who have come from nothing to become something big. And today it's easier to get to $1 million than any other time in history.

Anyone can do this, and we're going to help you, starting now. Just follow a few simple strategies that we'll share with you over the next month, and at the end of April you'll feel like a million bucks already.

TRY THIS:

What are some of your reasons to become a millionaire? Write them down, put them in your locker, stick them to the mirror, tape them to the ceiling, make them the background on your phone... Whatever works for you! Keep your reasons where you can see them and inspiration will flow in on the daily.

Follow our Financial Literacy Month series to get financially fit in just 30 days.

James McKenna and Jeannine Glista  are the co-creators of Biz Kid$, a national financial education initiative based on the award-winning public TV series. They also are the authors of the seriously smart new book How to Turn $100 into $1,000,000 (out this month from Workman Publishing, $13), which outlines in detail every step you need to take to make your million. 

by GL | 4/1/2016