Anyone can become financially successful! It takes a little learning, a little planning, a little commitment, a little time, and most of all a little self-belief and the right mindset–but financial success is absolutely possible for anyone! (We promise it isn’t just for those who were “born into money,” highly-educated and highly-paid, or those who successfully tracked a leprechaun to its “pot of gold”… 🙂
No matter your age, stage, or current financial situation, it is possible for YOU! And once you experience some initial successes, they begin to fuel themselves!
This month in our ARISE membership, we will revisit our thinking, discussions, planning processes, and action-taking to improve our financial lives. Join us for our ARISE activities this month and let’s work together to help everyone move forward financially!
To introduce this topic a little bit more, Eric and I recorded this podcast about building a strong financial foundation. Enjoy!
Many people have been talking about the FI/RE Movement lately. This stands for “Financial Independence (Retire Early).”
Our personal goal is to move toward (and achieve) Financial Independence, peace of mind, the ability to live well, and opportunities to give back.
Eric heard this quote recently and wanted to share it in connection to our topic today:
“You know what the #1 mistake Americans make with their money…they don’t freakin’ pay attention! Do you know why the rich get richer and the poor get poorer..? Cause the rich people keep doing rich people stuff. You know what rich people stuff is? They pay freakin’ attention… They learn about investments, they invest, they do a budget, they agree on spending with their spouse. And it keeps working and they keep doing it over and over and over and over again…” –Dave Ramsey, March 2025
Eric and I recognize that there are so many unique, individual circumstances that play a part in our finances. We both came from humble circumstances and were taught by hard-working parents. We didn’t have everything handed to us, but we tried to deepen our knowledge of finances and make wise decisions together. In the early years of our marriage and while raising our young family, we had times of financial uncertainty and worry.
However, there are a few principles that we’ve chosen to live by that ultimately shaped our family’s financial foundation and created more peace, flexibility, and financial security. Here are 4 of these principles:
Principles for Financial Stability, Growth, and Independence*
Principle #1: Establish at least one way to give charitably now–even just one cause in a small way as you begin. Increase this as you prosper.
When we develop a habit of giving charitably in our most humble circumstances, it becomes much easier to continue giving when we begin earning more money and have more resources available to us.
Principle #2: Build an emergency fund ($1,000 at first, then eventually growing it to 3-6 months of life-sustaining expenses).
Principle #3: Start by saving/investing 5% of your income (then moving to 10-20%+ as quickly as you can). ALWAYS be looking for solid ways to increase your earning power and income. ALWAYS be looking for and asking for ways to reduce your expenses.
Over the last 25 years, Eric and I have had almost a dozen projects and/or business ideas that didn’t quite take off. Some endeavors were successful for a little while but didn’t fit long-term with the needs and circumstances of our family. For example, I had a little home business when Alia was a baby, but it wasn’t something I could continue doing through future pregnancies. We’ve gone through the process of trial and error to figure out how we could bring in additional income for our family, and these efforts gave us increased confidence, business skills, and goals for the future. We’ve definitely been stretched outside of our comfort zones throughout the process!
Principle #4: Pay your credit card balance in full every month. DON’T buy anything unless you can pay for it in cash. Strive to never borrow money in any way.
An education or mortgage of reasonable cost may be necessary, but make money-borrowing decisions wisely and thoughtfully.
*These principles ARE NOT financial advice/counsel/direction–they ARE simply principles that April and Eric Perry have tried to live in their lives.
These four principles have made a world of a difference for us and our family, and we hope they can be helpful to you, as well! (You can also find a list of our favorite books/resources below in the “Related Links” section.)
For the next 6 principles (in our set of 10) and a workshop opportunity with Eric, April, Team LearnDoBecome and a community of likeminded friends, join us in ARISE!
Related Links:
Don’t Buy Stuff (You Can’t Afford) – 2-min SNL sketch from 2006 with Steve Martin, Amy Poehler, and Chris Parnell (as the wise advisor against debt…)
Books for Getting Started:
- The Simple Path to Wealth (JL Collins)
- The Total Money Makeover (Dave Ramsey)
- Start Late, Finish Rich (David Bach)
- The Millionaire Next Door (Stanley/Danko)
Books to Read Later On:
- The Little Book of Common Sense Investing (Jack Bogle – Vanguard)
- The Warren Buffett Way (Robert Hagstrom)
Get the brand-new LearnDoBecome Welcome Kit here!
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Our Steps to Everyday Productivity program!
The ARISE Membership– an amazing gathering place for community members that are using their Command Centrals to refine relationships, health, finances, individual purpose, and more. We focus on a new topic each month, and this is an amazing opportunity to receive coaching and support from Team LearnDoBecome. You can sign up for a free, 60-day trial here. 
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