Financial freedom: 7 steps that will really move you forward
20. October 2026
You know that moment when you look at your account and briefly wonder where the hell all your money has gone?
I don't even mean the big expenses.
The rent is clear. The insurance too. Food anyway.
But then you get 8.99 euros here, 14.50 euros there, quickly order something from Amazon and suddenly 200 euros are gone again.
And you just think to yourself:
“Um… what did I actually buy with it?”
It was precisely moments like these that made me start to take the topic more seriously financial freedom to employ.
Not because I really wanted to become a millionaire.
But because at some point I no longer wanted money to be constantly in the back of my mind.
Can I afford this?
What if a larger bill suddenly arrives?
What if I want to work less at some point?
What if I don't want to depend on having a certain income every month my whole life?
And maybe you know exactly these thoughts.
Maybe you actually don't make much money and still feel like you're not making good financial progress.
Or you've just started dating financial independence busy and you're completely overwhelmed by all the terms.
ETF.
Shares.
Savings rate.
Passive income.
Invest.
Wealth building.
And somewhere in between you sit with your coffee and think:
“Oh my God, I just wanted to know how I could be better off financially.”
The good news is: you don't have to understand everything at once.
And you don't have to have 10,000 euros in your account tomorrow either.
Financial freedom usually doesn't come from one giant step. It comes from lots of small decisions that can eventually have quite big impacts.
That's exactly what today is about.
1. First, figure out what financial freedom means to YOU
This is surprisingly often skipped.
Everyone talks about financial freedom, but hardly anyone asks:
What does this actually mean for me?
For some people, financial freedom means no longer having to work at 40.
For others it means only working four days a week.
And for someone else, it is financial freedom when there is no longer constant fear of the next bill at the end of the month.
Maybe you would like to have your own business someday.
Maybe you want to be able to travel without having to spend three months thinking about whether you can really afford the vacation.
Maybe you just want to have enough reserves so that a broken washing machine doesn't turn into a personal financial crisis.
All of this is completely okay.
That's why I wouldn't start with the question:
“How do I get rich?”
But with:
“What will my life look like when money no longer constantly influences my decisions?”
That's a pretty big difference.
Write down your personal definition
Really take five minutes.
And write down:
How much money do I want to have available each month?
How would I like to live?
Would I like to work less at some point?
Do I want to be self-employed?
How important are travel and leisure time to me?
What financial worries do I want to get rid of?
What would I like to be able to do for myself?
You don't need a perfect plan yet.
You need a goal first.
Because if you don't know where you want to go, you can't decide which steps will get you there.
2. Finally look your money in the face
I know.
Not necessarily the most exciting part.
But one of the most important.
If you have your build financial freedom If you want to, you should know what happens to your money every month.
And really.
Not by chance.
Not “I think I’ll spend about $300 on groceries.”
But actually look.
Open the latest bank statements.
And then be honest.
You may find issues that make you wonder:
“Why am I still paying for this?”
An old subscription.
A membership.
An app you haven't used in months.
Or all these small orders that don't look bad individually.
The problem is often not the 5 euros.
The problem is that we don't notice them.
5 euros here.
12 euros there.
19 euros for something that we spontaneously absolutely needed.
And at the end of the month suddenly 150 or 200 euros are missing.
Do a money check
Sit down and divide your expenses into three groups:
I have to pay
Rent, electricity, insurance, food and other necessary costs.
I would like to pay
Restaurant, shopping, hobbies, streaming, vacation and everything that makes your life more beautiful.
I don't actually need it
And this is where things get interesting.
Because you don't have to delete everything.
Financial freedom doesn't mean that from now on you only eat pasta with tomato sauce and feel guilty about every expense.
Please don't.
The goal is not to spend as little as possible.
The goal is, to spend consciously.
3. Build an emergency fund before you drive yourself crazy
Imagine your car breaks down.
Or the washing machine.
Or some other bill comes around the corner that you really didn't expect.
If you only find 37 euros left in your account, that's pretty unpleasant.
An emergency fund can make a huge difference here.
How much you need depends on your personal situation. It is often recommended to set aside several monthly expenses as reserves.
But you don't have to start today and save several thousand euros at once.
That wouldn't be realistic at all for many people.
Start smaller.
100 euros.
500 euros.
1,000 euros.
And then continue.
Make it as easy as possible
I think automatic transfers are really underestimated here.
For example, if you transfer 100 euros every month to a separate daily money account immediately after you receive your salary, you don't have to think about it every time.
The money is gone from your normal checking account.
And at some point you realize:
"Oh. Something actually came together."
It's exactly small systems like these that make a difference in the long term.
4. Stop just optimizing your spending
Now we come to a point that I think is talked about far too little.
Of course, if you want to achieve financial independence, you can try to reduce your expenses.
But at some point it's over.
You can't negotiate 1,000 euros in rent down to 200 euros.
You can't give up food completely.
And you probably want to have a life too.
That's why you should look at the other side at some point:
How can I increase my income?
And this is where things get exciting.
Because your income is not necessarily fixed forever.
Maybe you can develop professionally.
Maybe there is further training that will open up new opportunities for you.
Maybe you can build something on the side.
Or you have a skill that other people are willing to pay for.
Write.
Design.
Pinterest.
Social media.
Websites.
Texts.
Organization.
Advice.
Digital products.
There are now an incredible number of ways to build additional income.
Of course, not all of it is easy.
And no, you probably won't make $10,000 on a digital product next week.
The internet sometimes tells us the wildest stories. 😂
But you don’t need 10,000 euros either.
If you can earn an additional 200, 300 or 500 euros a month in the long term, that can make a difference to your financial situation.
And maybe it will grow into something more later.
5. Start investing
If you want to grow your money in the long term, you will eventually end up with the topic of investing.
And yes, I know.
The word alone can cause you to open five tabs with explanatory videos and then understand even less than before.
But don't panic.
You don't have to be able to do everything right away.
Learn the basics first.
What is an ETF?
What is an index?
What does diversification mean?
What are costs?
What does risk mean?
How does a savings plan work?
Why do prices fluctuate?
These are the questions you can start with.
For example, an ETF can bundle many different securities and thereby enable broader diversification.
However, this does not mean that ETFs are risk-free. Here too, prices can fall and losses can occur.
That's why the following applies to me:
Don't invest because everyone is doing it.
Only invest once you understand what you are actually investing in and what risk is associated with it.
You don't need to check your portfolio every day either.
If you're investing for the long term, it's of little use to you to check five times a day whether your ETF has risen or fallen by 0.4 percent today.
That just messes up your nervous system. 😂
6. Consider multiple sources of income
Having a single income is completely normal.
But if you want more financial independence in the long term, it may be interesting to build up additional sources of income.
For example:
Your main job
This is probably your most important source of income.
A side income
Maybe through a part-time job or self-employment.
Digital products
E-books, templates, courses or other digital products.
Affiliate marketing
You recommend products or services and receive a commission from certain programs.
Blog
For example, a blog can generate income through advertising, affiliate marketing or its own products.
Investments
Depending on the type of investment, income or price gains can arise here, for example.
The big advantage of having multiple sources of income isn't that you suddenly don't have to work at all.
It's more about not being solely dependent on a single source of income.
And that can feel incredibly good.
Because at some point it becomes:
“I really need to keep this income.”
perhaps:
“I have several options.”
And it is precisely these choices that are an important part of financial freedom for many people.
7. Make your finances boring
Yes.
You read that right.
Boring.
In fact, I believe that boring finances often work better than spectacular ones.
You don’t need a new strategy every month.
You don't always need the next stock.
You don't need to try every TikTok financial trend.
You need a system that you can use even when you don't feel like it.
For example:
Once a month, sit down for 30 minutes.
You are looking:
How much did I earn?
How much did I spend?
How much have I saved?
How much have I invested?
What has changed?
What would I like to do differently next month?
Complete.
Not a three-hour financial seminar.
No Excel spreadsheet with 47 colors.
No “from tomorrow I will never spend money on fun again”.
Just look regularly.
Because this is exactly how you get a much better feel for your finances over time.
Now what about passive income?
Ah yes.
Passive income.
The internet loves this word.
“Make money while you sleep.”
“Build yourself a passive income.”
“5 sources of income that will make you rich.”
Of course it sounds fantastic.
But passive income doesn't automatically mean you don't have to do anything.
A blog needs to be built.
A digital product must be created.
Affiliate marketing needs content and visitors.
Investments first require capital.
A business needs to be built and maintained.
The term “passive” therefore does not necessarily mean “completely without work”.
Often it means that you don't have to sell the same working hours over and over again for every single income.
And that's exactly why I find the topic interesting.
What you can actually do starting today
If the seven steps seem a bit much right now, please don't make the mistake of creating a huge financial to-do list now.
You don't need 27 new habits.
Do these five things:
1. Look at your last 30 days.
Where did your money go?
2. Define your personal goal.
What does financial freedom mean to you?
3. Start an emergency fund.
Even 25 or 50 euros per month is a start.
4. Think about how you can increase your income.
Not at some point. Now think about it.
5. Learn a little more about money every month.
A book.
A serious article.
A course.
A documentation.
No matter.
You don't have to know everything right away.
Financial Freedom FAQ
How long does it take to achieve financial freedom?
This cannot be said in general terms.
It depends, among other things, on your income, your expenses, your savings rate, your assets, your investments and your personal goals.
That's why I wouldn't rely too much on any "financially free in 5 years" promises.
Your path is your path.
Can I build financial freedom with a normal income?
Yes, a high income is not the only requirement.
Of course, higher income can make it easier to build wealth.
But even with a normal income, you can consciously manage your expenses, build up reserves, further develop your income and focus on investing in the long term.
Do I have to save a lot every month?
No.
You should choose your savings rate so that it fits your actual financial situation.
A savings rate that you keep for three months and then give up completely will probably bring you less than an amount that you can save regularly in the long term.
Is financial freedom the same as being rich?
Not necessarily.
You can earn a lot and still have high expenses and little financial security.
Financial freedom therefore also has a lot to do with your running costs, your assets and your sources of income.
How can I earn extra money online?
There are many options.
For example, affiliate marketing, digital products, services, content creation, blogging or Pinterest marketing.
But the same applies here: not every model works for everyone.
It's better to choose an option that suits your skills and your everyday life and do it properly instead of starting ten things at the same time.
My conclusion: You don't have to start off rich
Maybe you're just getting started.
Maybe you don't have a large emergency fund yet.
Maybe you're not earning much right now.
You may even feel like you're not making any financial progress at all.
Then I would like to tell you one thing above all:
You don't have to have a lot of money to start pursuing financial freedom.
You can start with what is there right now.
With your numbers.
With your knowledge.
With your skills.
With 25 euros.
With a single decision.
And then comes the next step.
And then the next one.
This is exactly how financial independence usually doesn't happen overnight, but rather little by little.
You don't need a perfect start.
You don't need a plan for the next 40 years either.
You don't have to know today what your life will look like in ten years.
But you can start understanding your finances better today.
You can stop making your money disappear today.
Today you can think about how you want to increase your income.
And you can take the first small step today.
Maybe that's what ends up being much more important than any huge financial goal.
Because nobody believes me:
Financial freedom doesn't start with a million in your account. It begins the moment you stop leaving your money to chance. 💰
