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One sneakily simple way to make more money

There are a lot of things we want more of in life.

We want more love, more time, more sleep, more adventures, and yes, we often want more money.

And one of the best ways to have more money is often not only the simplest and most obvious, it’s also the most frequently overlooked.

The people who need this strategy the most, those in the craziest of financial quagmires, often skip this simple step because they think it sounds way too rudimentary. I mean, seriously, making more money has to be hard and complicated, right? WRONG.

Here’s the secret sauce when it comes to having more of anything:

What we put our attention on grows. (Click to Tweet.)

Whether you’re waiting for your perennial bed to blossom or desiring more digits in your bank account, the same principle applies.

Kids require attention in order to grow up relatively well-adjusted and functional, right? They need feeding and cuddling and housing. And more than that, they need love.

Call me gauche, but I believe the same is true with money.

So let’s say you want to make an extra $1,000 per month. Perhaps you’ve already thought of some strategies to put those extra bucks in your handbag.

You could:

  • raise your rates
  • ask for a raise
  • launch a new product/service
  • switch jobs to something higher paying

These are all awesome ideas and they may very well yield fabulous results for you. But if you dive in with these strategies alone, your increased income might slip right through your well-manicured fingers.

Here’s what I see a lot: People who want to make more money but don’t lovingly steward the money they already have.

(I know because I used to be one of these people. There’s no finger-wagging here, trust me.)

This condition, which we shall call Financial Negligence, can show up in the following ways:

  • holding on to checks for weeks without depositing them
  • not submitting expense reports for reimbursement in a timely manner
  • not invoicing clients for work you’ve already done until weeks or months after you did the work
  • never really knowing how much money you make (in a given week, month, or year)
  • not checking your bank account balance on a regular basis, so you generally have no idea how much you have
  • ignoring credit card, bank, investment, or other statements having to do with money

So what’s the antidote to this insidious, incredibly abundance-squelching disease?

Paying loving attention to the money we already have is the first step to making more of it.

The Universe, God, Goddess, Yahweh, Life, the Divine (fill in your word for that which is bigger than us) won’t provide you with more until you show that you’re already doing great with what you’ve got. Create a strong, loving container and then, whaddya know? Suddenly there’s a lot more where that came from.

Guess what? The first step is NOT, in fact, any of the following: going out there and hustling more, working more hours, pouring all of your creative fuel into a new business, or proving to your boss or your clients that you deserve a raise. What a relief!

The first step is simply paying attention to what you already have in a loving way.

Remember, if you want more, you’ve got to give TLC to what you’ve got.

Here are a few simple ideas for loving up your money:

  1. Check your bank account balance every morning and give some gratitude for what you’ve got.
  2. Line up all the bills in your wallet in numerical order, with the Presidents all facing the same direction (ideally toward you when you pull out a bill).
  3. Track your income in a notebook, a spreadsheet, with Quicken or Mint.com, or in some other way that feels good to you.
Money Love Course Kate NorthrupAnd, if you’re ready to make, grow, give, and receive more value by putting your attention on your money in an organized way with a supportive community, you can join The Money Love Course. Registration is open until Monday, March 25th at 12pm EST. When you register you’ll get immediate access to The Cash Clarity Checklist, which will help you start getting your financial duckies in a row right away! Click here to learn more.

Now, your turn: Write your ideas for paying loving attention to your money in the comments below. I would love to hear what you come up with!

47 comments

  • i love the idea of paying attention to what i have. i tend to focus (and try to reign in) what i spend and don’t really pay attention to what i have. i will start checking my online banking every morning. i will. i will

  • Kate, this was wonderful. My first thought was: I am gonna add an ‘I love money’ bracelet to my word art bracelet line. It feels uncomfortable, almost like wearing a bracelet saying: I love sex. But I think it is going to be a wonderful tool to help me and many with me to melt down the taboos we have around money.

  • Carolyn Broughton

    I appreciated the video of your Wanderlust/ Speakeasy talk. I watched it yesterday here:
    http://stratton.wanderlustfestival.com/connect/blog/kate-northrup-hay-house-speakeasy

    That combined with this post…well, it’s the one-two punch I’ve needed. Money is such a loaded subject. Thank you for talking about it in such a straightforward, accessible way. It’s an area that’s cloaked in shame for so many of us. Thank you for bringing it out of the closet! Thank you for shining your Light on the subject!

  • Thanks Kate:) Loved this! “Lovingly steward the money you already have…” Such a great reminder. Might use this as a mantra the next time I’m at Target (agggh!). Haha!

  • Jamie

    This is just awesome Kate. I’ve never thought about doing this, but you bet your ass I will now. I’m going to rearrange my wallet right now, and go look at my balance and show it the gratitude it deserves. I can absolutely see now of ignoring my money has helped to create a lack of it. Genius.

  • Liz Franchot

    This is hilarious, because guess what?! I left my wallet at my parents house! Talk about not paying loving attention to the money that I do have haha. So until I get my wallet back (tomorrow) I’ve been pulling out bills from a purple Crown Royal bag. Thank you Kate for bringing this to my attention. I will praise the money, though small, in my account and be grateful. I do believe through gratitude we receive more.

  • I very much believe in the Dolly Levi theory that spreading a little money here and little money there is like gardening, encouraging young things to grow. I wish I had enough to do just that. I LOVE philanthropy.

  • Laura Inman

    I really appreciated this post and it was quite timely. I needed a little guidance and nudge to get things moving in the right direction financially. Things are rolling but I feel the desire to become more organized in my appreciation of what I have and my desire for what I want. I think I will eat this elephant one bite at a time and start with checking my bank balance each day and giving appreciation for what is there. I’ll do this for 5 days and then I’ll clean up my mint.com account and begin tracking my income and expenses. Thanks for the inspiration Kate!

    • Kate

      Yes – easy does it. Rome was not built in a day so be sure to solidify one new money practice before adding another!

  • Ana Goncalves

    Hello Kate,
    Love your website and kudos to you for sharing.
    I attended T. Harv Eker’s Millionaire Mind Intensive this weekend and I learnt a lot, especially in regards to managing my money.
    Like you I did not know where the money went and I was already setting into place 2 accounts which let me deal with necessities and long term savings. I needed further help though in order to manage my finances the best way possible. I have an effective money management system thanks to T. Harv Eker’s Millionaire Mind Intensive Program in which I feel very blessed and grateful for and I am much more in line with the universe and all is flowing and I am open to receive and to give.
    Thank you!
    Love to you

  • Doreen

    How about the theory if you only have a little cash, give it away and you’ll receive more – yesterday offered to buy my sister and friend their breakfast (only had a ten spot on me) and the cheerful gal behind the counter gave us our quiches free (as the menu had switched over to lunch). That’s a first!

  • This is so true, Kate. I used to ignore my money (or the lack thereof) like the plague. Now I pay attention and dole out the TLC. My favorite way of doing that? Writing “Thank you, Universe” on every bill I pay.

  • Melissa

    I know many people often do not pick up a coin when they see it on the ground, imagine that : )
    I feel that leaving a coin laying on the ground is a disrespect, of sorts, for money. No matter how small the amount it was a gift placed in your path!

  • Hannah

    HI Kate,

    Great blog, and these are all things that I 1. do already! or 2. do not pertain to me at this moment but are great notes for the future.

    I am in a situation that I have yet to see answers for. I love your site, I read Marie Forleo’s site, your mom’s (loved her article on transitioning and the root chakra), I receive the DailyWorth.com, and take advantage of all the money management tools on my bank’s site, Wells Fargo. This has been my 2013 plan and I am really getting clear on my psychology around money as well as the nuts and bolts of addition and subtraction.

    My question relates to the cost of healthcare and how it fits into a monthly, quarterly, and even annual budget. I am nearing year ten of a Traumatic Brain Injury/PTSD and doing fantastic! HOWEVER, what put me underwater was the healthcare costs, and of course having a funky brain provided me with decision making that different but as my brain continues to improve, particularly the breakthroughs in the last six months, and upwards of the last 2 1/2 years, I continue to see this issue.

    How to do the things that keep my health functioning like a well-oiled machine and how to pay for them? How to do the health-related things, the investment and costs of health modalities that allow one to work/live at an optimal level?

    I have found that the solutions to heal my brain and heal myself have been outside of the medical mainstream, which also means they are outside health insurance coverage, which is an entirely different topic has in health does not equal insurance (often).

    I waited until year 7 to go on Social Security Disability, was approved within 90 days, and began getting a monthly deposit within six moths and that $1300 felt like it fell from heaven. Then! A year later, I moved into my own apartment with a disability housing voucher so my rent is $58 per month. How cool is that?! I love paying my bills as I was destitute and homeless for a long time, and love paying utilities, internet, and so on. But then, the overwhelming relationship between priority, time, and cost gave way (and I am told by my therapist that this is a result of the brain injury) and debts are what they are.

    As I continue to come on-line literally and in also that my brain is improving, I see how to budget, I am slowly navigating through my debts, in the process of being released from my student loans debt due to a disability discharge. Again, didn’t know that existed as it wasn’t made transparent until the Obama Administration required it to be so.

    Okay, I am all over the place in the post but here is the rub: for ten years, I inherently KNEW what would make me better (cranialsacral therapy, different forms of therapeutic massage, myofascial release, Alexander Technique, acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, Theta Healing, Spectro-chromo light therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, and on and on – yes, even the Argentine Tango as it promotes the most integration between the right and left hemispheres of the brain). Often, the money would show up in unexplained ways to meet whatever modality I was using at the time but now I would like a little more help in the focus and planning arena – the faith and appearance of gifts has been wondrous, but as I come into my own power, I would like to get ordered on my bank account related to cost of healing modalities per month.

    Many of my practitioners work with me on a sliding scale of what works within my budget (ie $165 treatments for light therapy cost $30 for me), 2 for the price of 1 acupuncture treatments and so on. But, I still greatly run into my food budget halfway through the month and still do not quite know what to do.

    My health has been a full time job for ten years, I am doing great, and have to deal with less pain management emergencies and am now into maintenance and proactive healing mode so now I want to take on the task of my money management. How do I set aside financial planning for the healthcare costs NOT covered by health insurance? What do you do? How do you prioritize your finances with respect to health and wellness? What do you spend money on to keep healthy? How do you plan for it monthly? How does it fit into your overall budget?

    Could you do a blog post on financial planning for health costs (and the good kind of health costs, the kind that keep us running optimally)?

    Sincerely,

    Hannah
    A Big Fan of Team Northrup
    A lover of health AND money.

  • I love all these tips, and have implemented them over the years. The one I will add in is to give gratitude to my money each day as I enter all my details into my Quickbooks. I give lots of gratitude to each person who buys from me, online or in person, and it feels so good to do that while receiving. I always put my money with the faces in the same direction, it feels like loving attention. I love that you recommend that too!! I even give thanks when paying taxes, being grateful that I make the money to do it. I also write a heart on each check’s subject line, as a way of being grateful. I ordered some checks online, and there was a space for a personalized quote on each one. So all of my checks say: “If the only prayer said in life was ‘Thank you’, that would suffice”.

  • Mmmmmm love how simple this is – and it’s not that I haven’t heard this before – but I’m finally ready to hear, and implement – perfectly timed,
    Thank-you,
    Katexx

  • Thanks Kate. I will be sending some love to my money from now on. And I will be sending gratitude to the money that I already have.

  • I love this! Taking care of your money. Starting a loving relationship with your money.

    My way (besides nr. 1 & 3. of your ideas): Taking time every morning to breathe with my money. Really feeeling the flow of my money, sensing the love, care and joy that’s in there for me. Inhale: Receiving my money. Exhale: Allowing my money to release old stuff that’s still hanging around there. Washing it clean with my breath and loving attention.

  • My husband and I have money dates on the 28th of the month. We light candles, pour wine, and generally get down with our cash. Using this method, we’ve paid off two of our four credit cards (and are probably looking at a third this month).

    Here’s the interesting thing that we’ve noticed, though: our miscellaneous income over the last three months has jumped through little to no discernible action. We received a payout from an escrow fund one month, sold one of our cars another month (AFTER a generous gift of a lovely SUV), and received fulfillment of two outstanding invoices that, frankly, we weren’t expecting for at least another month. This month, we’ve already received one large, extraneous payment and we’re barely halfway done!

  • Kate, I was so inspired by one of your money blogs last year that I recently sold my car and am now setting the intention to clear my debt and grow my income. Just by making that one decision I now have over three thousand dollars saved (where did that come from?). My bank account has completely changed in less than a month.
    I absolutely agree that it has been about my attitude toward money. Previously I (unconsciously) saw finance as an inconvenient truth but now I can see that money (like everything) is just an expression of love!
    And I definitely want more of that!
    Thank you so much, I really enjoy your blogs. h xx

  • Wow – This is fabulous & easy advice!! It absolutely makes sense on all levels – metaphysically, logically, and deliciously! Will deffo be doing this! Thank you for the great tips. Marianne Williamson also says to ‘bless’ your bank accounts, and your job/business/means of income. For me I think saving is like dieting – Forbidding thyself anything fabulous is the first step towards failure, so I stay away from Impulse Buy situations, and instead treat myself to something or particular goodies that I love, and really look forward to getting after I’ve worked for it! Even if it’s something small like a lipstick or a soy candle. Or something I’d do anyway – like spending an evening in a french cafe reading my favourite magazine. Somehow I savour it more if I’m intentionally treating myself! It’s like a reward, and this way I separate what I’d-like-right-now, to what I really love! No pain, just love!
    Happy Birthday to you Kate!! Best wishes and lots of Love for the journey ahead! x

  • Lucille

    Thanks for the kick up the ass I needed Kate! Circumstances have radically changed recently for us with my husbands redundancy and I have been all to aware of how that has triggered my ‘go to’ reaction of fear & scarcity….have been hating how it feels, know better and know I need to change my thinking first up! Will be enrolling for your money love course – can’t wait! Just love that you have already given some very practical, apply now tips!! You’re a rock star! And Happy Birthday gorgeous girl!!!

  • Erica Johnson

    When I was first playing around with the idea of law of attraction, I would draw pictures of myself with money flying to me and tell myself I am a money magnet. A couple of years ago I was in need of money and decided to go looking for it. So I took a long walk and looked everywhere on the ground and had a great time enjoying Mother Nature but found no money. Later that evening my mother came by and gave me a small roll of bills wrapped with a rubber band. I told her about my intention of finding money earlier that day. She was thrilled to hear the manifestation story and we refer back to it when we need to get back in the energy of money. I also get very excited whenever my hand itches because I know like I know like I know that money is on the way! :)

  • Kate, I love this. I’m doing it now, but am feeling like I can start doing it more and more. And more! I certainly have EVERYTHING to gain by this and NOTHING to lose! And what a fun practice to watch and see what happens… Thank you for such an enlightened and caring insight!

  • Ok first, love the new site and the new pics! Love love love the hair… you look amazing! Second, I signed up for your course and am so flipping excited! Last, I just read your blog and have to bow my head in shame. It takes me forever to do my invoices and I have two checks in my wallet that I have yet to deposit! And with mobile banking I have no excuse!! So my two actions steps are to deposit those checks and schedule time in my calendar on April first to do my invoices for the month! Thank you for the loving reminder.
    xoxo

  • Love this. Such good advice. Have you heard of The Minimalists? They just wrote a post on “THE QUICKEST WAY TO GIVE YOURSELF A PAY RAISE” and it was one line: spend less money.

    Reminded me of your post and made me smile.

  • It so true that what we put our attention on is what grows. If we focus on poverty or not having enough money, we experience more of that. What I find is helpful is to be grateful for even the little you have. That way the little you have grows and that’s how you overcome things.

  • This is one of those concepts that I totally *get* in other areas of my life, but that I have trouble implementing when it comes to money. I have a hard time looking at/paying attention to money and not feeling anxious, so I avoid it until I can’t anymore!

    I’m going to take this post to heart today and go check in with my account balances. ;-)

  • Ihab

    I left a sticker on every piggyback I have , the one for savings, giving, and the investment one. And magically they start to overflow with money, with no extra moves from my side! That note was no more than a Hawaiian clearing combination. Simply; I love you, Thank you !

  • I totally agree! Every time any sort of income comes my way, doesn’t matter if it’s a nickel on the ground, a paycheck, an ebook sale, a refund…whatever. I always say “Thank you Universe! Keep it coming!” I always make sure to thank the Universe for what it has provided with me. I always acknowledge every cent and feel totally grateful for it.

  • Claudia

    Hey Kate,
    At present I am busy with your awesome book, and find myself in a storm of beliefs. As if the earth has been shaken up and they’re all around me. It is now much easier to pick the ones that support me as well as make me feel so good.
    I love the idea of being grateful for the money that is in the bank account, this is such a logical practise.
    T H A N K Y O U XX
    Claudia

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