There’s no doubt about it: making money is flat out hard.
Whether you’re just starting out in business or you’ve been at it for years, the journey to financial success is rarely an easy one, if eve.
But why is this? Why is it so difficult to make money, even when we are putting are absolute all into something, it sometimes feel like nothing is working, and we are left collecting pennies when what we really want is dollars, and lots of them.
So in today’s article, we’re exploring 9 honest reasons why I think making money is so hard. Some of these might surprise you – other may not.
Let’s get into it.
1. Everybody Want’s to Be Rich
One of the biggest reasons making money is so difficult is because, well, everybody wants to be rich. And when there’s a lot of people going after the same thing, competition is gong to be fierce.
If you’re trying to make money in a highly competitive field, like running a personal finance blog (god damn it!) then it’s going to take a lot more work then if you went after a less competitive, but also less lucrative industry.
If something is very desirable, and there is a limited supply of it (money), you can bet it’s going to be a battle to achieve any sort of success.
2. You Usually Have to Spend Money to Make Money
This is a hard one for a lot of people to hear, but it’s true. In most cases, you have to spend money to make money.
For example, let’s say you want to start a blog. Blogging is one of the cheapest side hustles you could possibly start, but it still costs money for hosting, a domain name, images, etc.
And the fact of the matter is, there is no guarantee you are going to be successful when you when you start a side hustle so it’s really hard for people to part with money when they don’t know if they’ll ever get it back.
3. Making More Money Means Working More Hours
For a lot of people, myself included, making more money often means working more hours. I actually still work a 9-5 myself, but I work at-least 3 hours a day on this blog, which works out to working over 50 hours a week usually.
Take it from me, this is not easy to sustain. And as Ill talk about in my next point, making money takes time, working hard to make money isn’t something you do for a few months and then retire off and live happily ever after at the beach. It’s a constant process that takes a lot of early mornings, struggles, late nights, and well..a lot of coffee.
In other words, hard work!
4. Making Money is a Process, Not an Event
As I just stated above, making money is a process (shoutout to Joel Embid – Trust the Process!).
But for real – one of the main reasons I see people fail to make money when they start their new business or side hustle is because they’re looking for results too soon.
The fact is, most businesses take time to grow and make money. That could be 1 year, 2 years, or more. And if you’re not prepared to put in the work for that long without seeing any results, chances are you’re going to give up well before you ever make any money.
For that reason, I also tell people to do something they truly enjoy – because if you’re going to be working on something for years without seeing any results, well you may as well try to enjoy it.
5. Economic Inequality
Another unfortunate reason why making money can be so hard for some people is because of economic inequality.
If you were born into a wealthy family, or you have rich friends and connections, it’s going to be a lot easier for you to make money than someone who doesn’t have those same advantages.
People who inherit money or have parents that can help them out financially always have a big leg up when it comes to making money. They can also afford to take more risks, they can start businesses without worrying about how they’re going to pay their rent, and they have a lot less stress in general.
On the other hand, people who come from poorer backgrounds often have to struggle just to get by and any additional funds they may have aren’t going to be used to starting a side hustle. Think about your circle of friends, have you ever noticed that those who grow up rich, usually stay rich – and vise versa.
Now I’m not hear to poo-poo on those people who are born into wealth, it’s not there fault, and as long as there a good person, I have no issue with it. But I do think it’s important to acknowledge that economic inequality is very real, and it does play a big role in why some people find it harder to make money.
6. The Economy
Another reason why it can be so hard to make money sometimes is because well, to no fault of your own potentially, the economy might just suck.
As of the time of me writing this article, October 2022, I am down 16.5% of my “safe” investments for this year, my ad revenue from this blog has tanked, and I haven’t got a raise in over a year at my work.
Why? Well plain and simple, the economy is in the absolute toilet right now. While I don’t have the time or energy to get into macro economic trends here, I think we can agree that when the economy is bad, it’s often hard to make money – no matter how smart or talented we are.
So if you’re struggling to make money right now, don’t feel too bad, it’s not just you – sometimes it forces outside of our control.
7. Making Money is Harder Then People Expect
When it comes down to it, I think one of the main reasons why making money is so hard for some people is because they just expect it to be easier than it is.
We live in a world where we’re constantly bombarded with “get rich quick” schemes, ads for luxury items we can’t afford, and social media influencers flaunting their lavish lifestyles. It’s no wonder so many people have an unrealistic view of what it takes to make money.
The truth is, making money is hard work. It often requires long hours, dedication, and a lot of hustle. And even then, there’s no guarantee that you’ll be successful.
And because we think it’s easier then it actually is, we often get frustrated and give up when we don’t see results as quickly as we want. If making money, and lots of it, was easy then everyone would be doing it.
The Bottom Line
The bottom line is this: if you want to make money, you need to be prepared to work hard for it. There are no shortcuts, and there’s no guarantee of success. But if you’re willing to put in the effort, then you just might be able to achieve your financial goals.
Take it from me, I’ve been running this blog for almost 2.5 years now, and I am JUST starting to see some financial success from it. Now just because it took me that long , doesn’t mean it will take you that long – but it’s important to go into any money-making venture with your eyes wide open, and realistic expectations.
Thanks for reading folks, and good luck in your money making adventures! It’s not easy, but it can certainly be rewarding.
Geek, out.
