When I was a little kid, one of my dreams was to own a home. Specifically, I loved model homes: the smell, the new paint, the perfect furniture and beautiful kitchen. I would dream about one day living in a home just like that. I loved everything about those perfectly decorated Model Homes!
I’m not a money expert, but I was lucky to have parents who taught me about money from a young age. As an adult, I frequently see the women in my life act on money beliefs and behaviors that demonstrate a lack of financial education. It’s not their fault: even now, we still don’t give women enough education when it comes to handling money.
Thanks to my parents, I realized early on that if I wanted to own that model home, I would have to create the money myself.
The Money Table
I like to think that overall, I’m fairly conservative when it comes to spending. Of course, I don’t do it perfectly all the time. I certainly spend more money than I should on lots of things, but I believe that my husband and I have done a good job creating a solid money table.
Let me explain: the tabletop is our lifestyle. Each leg is an income stream.
No one teaches women that if you’re banking on a single job or income to tide you over, you’re teetering. Your money table only has one leg. Two income streams will give you more stability, and a third will have you standing straight. A fourth? That just makes good square sense. And besides – when you have a solid money table, you’ll have a place to sit when all your friends come over to enjoy your delicious WineShop McKenna Sauvignon Blanc.
Enter WineShop at Home
I’ve previously written about the fun and creative ways WineShop consultants choose to spend (and SAVE) their money. We’ve had consultants like Jen O’Leary take their kids to DisneyWorld, pay off credit card debt, go back to school to get a degree… you name it.
For me personally, I’ve used the income from WineShop at Home to buy rental properties. Yes, my dream of owning a model home did come true, thanks to the money I brought in from WineShop at Home. The best part? We rented out the house for several years before moving in to generate even more income for our family, and now we’re seasoned rental property owners. I can still remember the feeling of being able to put that first 5-figure commission check towards the down payment.
I’ve essentially created another income stream from my WineShop earnings. So, while my WineShop income is pretty significant – it’s not crazy, I’m not taking home a million dollars, but it is significant – my husband and I have focused on purchasing properties that we know will bring in additional sources of revenue.
These investments will pay off for years to come. If WineShop goes to hell in a handbasket, we still have a stream of rental income. If my husband gets fed up with his job, he can quit (honey, if you’re reading this could you please not get fed up until that full retirement package kicks in?).
My question is, Where Will You Put Your Money?
WineShop consultants have an incredible advantage over members of the workforce who are employed by an 8-5: they can always make more if they want to. They have the power to write their own raise.
When you’re in a pinch and you need to earn more money, pick up the phone and start booking tastings or calling your customers. The only limit to how many tastings you can lead is how many hours there are in a day (and possibly your Rolodex, which can always grow!).
Paying off student loans, making home repairs, saving for retirement or renovating your old kitchen to make it dreamy: it’s all possible with WineShop. Many, many consultants are doing it every day, and you can, too.