Suze Orman says if you don't have enough money in life, 'you are the reason why' — here are 3 things you can do to move towards your financial goals

Change your mindset

There seems to be a sense of financial hopelessness that supports Orman’s thesis. In fact, 18% of Bankrate’s 2024 Financial Success Survey respondents said they would never make their desired income. And 61% of renters surveyed by The Harris Poll Thought Leadership Practice said they might never be able to purchase a home.

Almost 30% of Americans with credit card debt believe it will take up to five years to pay off, while 11% believe it could take up to a decade, according to a Clever Real Estate survey.

This mindset could be preventing many from seeking help or taking action to improve their financial situation. A sense of hopelessness could become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Orman believes a shift in mindset could be the first step to better outcomes. “Anything and everything is possible in your life if you simply walk towards who you are meant to be versus away from it,” she said.

Simply put, a shift in perspective should help you to achieve better financial outcomes.

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Live below your means

Orman’s top advice to her followers is to “buy what you need versus what you can afford when you can afford more than what you need.” In other words, she recommends living below your means to accumulate savings and build wealth.

In the current economic climate, this is easier said than done. The prices of essentials such as housing, groceries and fuel have risen quickly in recent years, leaving little room for savings. In fact, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the U.S. personal savings rate is just 3.9%, down from 7.2% before the pandemic in January 2020.

Nevertheless, boosting income through side hustles or moving to a cheaper part of the country could help you create that buffer you need to start saving cash. The next step, according to Orman, is to automate your savings.

Automate your savings

During an interview at CNBC’s Women & Wealth event, Suze Orman discussed the benefits of automating your savings.

“I would automate,” she said. “Meaning that I would choose that you do $50 a month, $100 a month, whatever it may be, and automate it and you will find that you do not miss it.”

Many banking and investment apps allow users to set up recurring transfer amounts from a checking or savings account, which can keep you more disciplined.

After studying data from the National Bureau of Economic Research and the U.S. Department of Defense’s auto-enrollment of recruits in the federal Thrift Savings Plan, researchers at the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College concluded that auto-enrollments are “a terrific way to push reluctant savers to prepare for a future in old age.”