This could be a little slap in the face!

If you can’t manage $1,000… more money is not your answer.

Stick with me here. This might feel like a little slap in the face — but don’t take it personally. This isn’t about you as a person. It’s about your habits. Your plan. Or maybe your lack of one.

And that’s fixable.

More Money Doesn’t Fix Bad Management

I see this all the time.

People make a bunch of money… and then it’s gone.

Lottery winners go broke.
Business owners have massive launches… then panic between them.
Guys doing seven or eight figures in revenue are one bad month away from being upside down.

It looks great on social media.

It looks terrible on paper.

Big house.
Nice car.
Lifestyle upgrades everywhere.

But no reserves. No structure. No financial discipline.

If one launch flops… if one deal falls through… if one market shift hits… they’re scrambling. Hopefully they have a line of credit to survive.

That’s not freedom. That’s pressure.

When money comes fast and you’re not prepared for it, you’re not financially ready for it.

Start Small — Even If You’re Broke

I remember when I was broke.

And I still invested.

IRA.
Emergency fund.
Health Savings Account.

Even if it was small. Even if it felt insignificant.

I always put something away.

Why? Because I was building the habit — not the balance.

At first, it wasn’t much. But over time? Compound interest kicks in. Investment returns stack. Consistency wins.

Small amounts done consistently become serious money.

Overwhelmed? Good. Now Simplify.

There are a lot of accounts you can have:

• Retirement accounts

• Health savings accounts

• College accounts

• Emergency funds

It sounds overwhelming.

So start with one.

Start with your emergency fund.
Build it up.
Then your IRA.
Then your HSA.
Then college accounts if you have kids.

Layer it in.

But learn to manage money now — before you have more of it.

Percentages Over Dollars

I talk about this in my book all the time:

Think in percentages, not dollars.

Move percentages of income into different buckets. You won’t feel it nearly as much as you think you will.

Start small.

2%.
5%.
Whatever you can handle.

Just start.

Because if you can’t handle small percentages now, large dollar amounts later won’t save you.

The Harsh Reality

I’ve consulted with companies doing massive revenue numbers who have nothing to show for it.

Revenue is vanity.
Profit is sanity.
Cash flow is oxygen.

If you don’t build the skill of money management now, more income will just magnify the problem.

Just watch those lottery winner stories. I saw one guy win twice — and lose everything twice. Same result. Different payout.

The issue wasn’t income.

It was behavior.

Start Now

Even if you’re broke.

Especially if you’re broke.

Start planning.
Start allocating.
Start building the habit.

Get marginally good at managing your money and you’ll already be ahead of 99% of people.

Then when the bigger money comes — and it will if you’re executing — you’ll actually keep it.

And that’s when life gets easier.

If you need help tightening up your marketing and sales so you can generate consistent revenue (the right way), click the link below or email us at combatbusinessteam@gmail.com .

We’re here to help.

Keep crushing it.

Paul Halme
Combat Business