--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It’s not hard. Stop thinking about what…" description: "\"“It’s not hard. Stop thinking about what your money can buy. Start thinking about what your money can earn. And then think about what the money it earn..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afb/j-l-collins-37825_money_it-s-not-hard-stop-thinking-about-what-y_1525027.jpg" --- # It’s not hard. Stop thinking about what your money can… ![“It’s not hard. Stop thinking about what your money can buy. Start thinking about what your money can earn. And then think about what the money it earns can earn.” quote by J.L. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afb/j-l-collins-37825_money_it-s-not-hard-stop-thinking-about-what-y_1525027.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afb/j-l-collins-37825_money_it-s-not-hard-stop-thinking-about-what-y_1525027.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afb/j-l-collins-37825_money_it-s-not-hard-stop-thinking-about-what-y_1525027.jpg) > ““It’s not hard. Stop thinking about what your money can buy. Start thinking about what your money can earn. And then think about what the money it earns can earn.”” [J.L. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-l-collins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Focus on income generation rather than consumption, and consider the compounding effect of earnings. **In simple terms:** Earn, then invest earnings for more earnings. Key Takeaway Prioritize building income streams. Themes finance wealth compounding Mood pragmatic instructive Type financial educational When to use this quote - career planning - budgeting - entrepreneurship - passive income Key Concepts investment financial independence Questions to Reflect On - What income streams can you develop? - How does reinvestment change wealth growth? A Different Perspective Earnings can be volatile; not all opportunities are accessible. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) ## Related quotes > [I had an allowance, but I had to do things around the house to earn it. 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Money is not a thing, it is not even a process. It is a kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/you-think-about-money-in-the-old-fashioned-way-money-is-not-a-thing/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [I have never walked down Fifth Avenue alone without thinking of money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-trollope/i-have-never-walked-down-fifth-avenue-alone-without-thinking-of-money/) [Anthony Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-trollope/) > [I really don't care if anyone thinks I'm special or not, I just want to be able to live my life without thinking about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oneohtrix-point-never/i-really-don-t-care-if-anyone-thinks-i-m-special-or-not-i-just-want/) [Oneohtrix Point Never](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oneohtrix-point-never/) > [Most of Hollywood is about making money - and I love money, but I don't make the films thinking about money...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lynch/most-of-hollywood-is-about-making-money-and-i-love-money-but-i-don-t/) [David Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lynch/) > [Thinking first of money instead of work brings fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/thinking-first-of-money-instead-of-work-brings-fear/) [Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/) > [I think when you start talking about selling a company or a company wants to buy you, then you start thinking about how much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-kan/i-think-when-you-start-talking-about-selling-a-company-or-a-company/) [Justin Kan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-kan/) > [You can't do your job thinking about the money. I didn't go to college for that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-hardy/you-can-t-do-your-job-thinking-about-the-money-i-didn-t-go-to-college/) [Greg Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-hardy/) > [Yes, money has been a little tight lately. But, at the end of my life, when I'm sitting on my yacht, am I gonna…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scott/yes-money-has-been-a-little-tight-lately-but-at-the-end-of-my-life/) [Michael Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scott/) > [I try not to live my life thinking about money because money doesn't make me happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/logan-paul/i-try-not-to-live-my-life-thinking-about-money-because-money-doesn-t/) [Logan Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/logan-paul/) > [But a lot of people think I am very expensive and I charge a lot of money, which is not the case. I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-trivedi/but-a-lot-of-people-think-i-am-very-expensive-and-i-charge-a-lot-of/) [Amit Trivedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-trivedi/) > [The trick is to stop thinking of it as 'your' money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irs-auditor/the-trick-is-to-stop-thinking-of-it-as-your-money/) IRS Auditor ## More by J.L. Collins > [“Money can buy many things, but nothing more valuable than your freedom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-l-collins/money-can-buy-many-things-but-nothing-more-valuable-than-your-freedom/) [J.L. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-l-collins/) > [“Look again at those people around you. For most, debt is simply a part of life. But it doesn’t have to be for you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-l-collins/look-again-at-those-people-around-you-for-most-debt-is-simply-a-part/) [J.L. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-l-collins/) > [“There are many things money can buy, but the most valuable of all is freedom. Freedom to do what you want and to work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-l-collins/there-are-many-things-money-can-buy-but-the-most-valuable-of-all-is/) [J.L. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-l-collins/) > [“Three things saved us: Our unwavering 50% savings rate. Avoiding debt. We’ve never even had a car payment. Finally embracing the indexing lessons Jack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-l-collins/three-things-saved-us-our-unwavering-50-savings-rate-avoiding-debt-we/) [J.L. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-l-collins/) > [“There may be no "I' in Team, but there is an "I" in Victory.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-l-collins/there-may-be-no-i-in-team-but-there-is-an-i-in-victory/) [J.L. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-l-collins/) > [“You own the things you own and they in turn own you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-l-collins/you-own-the-things-you-own-and-they-in-turn-own-you/) [J.L. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-l-collins/) > [“The lines between need and want are continually and intentionally blurred. Years ago, a pal of mine had bought a new video camera. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-l-collins/the-lines-between-need-and-want-are-continually-and-intentionally/) [J.L. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-l-collins/) > [“If your goal is financial independence, it is also to hold as little debt as possible. This means you’ll seek the least house to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-l-collins/if-your-goal-is-financial-independence-it-is-also-to-hold-as-little/) [J.L. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-l-collins/) > [“Being independently wealthy is every bit as much about limiting needs as it is about how much money you have. It has less to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-l-collins/being-independently-wealthy-is-every-bit-as-much-about-limiting-needs/) [J.L. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-l-collins/) > [“We can learn to think in this same way. Again, let’s use VTSAX in exploring this idea. Suppose yesterday you said, “Mmm. This idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-l-collins/we-can-learn-to-think-in-this-same-way-again-let-s-use-vtsax-in/) [J.L. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-l-collins/) > [“I may not have owned a Mercedes, but I owned my freedom. Freedom to choose when to leave a job and freedom from worry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-l-collins/i-may-not-have-owned-a-mercedes-but-i-owned-my-freedom-freedom-to/) [J.L. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-l-collins/) [Explore all 12 J.L. Collins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-l-collins/) ## More Money quotes > [You've got to tell your money what to do or it will leave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-ramsey/you-ve-got-to-tell-your-money-what-to-do-or-it-will-leave/) [Dave Ramsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-ramsey/) > [Don't let's lose sight of what creates wealth. It is open markets, it is capitalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/don-t-let-s-lose-sight-of-what-creates-wealth-it-is-open-markets-it/) [Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [Money is the kind of instrument which is very speedily produced.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatoly-chubais/money-is-the-kind-of-instrument-which-is-very-speedily-produced/) [Anatoly Chubais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatoly-chubais/) > [I would borrow money all day long, if the cost of borrowing is less than the expected return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-schneider/i-would-borrow-money-all-day-long-if-the-cost-of-borrowing-is-less/) [Brad Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-schneider/) > [If you restore a car, and you're making money, then you're doing it wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/if-you-restore-a-car-and-you-re-making-money-then-you-re-doing-it/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Maybe you can,t buy a big house.. A new car.. A huge diamond ring.. But if you have just one true friend who loves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy/maybe-you-can-t-buy-a-big-house-a-new-car-a-huge-diamond-ring-but-if/) Cathy > [“Don't allow money to become the yardstick by which you measure the worth of the world around you!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-james-pritchard/don-t-allow-money-to-become-the-yardstick-by-which-you-measure-the/) [Andrew James Pritchard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-james-pritchard/) > [Academically, I was never that interested. I skipped classes. My biggest dream was to have a coffee shop, but I had no idea how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-espinosa/academically-i-was-never-that-interested-i-skipped-classes-my-biggest/) [Daniel Espinosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-espinosa/) > [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [I doubt that we Americans can come to terms with our money neuroses without understanding the more florid pathology of the very rich for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-slater/i-doubt-that-we-americans-can-come-to-terms-with-our-money-neuroses/) [Philip Slater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-slater/) > [“The writer must earn money in order to be able to live and to write, but he must by no means live and write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-goins/the-writer-must-earn-money-in-order-to-be-able-to-live-and-to-write/) [Jeff Goins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-goins/) > [Jobs and money are never the primary cause of stress. Thinking, negative thinking causes stress. The real cause of all problems lie in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/jobs-and-money-are-never-the-primary-cause-of-stress-thinking/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [Most paper money initially existed as a substitute for gold. That's what gave it value. But right now what gives a currency value is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/most-paper-money-initially-existed-as-a-substitute-for-gold-that-s/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [The man who works for the gold in the job rather than for the money in the pay envelope, is the fellow who gets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-french-johnson/the-man-who-works-for-the-gold-in-the-job-rather-than-for-the-money/) Joseph French Johnson [Browse all 45,172 Money quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It’s not hard. 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