How to Get Rich From Nothing (Even If You’re Broke Right Now)

I started with nothing. No inheritance. No stock tips. No trust fund. My parents didn’t leave me a dime, and I didn’t have a financial safety net. I worked two jobs during college, lived in a rundown apartment, and took on student loans just to make it through.

But by age 35, I’d built a net worth of over $1 million.

This post is about exactly how I’d do it again—starting from broke. If you’re earning minimum wage, living paycheck to paycheck, or just feel like you’re way behind, this is the blueprint I’d follow.

Because getting rich doesn’t start with having money. It starts with deciding you’re done being broke.

💵 Step 1: Get Any Job You Can. Then Save Half.

You don’t need a perfect job. You need income.

If I were starting over today, I’d take any job that paid me $15/hour—gas station, restaurant, warehouse, landscaping. Doesn’t matter. That’s about $30,000 per year full-time.

Then I’d do the hard part: live on half and invest the other half.

That’s $15,000 invested per year—even while earning minimum wage.

It’s not easy. It requires sacrifice. Roommates. No new clothes. Cooking at home. Delayed gratification. But the rewards are real.

Invest $15,000 per year for 10 years with a 10% return, and you’ll have ~$250,000.

Meanwhile, most people will still be complaining about inflation while upgrading to the latest iPhone on credit.

If you want to understand where that first $10K should go, check out this beginner guide I wrote.

🎓 Step 2: Use Nights and Weekends to Level Up

When I was working full-time, I didn’t stop there. I went back to school at night. You can too.

  • Enroll in a community college or online degree program.
  • Study for a trade, certification, or a low-cost bachelor’s degree.
  • Spend your evenings and weekends stacking credentials instead of streaming shows.

If you work full-time and study part-time, within 3 to 5 years you can:

  • Earn a degree
  • Transition to a higher-paying office or trade job
  • Double or triple your income

That’s exactly what I did. By my late 20s, I was earning over $60,000/year. Then $80K. Now $200K+.

And I kept saving at least half the whole way up.

📈 Step 3: Increase Income, Not Lifestyle

Here’s where most people get stuck: they get a raise, and they spend it.

I did the opposite.

As my income went up, I froze my lifestyle. No fancy car. No oversized house. Just more investing.

By the time I was saving $50,000/year, I had built serious momentum. I wasn’t just investing more—I was earning returns on top of my past investments.

That’s the power of compound interest. It turns discipline into freedom.

Most people underestimate how fast money can grow. I break it down in this post about index funds—but the short version is this:

  • $15K/year invested for 10 years = ~$250K
  • $50K/year invested for the next 10 years = ~$1.5 million
  • Total net worth in 20 years: ~$1.75 million

That’s without winning the lottery, building an app, or trading crypto.

Just consistency.

🧠 Step 4: Shift Your Mindset From Survival to Ownership

Most broke people are stuck in survival mode. I know—I was there.

But the real turning point comes when you stop asking, “How can I afford this?” and start asking, “How can I invest in a future I own?”

That’s the moment you realize:

  • You’re not poor—you’re early.
  • You’re not trapped—you’re choosing to grow.
  • You don’t need a windfall—you need a system.

A simple system:
Earn more → Spend less → Invest the gap → Repeat.

🔥 What I’d Do Today If I Were Starting Over

Let me sum it up.

If I woke up broke tomorrow, here’s exactly what I’d do:

  1. Get a $15/hour job immediately (any job — just start).
  2. Live on half, invest half (~$15K/year).
  3. Enroll in night school or an online degree program.
  4. Finish a bachelor’s while working full-time.
  5. Get promoted or switch into a better-paying field.
  6. Continue investing half my income as it rises.
  7. Avoid lifestyle creep like the plague.

In 5 years: $100K salary, $250K invested.
In 10 years: $600K net worth.
In 20 years: $1.5 to $2 million.

And that’s assuming you never build a business or invest in real estate (which I eventually did). Just a job, a plan, and consistency.

💬 Final Thought: You Don’t Need to Be Lucky—You Just Need to Start

I know what it’s like to be broke.
But I also know what it’s like to be free.

Getting rich isn’t about being gifted or lucky. It’s about having a system, sticking to it, and betting on yourself when no one else does.

If you’re broke today, start where you are. Invest what you can. Learn every day. And don’t stop climbing.

Because every dollar you save is a vote for your future.