Even if you’ve got lots of it, it seems inevitable that everyone at some point will worry about money.  That’s not to say that it isn’t healthy in some aspects to devote time to organizing your finances, planning ways to acquire more money, or continue to develop strategies for managing it.  Undue worrying about money will contribute to a decline in your health.  Here are a few reasons why you shouldn’t stay up all night letting fears about money dance in your head:

Time management.  While it is natural for human beings to worry, too much is not productive and actually doesn’t accomplish anything.  Therefore, devoting too much time to worry about anything, especially your finances, is really just an enormous waste.  If you do feel worried, find ways to be proactive.  Try to find the root of your fears and develop an action strategy to combat it.  What can you do to change whatever situation is causing you so much worry?

Fulfilling life.  They say that money can’t buy happiness.  While that may be true, certainly a lack of money or worry about your finances can keep you from enjoying the more fulfilling things in your life, especially when spending time with your children or loved ones.  Your health also includes your mental well-being, and this will suffer as well if you let worrying get in the way of enjoying your life.

Up all night.  How many times have you lain awake all night because you are worrying too much about your perceived money problems?  Lack of sleep can lead to physical problems as well as behavioral issues.  Many people who worry too much take up drinking or smoking and then suffer additional problems because of the ways they abuse those products.  Instead of staying up all night, take a natural sleep supplement such as melatonin.  Worrying won’t solve any of your problems, and staring at the ceiling into the wee hours of the night isn’t going to fix them either.

Illness.  Chronic worrying can lead to a whole host of unpleasant physical side effects, including a suppression of the immune system that leads to increased illness.  If you are feeling anxious about your money, you may be subject to more headaches, fatigue, memory loss, an inability to concentrate, uncontrollable sweating, or nausea.  More severe conditions such as digestive disorders and heart attack may also result from too much stress.

Relationships.  Increased irritability is one side effect of too much worry, and can lead you to mistreat the people closest to you.  If you are fixated on money, it may also cause the people close to you to lie about their own financial situations in order to appease you.  This may be the perfect time for a reality check:  which means more to you, your relationships or our bank account?

If you are continuing to worry about money even after reading this article, perhaps you should consider ways to cut back on necessary expenses, such as looking into discount dental plans.

The problem with lending, as opposed to giving money is that a loan inherently implies repayment.  So if someone asks you for a loan you expect to get the money back at some point (whereas simply giving them the money would result in no debt).  As a millionaire, however, you’re in a difficult position when it comes to making personal loans at the request of family and friends that may not be as well off as you.  Because you have the money, you may not have any qualms about lending it out (and they might not hesitate to ask if you are the generous sort).  But the other side of the equation is that borrowers may not feel particularly inclined to pay you back simply because they imagine you can afford to be without it.  Unfortunately, this type of situation can ruin your personal relationships.  So while you certainly can lend money to your family and friends, it behooves you to demand that they repay loans just like they would with any other type of lender.

There are several reasons for a hardline attitude when it comes to personal loans.  For one thing, just because you have better-than-adequate funds at your disposal doesn’t mean you can afford to flush them down the drain on bad investments (which personal loans could definitely become).  After all, you didn’t get where you are by making bad financial decisions.  And if you continue to lend without first getting repayment on earlier loans, you’re basically letting people walk all over you.  That’s not a good feeling for you, and believe it or not your family and friends will grow to resent you for it.  So if you’re going to make personal loans to your loved ones, you must do so with the expectation of repayment.

This is not to say that you have to sue your family and friends should they fail to repay a loan (although you definitely shouldn’t lend to them again).  But you should take steps to make your intentions known, including a written agreement.  This could be as simple as an IOU or as complex as a legal contract, but between friends you should probably go with a basic document that includes the amount of the loan, the interest rate, and a schedule for repayment, as well as your signature, the signature of the borrower, and perhaps a notary public to act as a witness.  This document will hold up in court (should you find it necessary) and it will protect you from having to pay any gift tax (should the IRS require proof that the money was a loan rather than a gift).  Further, such an agreement will likely deter anyone who has it in mind to take the money and run.

You aren’t an ATM, so don’t let your family and friends treat you like one just because you have money.  You also aren’t a bank or a company that offers payday loans; if you were, you’d offer much less favorable terms.  Remind your family and friends of this when they come to you for money, and let them know that while you’re happy to do them a favor, you do expect them to live up to their end of the arrangement.  But if you feel uncomfortable about the situation or you’ve simply been burned too many times, simply say no.  Your family and friends might be mad, but they’ll come around eventually.

A few years ago, this could have been summed up in one word: flipping.  But these days the housing market is a very different beast.  While those seeking to use real estate as an investment can certainly find ways to profit with property (especially in the long term), it will take a little more knowledge and planning to get the job done.  But if you’re looking for alternatives to investing in the turbulent stock market and you’re not afraid of a little hard work, there’s no reason you can’t supplement your retirement accounts and truly hit your goal of becoming a millionaire.  And here are just a few tips to help you use real estate to get the job done.

For starters, you need to understand a very basic principle when it comes to becoming a millionaire of any stripe.  You must earn money while cutting spending.  This sounds pretty self-explanatory, right?  And yet, many people make investment choices that go against this basic rule, that are more gamble than premeditated plan.  However, as long as you keep this tenet in mind when doing any real estate deal, you’ll have a much better chance of coming out ahead.  Now let’s get to some of the strategy involved in making money in real estate.

As mentioned, flipping is out these days.  You can no longer buy a house, fix it up, and expect to sell it before you make your first mortgage payment.  So you have to be prepared to hang onto (and pay for) any piece of property that you purchase indefinitely.  Of course, there are ways to cut or even negate your payments, and rental properties are the best.  With many people cutting back, bailing on home loans, and looking for less expensive living arrangements, well-appointed rental properties in desirable neighborhoods (good schools, low crime, etc.) are doing quite well.  This is a great way to pay for the mortgage without spending a dime (and potentially earn some passive income, as well).  Of course, you could also take on partners to dispel some costs.

But before you even think about buying a property, there are a few things you should do.  First, you should strongly consider taking classes and getting a real estate license.  It is important to have a solid understanding of what you’re doing before you start signing up for loans.  And if you have an RE license you won’t have to pay a realtor for the services that you can now perform on your own.  From there you’ll want to become familiar with the real estate market you’re buying in, housing market cycles, and the ins and outs of the lending process.  If, for example, you want to purchase in a certain area that is rather well-to-do, but you also want to try to secure an FHA loan, it behooves you to understand going in that FHA loan rates and limits could derail your plans.

The idea here is to do some legwork at the outset so that you can shop smarter when it comes to real estate investments.  If you take the steps necessary to become educated and then take your time finding the right properties, there’s no reason you can’t cut costs, earn more, and ultimately reach your goal of becoming a millionaire.  And with the housing market incredibly low, you only stand to gain if you play it smart with your purchases.