How to Keep Your Money Growing — The Income Growth Technique
How to Keep Your Money Growing — The Income Growth Technique
A simple, high-impact habit for readers: track your monthly earnings in dollars, set a modest next-month growth target, and let compounding + focused action do the rest.
Download the Excel TrackerWhy this matters (and why most blogs miss it)
Most financial guides focus on budgets, emergency funds, and investing — which are important — but they rarely make income growth the central theme. Your income, not your expenses, is the engine that accelerates wealth. The Income Growth Technique turns income into a monthly, measurable target so you consistently move forward.
🔑 The Income Growth Technique — How it works
- Record income on the 1st of every month — include salary, investment payouts, freelance, side gigs, and any passive income.
- Set a realistic next-month growth target — a small stretch (like $200–$1,000) that nudges action.
- Review the deviation — when actual significantly misses planned, take corrective steps: upskill, negotiate, or add a side gig.
Why this beats the usual advice
Budgeting and saving are foundational, but income growth is the multiplier. When your earnings rise, every dollar you save or invest has a higher impact. This technique trains your mind to see income as a measurable, improvable metric — not a static paycheck.
Practical setup — How to structure your Excel sheet
Your sheet should use month/year columns (e.g., 11/2025, 12/2025, 01/2026) and rows for income categories:
| Category (rows) | Examples |
|---|---|
| Bank Account (Checking/Savings) | Salary deposits, immediate cash |
| Mutual Funds | Dividends, redemptions, SIP redemptions |
| Stocks | Capital gains, dividends |
| Retirement Accounts (401k/IRA) | Employer match, distributions |
| Side Income / Freelance | Gigs, consulting, part-time |
| Other Investments | Rental income, business income |
| Total Actual Earnings | SUM of the income rows |
| Planned Target Next Month | Enter your target (e.g., +$500) |
| Deviation (Actual - Planned) | Shows how far you are from your goal |
Download the pre-built Excel tracker above — it already includes month columns, the category rows, formulas, and a line chart so you can start tracking immediately.
Quick start checklist
- Download the Excel tracker and open it in Excel or Google Sheets.
- On the 1st of the month, enter each income source in the matching column.
- Set a Planned Target for next month in the "Planned Target Next Month" row.
- Review the Deviation row and take small actions when needed.
Need extras?
I can:
- Customize the Excel with conditional formatting (red if below target)
- Create a Google Sheets version and share it
- Generate social media images from the infographic
- Provide an HTML embed code for the tracker
