While we may think of living paycheck to paycheck is only a problem that lower-income Americans wrestle with, the truth is, the vast majority of us struggle to save. Studies show that some 78 percent of Americans struggle to make it to payday and that this is a problem that plagues every income bracket.

The modern age is full of anxiety. In fact, millennials are often called the “anxious generation,” as they experience stress and anxiety at higher rates than any generation before them. However, we think it’s safe to say that people of all generations deal with anxieties about money. We all have fears—rational and irrational alike—when it comes to our bank account.

Finances are one of the biggest parts of real estate investment. We might not all be number-crunchers but knowing how to best track and manage both your investment income and expenses is one of the key attributes of a successful real estate investor.

At Memphis Invest, there are few things we love more than helping people make the most of their finances. It’s exciting for us to sit down with our investors and talk about money—the future, planning, retirement, all of it. That said, it also benefits us to look to the past.

Everyone perks up when you start talking about fiscal responsibility, don't they? We know, we know. Don't doze off just yet! There is so much value in knowing how to command your money, especially in the world of real estate investment.

Where our finances are concerned, we tend to think in “big picture” terms. It’s about our investments, paychecks, house payments, and big bills. We rarely consider the small, seemingly insignificant actions throughout our day and how they can impact our wealth and financial future.

Do you have a healthy relationship with money?

If you’re the type of person who’s even reading this blog, it’s safe to say you’re probably on the right track. You’re thinking about investing if you aren’t already—building your financial future and securing the very best not only for yourself but for future generations.

Finding success investing in real estate isn’t always as clear cut as it seems: it’s not enough to just have a good property with a good tenant managed by a good company. If you want to grow your investments, increase your passive income, and meet your financial goals, you’ve got to dive deep into money management and financial strategies.

Do you look around and get frustrated when it seems like everyone else is doing so much better financially than you are? Does it seems like you’re struggling to scrimp and save and make it to next month while your friends and fellow investors are killing the game every time?

Maybe you feel like you’re falling behind. Despite your best efforts, you just don’t feel good enough. Maybe you feel like you finances never catch up with your goals. The expenses keep adding up and the profits never have the traction to give you a solid footing.

It’s frustrating. It’s disheartening.

But you have to ask yourself: are your money habits secretly killing your chances at financial freedom?

In real estate investment, there are endless ways to run your business. Because yes, it’s a business. Ultimately, deciding how you want to run it is down to what you prefer and what you enjoy. One of the most important elements is how you handle rent money. If you’re landlording, you deal with this directly—if you have a property manager, they handle it, but you should still be in the know about the process.

After all, certain ways of taking and processing your rent payment may be more efficient and can even increase the chance of your tenants paying on time. They may also have negative effects you may not have considered…