Work hard, get good grades. Get a job, work harder. Save money and retire. Sound familiar? This is what we’re taught in school and by society when we are young about what we’re supposed to do when we get older. Your income was determined by how many hours you put in within your chosen career field.

The path to freedom starts with financial literacy and a few simple habits that will help you widen the gap between what you’re paying out and what you get to keep.