Author: Giuseppe Avolio

How can one make money? This question has been asked throughout history, and while many TikTok gurus offer dubious advice, this guide provides solid arguments. Let’s get started!

Sellers of miraculous amulets and infallible methods to become highly wealthy have always existed. Humans inherently desire to believe there are ways to achieve maximum results with minimal effort. With the rise of the internet, these merchants of false promises have multiplied, crafting increasingly absurd strategies. Today’s goal is to dismantle these ridiculous illusions and, more importantly, to provide you with serious (though more labour-intensive) alternatives for increasing your wealth. Enjoy the journey!

The Fuffa Guru, who tells you how to make money 

In 2024, the authoritative Treccani encyclopedia included the neologism “fuffa guru” in its vocabulary, defining it as “one who, exploiting marketing techniques, organises and manages courses, videos, and seminars on the internet for profit, while fraudulently promoting easy ways to make money.” This definition is perfect, elegant, and highly realistic. The fuffa guru is a merchant of illusions, presenting himself as a modern hero. 

Often emerging from the poorer segments of society, he may have experienced a childhood steeped in abject poverty, initially despised by those around him and later burdened with debt. He is an outcast who feels destined to remain among the marginalised. However, the fuffa guru refuses to accept this fate. Driven by an insatiable desire for wealth and an even stronger thirst for revenge, he ultimately realises, “This is not my destiny.” He believes that “a change of mindset is necessary because poverty is a state of mind, not merely a lack of money.”

The fuffa guru shares his story of sleepless nights devouring books and completely renouncing parties, birthdays, and weddings, stating, “While others were busy collecting gigs, I was busy collecting skills.” He uncovers secrets that the masses- the 99%—%-overlook, takes the red pill, and exits the Matrix. The fuffa guru is now prepared for the climb to success. Armed with a new mindset and the knowledge he has gained, which will form his ‘method’, he proudly claims to have achieved wealth rapidly and exponentially. Reflecting on his journey, he expresses gratitude to himself “for not being weak and for not giving up.”

In the final phase of his story, he enjoys a life of unrestrained luxury between Dubai and Manhattan, travels on private jets, and drives Lamborghinis. This lavish lifestyle serves as concrete proof that his method is effective and that anyone, by adopting the right mindset and following his advice, can attain similar success, though it comes at a cost. But what does this infallible method entail?

Making easy money, fast and effortlessly: the fuffa guru’s formula

Despite the absence of evidence of his work experience or how he amassed his supposed fortune, this self-proclaimed guru insists on teaching you how to make money quickly and effortlessly. His motive, he claims, is to share knowledge and help you achieve financial freedom. How does he propose to do this? He charges hundreds, if not thousands, of euros for access to his seminars and webinars, where you can listen to him speak.

The formula for wealth he promotes inevitably revolves around the same side hustles. He talks about dropshipping, explaining how to create a successful online store without the need to hold inventory, all while promising high profits with minimal effort. Alternatively, he may introduce you to “passive” affiliate marketing basics. This method automatically generates enormous passive income through affiliate links, allowing you to earn commissions on promoted products.

Another recurring theme is network marketing, often accompanied by the enticing phrase “become your entrepreneur!” In this model, making money hinges on selling products (such as cosmetics, supplements, or services) while primarily focusing on recruiting others to join your network. These recruits, in turn, would earn money by bringing in even more recruits. Does that sound familiar?

It’s important to highlight the concept of real estate flipping, which involves purchasing, renovating, and selling a property for a higher price. This method is often combined with real estate arbitrage, where an individual rents a property long-term and then sublets it to generate a return on their investment. 

Additionally, we can’t forget about online trading, which is often seen as the ultimate opportunity by those participating. Many enthusiasts claim that ​​dedicating just a few minutes a day, it’s possible to earn substantial amounts of money through supposedly foolproof signals and highly confidential techniques taught in expensive, exclusive courses. But are these methods as effective as they claim to be?

What the fuffa gurus don’t tell you 

When they ‘explain’ how to make a lot of money quickly and effortlessly, the so-called gurus conveniently forget to mention the downsides of these activities, which, let’s remember, are legal and legitimate. 

For example, dropshipping comes with various expenses related to advertising, shipping, and supplier management, along with the need for customer service. Additionally, the market is highly competitive, and the risk of losing large quantities of unsold inventory is significant.

Switching to affiliate marketing, it’s essential to understand that generating passive income requires high traffic. This means that many users must purchase a product through your specific link. You might achieve this if you are an influencer with tens of thousands of followers. Otherwise, you must build a large audience, create valuable content, and invest in SEO and advertising—hardly a passive endeavour.

Multi-level marketing is essentially a refined and professional term for a pyramid scheme or Ponzi scheme. The profits predominantly come from new participants recruiting additional newcomers, and like any Ponzi scheme, it is, by nature, doomed to collapse.

When it comes to side hustles in real estate, many successful figures fail to mention that you need collateral and substantial initial financial resources to start a business in this field. Additionally, online trading— especially intraday trading that involves significant (and often unintentional) leverage — can be hazardous. It’s no secret that most retail traders (over 90%) who engage in these trades lose money. While it is possible to make money trading, it requires thorough research, strong skills, and capital to invest. Often, claims of infallible signals and secret techniques are ineffective or even scams.

Now that we’ve addressed the illusions of success, let’s move on to more serious matters.

How to make serious money: Patience is the virtue of the strong

Generating passive income is possible but requires time, patience, and financial investment. One popular method is affiliate marketing, which can be effective but often stems from prior work. To earn significant commissions, you need traffic, which can only be achieved after creating a quality product.

Being a content creator is a legitimate career today, but demands dedication, effort, passion, and specific skills. Investing in real estate is also a time-honoured activity that many Italians are enthusiastic about; we are fond of bricks and mortar! However, initial financial capacity and support from specialists for market analysis and legal and commercial advice are required.

A more accessible option could be real estate crowdfunding, a collective financing method where multiple individuals invest together in real estate projects to share profits. This type of crowdfunding is divided into two categories: lending crowdfunding, which allows lenders to provide funds for real estate transactions in exchange for interest; and equity crowdfunding, in which investors purchase shares in a company, becoming partners who share in both profits and losses.

In conclusion, we cannot overlook stock market investments if asked how to make money and grow our capital. However, it’s important to clarify that we are not referring to speculative trading, but rather to the art of long-term investing. John Bogle, the founder of Vanguard, strongly advocated passive investing through low-cost index funds. His philosophy was built upon several key principles, including broad diversification, minimal costs, a long-term perspective, and a risk-adjusted asset allocation. This approach involves holding funds that reflect market trends, such as the Total Stock Market or Total Bond Market, over many years, typically in the form of Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs).

Long-term investing pays off, the data says so

Many gurus promoting easy money strategies overlook the importance of investments when discussing ways to make money. They typically start with the obligatory disclaimer: “past returns are not indicative of future returns” because predicting the future is impossible. However, historically, long-term investing in the stock market has proven to be profitable. 

For instance, the S&P 500, one of the most well-known indices representing the 500 largest publicly traded companies in the U.S., has achieved an average annual real return of 6.5%, adjusted for inflation. Similarly, the MSCI World index, which includes the largest publicly listed companies worldwide, has reported average annual real returns of 5.6%. 

It’s important to factor in the power of compound interest, which Albert Einstein called “the eighth wonder of the world.” Practically, leveraging compound interest means reinvesting the returns earned to generate additional returns. This creates a “snowball” effect: as the snowball rolls down a slope, it accumulates more snow, increasing its size and accelerating its speed.

Let’s consider an example involving a TikTok guru who offers lessons on making money through dropshipping. They charge €50 for an introductory lesson, €500 for a comprehensive basic course, and €2,500 for an advanced course, totalling €3,050. The question is: Will this investment be successful? It’s impossible to know for sure.

Let’s compare that investment with putting the same amount into the S&P 500 for 20 years. Based on historical data and reinvesting profits, you could potentially end up with around €10,500 at the end of this period. 

While neither scenario can guarantee a specific outcome, nearly 70 years of historical data and academic research inform our decisions regarding the S&P 500. In contrast, when it comes to the TikTok guru, we can often only rely on an inflated online persona supported by fake followers and rented cars for show.

 An inflated online persona supported by fake followers and rented cars for show.

The road to making money is long and winding, and the gurus know it.

Understanding how to earn a substantial amount of money without enduring long waits or struggles is a human desire. Even those who sell false promises of happiness are often just looking for creative—and sometimes deceptive—ways to achieve this. Consider this: why would someone who travels in private jets, drives only Lamborghinis, and dines exclusively on Kobe beef tartare waste time attending lengthy seminars and engaging in one-on-one calls? Is it to “diversify”? Or to “help humanity”? Or perhaps because the real way to get rich effortlessly is for you to purchase their course? The answers are clear.

Instead of relying on dubious figures found online, it is wiser to roll up your sleeves, study, and explore more realistic and legitimate alternatives, such as long-term investments in the stock market. If you’re interested in this topic, we at Young Platform regularly publish content on subjects like why you should invest in Bitcoin for the long term. Subscribe below to stay updated!

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The emergency fund serves as a personal treasury for unexpected events, and it can be a lifesaver. How is it created, and what is its significance?

Many people recognise the emergency fund as a well-known concept, but often postpone creating it. The reason for this is straightforward: an emergency is an unpredictable and distant event that tends to seem less urgent than immediate issues with tight deadlines. However, when an emergency does occur, it can lead to significant stress and anxiety. In this article, we will explore why building an emergency fund is essential and provide a step-by-step guide on how to do it.  

Have an emergency fund: Be the ant in a world of cicadas.

The importance of the emergency fund has been part of human culture since time immemorial, if we think that Aesop wrote the fable of ‘The Ant and the Cicada‘ more than two thousand years ago. Admittedly, the Greek author does not tell us about the emergency fund, but he makes us realise how important it is to arrive prepared for the challenges that life, sooner or later, presents us with. The cicada sings all summer and does not worry about winter. At the same time, the ant slowly accumulates the necessary supplies: the cold arrives, the cicada goes hungry, and the ant serenely enjoys the fruits of its labour. 

This moral, although simple and obvious at first glance, shoves reality in our faces. We know perfectly well that the future will come knocking sooner or later, but despite this, we are only willing to take the initiative when we feel the breath on our necks. The result? Total unpreparedness mixed with panic and stress. 

The emergency fund serves precisely to avoid these unpleasant situations and to continue living our lives in peace, regardless of accidents, surprises or sudden desires. It allows you to buy a new phone, repair your car, or even go see Green Day in Florence without having to – a random example – sell the Ethereum you staked on Young Platform. Now that its usefulness is obvious, let’s see how to build an emergency fund, step by step. 

Creating an emergency fund is challenging, but it can be done.

Before proceeding to set aside finances, one must understand one’s savings goal because it is uninspiring and unwise to hoard money to the bitter end. To do this, you need to track and analyse your monthly expenses, fixed and extra, such as rent, petrol, food, subscriptions and so on. You can write them down in pen, use Excel or make your life easier with a budget management app. Now, multiply the figure by three or six, depending on your needs: the result of this complex mathematical operation equals your savings target, because the primary purpose of the emergency fund is to allow you to live without a fixed income. Once you have worked out how much you need to save, creating a strategy to make it a reality is time.

Putting money aside is a test of great discipline: the art of saving has to come to terms with the human soul and its irrepressible and impulsive desire for gratification. Moreover, it is exhausting when the goal is a large sum of money because it seems so far away. To reduce this cognitive load, specific strategies allow you to reach your goal by taking advantage of time, i.e., by installing the set amount in periodic instalments. Of these, the famous 52-week challenge would take you a year to build up your emergency fund. If, on the other hand, you want to speed things up, the advice is to make a kind of accumulation plan and withdraw a fixed amount of money. In this case, remember the teaching of the well-known book ‘The Richest Man in Babylon‘: if you receive a fixed monthly income, take it out and then live on the rest, never the other way around. This means that if you earn €1,300 a month, you first take out €100 and then recalibrate your life based on the €1,200 that remains, as if the €100 had never existed. 

Let us give a practical example to avoid any doubt. Our example is Mario, a 28-year-old boy living in Milan who works as an office clerk. Mario writes down everything for a month and discovers that his essential expenses amount to about €1,185, divided as follows: 

• 750€ rent per month for a two-room apartment (he was fortunate)
• 100€ bills
• 45€ internet (Wi-Fi and mobile)
• 40€ vehicle subscription 
• 250€ supermarket shopping 

Mario decides it is time to start thinking about an emergency fund. He is 28 years old, young and knows that if he loses his job, he will be able to find another one in a relatively short time. His fund, therefore, should correspond to four months’ expenses: 1185 x 4 = 4740€. He rounds up and opts for the 5,000€. At this point, he will just have to figure out how to accumulate it. 

Perfect. You know how much you have to save, and you also know how to do it. The time has come to work on self-control. Of course, being rigorous and consistent in saving does not imply embracing asceticism: nobody is asking you to be the new Mahatma Gandhi. It just means concentrating and understanding what you really need. An interesting technique is to wait until the next day and ask yourself, “Do I still need that limited edition poster with Walter White and Gus Fring having lunch in Los Pollos Hermanos?” Yes, you will still need it. But you have been practising, and this exercise might save you a little extra next time. 

Nice but… the emergency fund has a big problem.

Your emergency fund now exists and is no longer just a good New Year’s resolution. However, it doesn’t end there, there is still one hurdle to overcome, the number one enemy of savings, the final boss: inflation. Indeed, in theory, this liquid treasure you have built up with so much effort, like a bit of ant, is destined to stay put for quite a while – knock on wood – because it is meant for emergencies. The problem is that time passes, inflation rises, and your emergency fund loses value.

You thought you had the solution ready to face the final boss, huh? Super Mario had to cross eight worlds to defeat Bowser and retrieve Peach. All you have to do is sign up below and read the articles we post about it, like this one. Until next time!

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