If you take a poll of just about anyone that works for a living, you will find that most people would be happier if they could earn more and work less. After all, nobody ever got to retirement age and regretted not spending more time at the office.

But, given today's volatile financial markets, an uncertain economy, all-time highs in consumer debt, and the diminishing value of the dollar on the world stage, how on earth is anyone supposed to get far enough ahead of their own cost of living to find financial success?

Our parents certainly could not teach us, as we are doing just as they did (get good grades in school, find a good college, find a good job, work hard, and retire with almost nothing to show for it). Schools don't teach us since it would not be in their best interest to show a better way to do things. Where does that leave us?

Really, the best solution is finding people that have done it successfully and emulate them. Find out what they are reading and what they study, do your own research, and read, read, read. This is an important first step because you have to basically unlearn what you've already been taught (to be poor) and retrain yourself (to be rich). You cannot do too much reading to do this.

I personally am reading the Rich Dad, Poor Dad series by Robert Kiyosaki, Seven Years to Seven Figures by Michael Masterson, and Napoleon Hill-type books--people that have been there, done that. I buy the books because I like to make margin notes, but even if you don't have the money, you can check them out from your local library.

The next step is researching strategies that help you pay off your current debt and get you on your feet financially--Kiyosaki has a book called "How to get out of debt without cutting up your credit cards"--highly recommended, as my wife and I are using his methods in our own situtation.

Once you are more financially solvent, it is time to start looking for suitable programs to get you into the real estate market. One such program that has become pretty popular is Armando Montelongo's Flip It Now, who has a program called Flip This House that airs regularly on A&E.

But, no matter what programs or techniques you use, just remember to do your due diligence before committing to anything. Real estate will always be valuable to someone and it is the savvy investor that finds the property before it becomes valuable to everyone.