Look everywhere you can to cut a little bit from your expenses. It will all add up to a meaningful sum.

The dream of having one's dream job turned into "Oh my God, I'll take any job. I've been out of work for two years now. I don't care what I do. I'll do anything because I don't have any money".

Thoughtful financial planning can easily take a backseat to daily life.

Never cosign a loan. Once you have cosigned, you cannot get out of it - even on your deathbed.

Absolutely invest in retirement. You can always get a loan to get kids through school. I do not know of any loans to get you through retirement. The markets are seriously low from where they were (even though they've gone up 30 percent recently). Now is the time to be dollar cost averaging; the more money you put in, the more shares you buy. Save for your retirement, people.

I get more inspired by seeing everyday people succeed against the odds than anything else in life.

You are to set your own value, communicate that value to the world, and then not settle for less. Sound daunting? That's just because it takes you out of your comfort zone. You have got to stop being an obstacle on your own path to wealth and security and happiness. You must understand that valuing yourself is well within your control.