That's a question I've been asking myself for years. It's not an easy question to answer. Because there are so many factors.

While I don't have all the answers, I've pretty much concluded that there are 2 reasons that are NOT factors in how much money you make (at least not by themselves):

1) Being a nice person. Sure, you can be nice and make lots of money. But being nice doesn't mean riches will fall in your lap. And being nice does not mean you'll get promoted. Or your business will flourish. Or that you'll get lucky. Not that you need to be a jerk. But if you think the "money gods" will bless you with money or success just because you are nice and treat others well, forget it. Life doesn't work that way.

But be nice anyway. Just because it's the right thing to do.

2) Working hard. Yes, you need to work hard to make money. But just working hard alone won't make you rich. How many people do you know that work long hours in factories, or stores, or any other job and DON'T make millions? I could easily work 100 hours a week at my job and never get rich. I imagine that's true for most people.

But work hard anyway. Because without it, you'll never succeed at anything.

3) Get lucky. If you spend your life waiting and hoping you'll win the lottery, or you'll inherit a fortune from a long-lost relative, you'll be 6 feet under AND be broke. Luck won't make you rich. Those "overnight sensations" you read about? Most of them spend years failing and learning - and failing and learning - before they become rich overnight.

But feel lucky anyway. No matter how bad life may seem, if you're alive and breathing, you're lucky!

Wish I could tell you exactly what will make you richer than your friends, or neighbors, or stars you see on TV. But that's a dream you'll need to follow on your own. Here are good ideas to think about.

Then decide what your dream is, and follow it until it comes true!

You read all the time about how rich or successful people - business people, celebrities, star athletes, lottery winners - end up going bankrupt. With all that money, you would figure that they would have everything they need in life.

And that they would find a way to at least keep enough of their money to avoid going broke.

I know, I know. Bankruptcy doesn't always mean you've lost all your riches. Some people just seem to use it as a business strategy.

But the whole idea of success, failure, and money are all connected in some strong way.

To help myself succeed, I belong to a marketing forum run by Josh Spaulding, and he wrote the following article on this article about success and failure.

What does that have to do with credit card debt?

A lot.

Because getting out of debt is a success much like building a profitable business, or reaching any worthwhile goal. Those who have a goal, and a plan, and don't let anything stop them succeed (get out of debt). Those who don't will stay in debt.

The turning point for me in getting out of debt was deciding that I had enough. And deciding that I was going to do WHATEVER IT TAKES to get out of debt.

It was hard. And stressful. And took a lot of sacrifice. And it took me about 2 years.

But in the end I succeeded!

And I'm no financial "whiz" - if I can do it, so you can you!

Work hard. And make it happen. Create your own success. Then do it in other areas of your life. You owe it to yourself!

If you have a success story about debt, money, or any area of your life - no matter how small - let us know in a comment below.

Have you ever signed up for some type of debt relief program, and stopped before you got completely out of debt?

If so, it looks like you're not alone. I just finished reading this article Why credit counseling often fails. And I wonder why people who really need help getting out of debt don't follow through until the end?

For me, I had enough of trying on my own. So getting professional help was obvious. And even though it was stressful, I kept going until every last bill was paid off.

Why doesn't everyone do this?

I don't know, exactly. But I know the most important step for me in getting out of debt was making the commitment. So maybe those people who drop out aren't committed 100%. Or maybe it's too hard to stay focused for months at a time, or in some cases years.

As I often say, there's no "magic cure" for credit card debt. It takes most people years to dig their financial hole, and it will take years to get out.

Sure, it's hard to be patient when you're struggling financially. Trust me, I understand. But it can be done.

So, if you're one of those people who tried credit counseling or debt settlement and didn't finish, think about this:

1) Ask yourself if you're really committed to getting out of debt.
2) If you are, then write it down on a piece of paper, and put it where you'll see it.
3) Write down on another piece of paper how much better your life will be without any credit card bills.
4) Whenever times get tough, read both papers.

And let me know what happens then!

Have you ever thought about how much it costs to raise a kid these days? If not, let me tell you - raising kids is more expensive than I thought!

As the father of 3 kids, I knew that raising kids wasn't cheap. But I never thought you could put a dollar amount on the cost of raising kids. but you can. And somebody has.

I just read an article on this and now I know why I feel like I'm broke - it will cost me nearly $750,000 to raise my 3 kids! Wow. Not sure if it's more reassuring to know why money is so tight, or depressing. Not that I have any regrets. My kids are great. But that's a lot of money! And it doesn't even include costs for me and my wife.

OK, now that I got that off my chest ... here are a few ways to help make life easier if you are raising kids:

1) Shop around - every 2 years or so I get quotes on car and life insurance, to try to save as much as possible (I get health insurance from work, so even though it's very expensive, I can't change that). Call around for all of your regular expenses, and see you can lower any of them. You may not save a bundle. But every little bit helps.

2) Cut out some "extras" you don't need - get cheaper cable tv and cell phone plans without all the little fees, don't eat out so often, buy generic brands for food and clothing, etc. Look through your bank statements and credit card bills. You'll come up with a few ideas.

3) Buy used - you can find a lot of good deals on Cragislist.com and eBay.com (and you can also make some money - in fact, I just made nearly $200 selling stuff we found in our basement that we no longer used). No sense over-paying for things that you can buy at bargain prices!

My oldest is now 16 years old, so before long we'll need another car, with insurance. And college is just around the corner. So I'm heading right smack into the most expensive period of raising kids. I'll definitely be following tip 1 on this one. But if you have any other tips for saving money on car insurance for a new driver, or cutting costs on college tuition, or you have any other helpful money saving tips involving children and parenting, let us know by commenting below.