Building wealth is a journey, and like most journeys, the sooner you start, the further you’ll go. Thus, whether you’re saving for retirement, to put your kids through college, or to achieve any other goal, it’s important to start as early as possible. Because so many factors affect your wealth, you’ll need to begin by coming up with a clear, detailed financial plan. The specific path you take will vary based on your ambitions, family size, and other factors. But every plan for building wealth must contain these things. 1. Increase Your Income You can’t save money unless you make money, so the first step in financial freedom is to earn a high income. Formal education is only part of the process of building skills. It is equally important to gain practical experience in your field, so begin working at an early age, and do as good a job as possible for every employer you work for. Even if you’re still in school, you may be able to gain work experience through an internship,