4 things people who are good with money do every day

People who are good with money understand there's no time to waste. They start saving as early as they can, stay away from high-interest debt, and commit to growing their money through investing.

Most importantly, they establish both short-term and long-term goals and revisit them regularly. And the decisions they make every day — from positioning themselves for a raise at work to tracking their spending — bring them one step closer to achieving their financial goals.

"The No. 1 reason most people don't get what they want is that they don't know what they want," said T. Harv Eker, a self-made millionaire. "Rich people are totally clear that they want wealth."

When you're trying to spend less and save more, temptation may be the greatest enemy. People who are good with money aren't necessarily born with a higher dose of discipline, but they know how to create it.

As James Clear, a productivity and habits expert, writes in his bestselling book "Atomic Habits,": "'Disciplined' people are better at structuring their lives in a way that does not require heroic willpower and self-control. In other words, they spend less time in tempting situations."

That is to say, people who are good with money are thoughtful about where they spend their time. They aim to limit their exposure to situations where they are tempted to overspend on things that don't align with their goals, such visiting the mall during a blowout sale or a rooftop bar during happy hour.

"This seems obvious, but there are plenty of people who only focus on two things when it comes to money: making it and spending it," Katie Brewer, a certified financial planner and the founder of financial-planning firm Your Richest Life, wrote in a blog post. "But that is a short-term view of money that does not lead to wealth."

One of the most common paths to wealth is consistent saving and investing, according to research by Tom Corley, a CFP and CPA who studied wealthy people for five years.

Corley found that it took people with modest incomes about 32 years to accumulate an average of $3.3 million. They spent over three decades consistently saving at least 20% of their income and investing thoughtfully.

• Read more:
• 7 signs you're building wealth faster than you think
• 6 ways you're probably leaving money on the table on a daily basis
• 7 things people who are good with money know that the rest of us don't
• 7 signs you're spending more money than you can afford