7. Get professional advice

A good financial planner can help you fill your portfolio with the right investments and dump the wrong ones. You don’t need to relinquish control, but you do need to form a good relationship with an expert in this complicated area.

According to another Fidelity survey, more than 6 out of 10 millionaire investors use financial advisers to help manage and protect their wealth.

Maybe finding the right adviser could tip the scales toward the seven-figure milestone. If you can’t afford to have a financial planner manage your money, many will review your portfolio and make recommendations for a one-time fee.

Bankrate’s “Save a million dollars calculator” can show how long it will take for you to reach your big goal.

6. Start your own business

In their book “The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America’s Wealthy,” authors Thomas Stanley and William Danko say that two-thirds of millionaires are self-employed, and that entrepreneurs represent the majority of that group. The rest are professionals, such as doctors and accountants.

Entrepreneurs create most of the country’s wealth. Most millionaires in the making — 8 out of 10 — earned or increased their assets on their own, a survey by Fidelity Investments found. That holds true for actual millionaires as well.

5. Invest in ways that work for you

It takes money to make money, but that doesn’t mean you need a lot to invest.

Open an account with a mutual fund company that has no-load funds and low expense ratios. Build a diverse portfolio, and you can reasonably expect to earn 8 to 10 percent annually on your investments over the long haul.

If you have the initial cash to put into buying property, consider investing in real estate. You can create an additional revenue stream for yourself by renting, and earn long-term through appreciation.

You can also invest your money in the stock market by using an online broker like Robinhood or E-Trade.

If you want to increase your investments or diversify further, look into passive income opportunities. Side gigs like selling informational products or choosing dividend-yielding stocks that aren’t time-consuming can help you offset spending and dedicate more to saving and investing long-term.

4. Lay off the credit

Some people say that if you can eat it or wear it, don’t put it on your credit card. That’s good advice, but take it further. Try not to put anything on your cards that you can’t pay off in two or three months.

You need only one or two credit cards. If you have a fistful, pay them off. Remember, debt holds you back.

“It reduces cash flow for other things, including investing,” Welch says. “If no one gave you money to borrow, you’d be better off.”

3. Live below your means

Living according to a “treat yourself” philosophy can quickly lead to debt and unnecessary liabilities.

Don’t be a walking billboard for overpriced designer clothes, shoes, sunglasses or jewelry.

And, don’t allow your house or car payments to be budget-busters. Use Bankrate’s mortgage calculator to determine how much house you can really afford.

2. Save, save, save

The end result of your financial plan should be systematic investment. Get in the habit of saving money. Build an emergency fund in a money market account so you don’t have to raid the rest of your savings and investments when an unexpected major expense arises.

Make a point of saving at least half of every pay raise.

Look into your savings options so you are sure you’re getting the best return on what you put in. Open a savings account or CD with good rates. Think about your retirement fund. Work toward maxing out your 401(k) and then putting any additional funds into a traditional or Roth IRA.

Diversification of your savings can be the most important key in getting the most out of what you are able to save.

1. Develop a written financial plan

Saying you want to be wealthy isn’t good enough. You need to come up with a workable plan and put it on paper.

“The written plan forces you to do something,” says Stewart Welch of The Welch Group in Birmingham, Alabama.

“Calculate what you need to earn and how to invest. The plan isn’t just the goal, it’s the whole thing — the dream, the goals, the options.”

The options, he adds, are “scenario planning” — all the ways you can accomplish that goal, such as opening a Roth IRA or contributing to a 401(k).