Raises, promotions and increases to your wallet are something all hard-working employees desire. Unfortunately, our happiness and livelihood can come to depend solely on the pursuit of the elusive dollar. We prove it by our constant go-to saying: “If only I had more money ... .”

So, we work hard and patiently wait for more. Naturally, the more we have, the better we’ll be — right? Not so fast.

As a minister who paid off $70,000 of debt in less than five years, I’ve met with many individuals on budgeting. In each of these conversations, I hear that same statement: “If only I had more money … .” However, more money doesn’t necessarily change anything. In fact, I’d like to debunk a few myths on this topic.

Myth No. 1: “If I had more money, I would be happier.” It seems the grass is always greener. In the pursuit of more money, people are often surprised when a financial increase doesn’t make life better.

Living in south Louisiana, our main industries are oil and gas. It’s common for husbands to work intense offshore schedules when the industry is booming as they attempt to capitalize on money-making opportunities. But while these workers are more than able to provide for their families financially, their relationships at home often suffer.

In our never-ending quest for more, we think more money will cover our areas of discontent. An increase in money won’t make you a better spouse or parent. Don’t believe the lie that one day life will get better simply because you make more money.

Myth No. 2: “If I had more money, I would handle it better.” If you live with no budget or financial strategy, it doesn’t matter whether you make $500 a week or four times that amount. If you don’t exercise discipline and build in margin for saving, your expenses will keep rising in proportion to your income gains.

In fact, this is something most people do — without even realizing — when extra cash comes their way. They have more, so they spend more. Maybe they buy a new car, upgrade to a larger house, or start eating out more. The margin in their finances stays small, and they wonder why they can never get ahead.

In our never-ending quest for more, we think more money will cover our areas of discontent.

Now, consider someone who has good budgeting and financial practices. Perhaps they get a raise, and their way of living stays the same. They don’t add any new expenses. This creates a lot of margin between their income and their expenses.

Once you gain that margin, you can have focused intentionality with it. You can choose where your money goes rather than having it disappear down a deep hole of expenses. You can give more, save more, and pay off debt faster.

Myth No. 3: “If I had more money, I would give more.” Generosity is not only a responsibility, but a blessing. Unfortunately, many people shrug off giving, telling themselves, If I had more, I would give.

This goes back to margin. If your expenses are taking up all your available income, you can’t afford to give. Once we manage our money better, we notice the margin widens and creates space for us to live generously. But with no strategy or plan, being able to give is just wishful thinking.

Even if your intentions are good, more money won’t automatically make you more generous. Why? If you spend all your money now, you will spend all your money even with more of it. You must prepare if you want to give.

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need more money. You simply need to manage it. If your current household salary stayed the same for the rest of your life, would you be satisfied with your margin-to-expenses ratio? If the answer is “no,” you are living above your financial means and need to take action.

How do you move forward with formulating a plan? The best way to start is to list all your expenses and your income. Most people don’t realize what they are spending their money on.

What’s your margin between your income and your expenses? What you see will help determine your course of action. If you want to increase the margin, perhaps you could drop your cable television subscription or downgrade your unlimited data plan to a smaller one. You might bring your lunch to work rather than eating out.

Some situations might require a bigger sacrifice, like selling a vehicle or downsizing a house. If you already have great margin, start a budget, and dictate where you want your money to go.

Regardless of where you fall, something is most certainly better than nothing. The answer to your financial situation is already in your checking account waiting for you to partner it with good management habits.