Lots of us dream of great wealth, but our plans to make millions often don’t extend beyond playing the lottery or hoping for a long lost uncle to remember us in his will.

John Maxwell, Managing Director of Virgin Money, says very few of us know how to make the real ‘moola’. “The truth is people spend more time planning a shopping list than putting together a strategy that will make them rich.”

Here are Virgin Money’s 10 things you should do to ensure that one day you’re rolling in it:

1. Decide to be financially successful.

   This is different than wishing, hoping, wanting or even desiring to be rich. Financial independence is not just luck and it usually requires some inconvenience — like doing without a new car for five years, halving your clothes budget, working longer hours and spending less on cocktails with umbrellas in them.

2. Develop a written financial plan.

   Write down your dreams and how you plan to make them come true, no matter how silly they sound or what other people say. Write down your ideas and work out how to fulfill your ambitions. Write down all your options and work out how you can start following them up.

3. Get a saving habit.

   Got a bonus or an increase? Social life slow and you have extra cash? Don't spend it. Save at least half of every pay raise by acting as if you never got it. Get the extra money out of your account as soon as you get paid and put it somewhere you can't dip into it. Get into the habit of saving. Build up a spare fund so you never have to dip into your savings accounts.

4. Live below your means.

   This bit is simple but people’s need to show off makes it hard. Buy a house that is adequate, not extravagant. Do you really need your new car to have a 12-litre engine and a 400km/h top speed?

   Also, and this is a biggie, pay yourself first. Deduct 10 percent off the top of your income and deposit it into your investment account and then live on what is left over.

5. Understand how money works.

   Most of us never studied finance and struggle to balance a checkbook. To master anything, you have to understand it. Read. Study what successful people do. Take classes and learn about money and how to make the most of it.

6. Use credit responsibly.

   Remember, too much debt holds you back. Use your credit cards responsibly and make sure you aren’t paying over the odds for annual fees and debit balances when you do need it for finance.

7. Make money work for you, not you for it.

   There are lots of ways for the smaller investor to start accumulating a pot of cash. If you save at first then you can look at investing. Your money pot will gradually build. Most of us either spend or speculate. Both are roads to disaster! Invest in things you understand. Invest cautiously, wisely, and regularly. The objective is not to 'make a killing', but to get rich over time. Know and obey the distinction between gambling and putting your money to work for you.

8. Don't run from shares.

   There's a huge difference between the gains (and losses) you can make by investing in the stock market, when compared to returns from a savings account at a bank.

   When you put your money in a bank account, you loan the money to a bank for a fixed return. You give them your money and they invest it and make large profits. A high percentage of your money will end up in the stock market. The bank then takes their profit and gives you a small percentage, your interest rate!

   Why give your hard earned money to banks so that they can benefit from it? Why not learn how to invest in shares and get more than a small amount of interest in return? Remember though, stocks are a long term game.

9. Increase your assets.

   Most people try to increase their income, and that's a mistake. Making more money means paying more taxes. It takes time and hard work. And, when wealth arrives in the form of cash, it's easier to spend. Millionaires buy stocks and buildings. They invest in assets that will make them rich — and that are hard to spend on a whim!

10. Get professional advice.

    If you are not a financial genius get yourself someone who is. A good financial planner can help you fill your portfolio with the right investments and dump the wrong ones. However, get someone with a good reputation as at least half of the financial planners out there are merely salesmen with poor knowledge. It's best to go on recommendations, so start asking around.