Baby Step 1: Save $1,000 for your starter emergency fund. I know what you’re thinking. Is $1,000 really enough? Yes. It was never meant to cover everything. It’s just a buffer to keep you from going deeper into debt while you power through Baby Step 2. Stay focused, knock out the debt, and then you’ll build a fully funded emergency fund. Stick to the plan. It works! | Dave Ramsey

When you’re working through the first three Baby Steps, you need to attack them with everything you’ve got. Save $1,000, pay off all your debt using the debt snowball, then build a fully funded emergency fund of 3–6 months of expenses. Once you do that, you’ll feel a level of freedom and peace you’ve never had before. No more stress, no more payments—just breathing room and control over your money. But to get there, you have to commit. You have to be so focused that your broke friends think you’

Making a budget for each month (before the month begins) and sticking to it will make you feel like you got a raise! Here’s how to create a simple budget each month 👇 1️⃣ Write down your total income. 2️⃣ List your expenses (including any money you’ll save). 3️⃣ Subtract expenses from income to equal zero. This is called a zero-based budget, and it helps you give every dollar you made that month a clear purpose. 4️⃣ Track your spending to make sure you stick to your plan. | Dave Ramsey