Start here
Six steps, in the order that actually works
If you're new, don't try to read everything. Find the step you're on, do the one thing it says, and come back when it's done. Each step makes the next one easier.
- One thing to do for each step — not a reading list
- The free tools that go with it, no email needed for most
- The same order the free money sheet is built around
30 seconds
Which step am I on?
Five yes-or-no questions
Do you know roughly what comes in and goes out each month?
Is at least one month of expenses set aside?
Is all your debt under about 8% — not counting the mortgage?
Do you have any income besides the day job?
Does money go into investments automatically every month?
The goal: financial freedom
What are you truly after?
The first thing I have to ask is — what are you truly after? Are you really chasing money, or are you chasing the feeling you believe money will create for you? Most of us dream about how, if we just had enough money, we could finally feel free, happy, alive, excited, and secure. But the truth is you can achieve that wonderful state right now, and it doesn't depend on the size of your bank account.
It all depends on what we focus on. Focus on what you have and what you can be grateful for — your loved ones, running water, a roof over your head, your mind, your skills, the road you didn't have to pave yourself. Take your negative thoughts and trade them for gratitude, love, and appreciation. When you do this, your life changes in an instant.
Now that we have the right mindset, let's get into how to actually achieve financial freedom. There are many ways — some easier than others, some quicker. Anyone can do this; you just need the fundamentals and a plan that fits your life. There isn't one single plan that works for everyone, so our goal is to give you the tools to build your own.
The short version
All six on one screen
Roughly in this order — each one makes the next easier. Tap a step for the full version.
Manage your money
You can't manage what you don't measure. Work out what's coming in and what's going out, then give every dollar a name and a destination.
Step 1 →Save a buffer
Pay yourself first, then live on the rest. Start with one month of expenses, moved automatically — enough that a flat tire doesn't become a credit card balance.
Step 2 →Kill the expensive debt
Anything over about 8%. That's a return you can count on, which the market can't promise. Smallest balance first — finishing beats optimizing. Take the full 401(k) match first, though: free money outranks everything.
Step 3 →Earn more money
There's no ceiling on what you can earn — only on what you can save. Cut what you don't need, then add one income — one, done properly, not five at once.
Step 4 →Grow your money
Time in the market beats timing the market. Top the buffer up to three months, then index funds, consistently, whatever the market happens to be doing that week.
Step 5 →Give
Money serves something bigger than you. Your church, your community, a charity, your time. This one doesn't wait for step five — it's the point of the other five, not the reward for finishing them.
Step 6 →Step 1 of 6
Manage your money
You can't manage what you don't measure. Work out what's coming in and what's going out, then give every dollar a name and a destination.
Do this first
Pull last month's statement and add up two numbers: everything that came in, and everything that went out. That's your starting line — no judging it yet.
You're done when you know your monthly number, and every dollar has a job before the month starts.
Step 2 of 6
Save a buffer
Pay yourself first, then live on the rest. Start with one month of expenses, moved automatically — enough that a flat tire doesn't become a credit card balance.
Do this first
Set up an automatic transfer for the day after payday, into a separate savings account, and leave it running until one month of expenses is sitting there.
You're done when one month of expenses is set aside, and the transfer runs without you.
Step 3 of 6
Kill the expensive debt
Anything over about 8%. That's a return you can count on, which the market can't promise. Smallest balance first — finishing beats optimizing. Take the full 401(k) match first, though: free money outranks everything.
Do this first
List every debt with its balance and its rate. Anything over about 8% — not the mortgage — goes on the list, smallest balance first. Check you're getting the full 401(k) match before a single extra dollar goes to debt.
You're done when nothing over about 8% is left, and you're still taking the full match.
Step 4 of 6
Earn more money
There's no ceiling on what you can earn — only on what you can save. Cut what you don't need, then add one income — one, done properly, not five at once.
Do this first
Take the two-minute quiz and pick one side business that fits the hours you actually have — not the hours you wish you had.
You're done when one extra income is running. One, done properly, not five at once.
Read next
Free tool
What business should I start? →Eight questions, two minutes, no email needed.Step 5 of 6
Grow your money
Time in the market beats timing the market. Top the buffer up to three months, then index funds, consistently, whatever the market happens to be doing that week.
Do this first
Run your freedom number so you know what you're aiming at. Then set up one automatic monthly investment, and stop checking it every day.
You're done when the buffer is three months, and money goes into investments every month whether you remember or not.
Read next
Free tool
Freedom number calculator →What you'd need invested, and the date you'd get there.Compound interest calculator →What steady monthly investing turns into.Step 6 of 6
Give
Money serves something bigger than you. Your church, your community, a charity, your time. This one doesn't wait for step five — it's the point of the other five, not the reward for finishing them.
Do this first
Put a giving line in this month's budget — any amount — before you make step one's cuts. Your church, your community, a charity, your time.
You're done when never. This is the one step you don't finish.
Not sure how much?
Pick a small, fixed amount you won't miss, put it in the budget like a bill, and raise it a little with every raise. The habit matters more than the size.
Free tools
Run your own numbers before you trust mine
Built by an engineer rather than a marketing team. The calculators and the quiz ask for nothing; the sheet comes by email.
Free download
The money sheet and dashboard I actually use
- Budget, bills, debts and investments in one sheet
- Debt payoff dates, and what paying extra saves you
- Built for Google Sheets: free, nothing to install
- Comes with a sample year, so you see it working before you type a thing
Straight to your inbox. Unsubscribe anytime. I don't sell lists.
Screens from the sheet itself, showing its sample year — not anyone's real accounts.
Everything here is education, not financial advice. Some of the articles linked above contain affiliate links, and each one says so where it does.