You Need a Budget: The Proven System for Breaking the Paycheck-to-Paycheck Cycle, Getting Out of Debt, and Living the Life You Want

Should I? always loops back to Can I?, keeping that anxiety bubbling so we know we need to do something—we’re just not sure what, or when, or what we’re even capable of.

My issue with debt is that it restricts your cash flow. It keeps money away from your priorities as you pay hundreds (sometimes thousands!) of dollars a month for something that’s already happened.

If you’re ready to design the life you want, you’ll need to engage with your money consistently.

Set a goal to save what you spend in a typical month.

My rule of thumb for deciding whether a debt is “good” or “bad” is whether the thing for which you’re borrowing will go down in value.

You’re just starting to take control of your money. Don’t expect to be able to fund everything. It takes a while to build up to being able to put something toward every goal every month, and maybe you don’t even need to.

What do I want my money to do for me? is about nothing less than deciding what kind of life you want to live, and then making a plan so your money can help you get there.

Rule Two is your debt antidote. Use it to figure out what you can afford in debt payments. Then keep using it to keep yourself out of debt forever.

you will burn out if you demand too much of yourself