Money Talks E1: Finding Your Financial Baseline

Important takeaways

  • Take a hard look at your finances and make a list of where every dollar is going.
  • Label each expense on the list as either “necessary” or “unnecessary.” This will give you a financial baseline (and opportunities for saving).
  • Set short- and long-term goals. Write them down and reference them often to see if you’re making progress.

Don’t worry if progress is slow—slow progress is still progress. Trust your plan and remember that it’s the small spending decisions over time that help you reach your financial goals.  

Keep Going

Financial Wellness Planning: Tracking Your Spending

Start your journey toward financial wellness by tracking all your spending. There are plenty of budgeting apps out there, or you can track your spending manually.

Young woman on a laptop.

6 Steps to Prepare for Your (Financial) Future

Small steps and helpful tools—like the right savings account (they’re not all made equal)—can help you get ahead. Here are six small steps you can take.

Dustpan and brush sweeping up the word

Debt Snowball vs. Debt Avalanche

Looking for an efficient way to eliminate your debt? Discover the debt snowball and debt avalanche, which focus on paying off one debt at a time.

Person counting money.

Signs You Might Be Living Beyond Your Means

It's easy to accrue debt these days. Steer away from the "living paycheck to paycheck" path by checking yourself for these red flags.