Three steps. In order. No shortcuts.

Most clients work the first three steps in twelve to twenty-four months.

The order matters more than the speed. Step one buys you the room to do step two without going backwards, and step two is what frees up the money that makes step three possible.

1. 1

   Save $1,000 for your starter emergency fund

   Before anything else. This is the buffer that keeps a flat tire from becoming a credit-card balance. Most households get there in four to eight weeks by selling something, pausing retirement contributions for a month, or picking up short-term work. It is not meant to be comfortable and it is not meant to last.

2. 2

   Pay off all debt (except the house) using the snowball

   Smallest balance first. Minimums on the rest. Roll the freed-up payment as each one clears. The math says highest interest first; the results say smallest balance first, because the thing that makes people finish is seeing a balance actually hit zero. This is the step that takes the longest and the step where a weekly coach earns their fee.

3. 3

   Save 3 to 6 months of expenses in a real emergency fund

   Now you are solid. A job change, a medical bill, a roof: none of these are catastrophes anymore. Three months if you have two stable incomes, six if you are self-employed or single-income. This is also the point where most clients move from weekly coaching to a monthly check-in.