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0) Learn How to Budget.
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1) Build a starter emergency fund. This is $1000.
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2) Use the Debt Snowball Method to pay off ALL DEBT
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3) Save six months of expenses in an emergency fund.
Congrats on being debt-free! After this step, we can ease up on the intensity.
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4a) Invest 5% of your income into retirement accounts
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4b) Save towards a downpayment
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5) Get a Mortgage
This is where the path REALLY deviates from Ramsey, and I’ll dive into specifics. First, I will define a few terms, explain why I believe his approach is unrealistic for most people living in California, and then highlight a more realistic balance.
Once you’ve secured the mortgage, shift back to 15% for retirement.
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Now that a mortgage is secured, we can go from intensity to intentionality. We are back to the plan. These next steps occur at the same time.
6) Invest 15% of your income into retirement accounts
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