Pay Off Debt or Save? Your 5-Step Guide for Making Smart Money Decisions

Making decisions about money can be difficult. Most people have several financial goals—but knowing which ones should come first or where to start can be challenging.

We all have limited financial resources to manage. If you don’t know what your priorities should be, it’s easy to feel stuck and never make any progress.

Here are some recent questions I received from Money Girl readers and podcast listeners:

Michele M. asks: “I’m wondering if I should use my savings to pay off my credit cards and then build my savings back up again?

Naomi S. wonders: “I’m trying to get out of credit card debt, take control of my financial life, and set up a good financial future for my children. Do you have any tips on where to start so I can have less financial stress?”

James B. asks: "With so many ways to spend and invest money, I'm not sure that I'm focusing on the right things. What should my financial goals be, exactly?"

These are questions you may have asked also. In this episode, I’ll answer them by giving you a step-by-step guide for making smart money decisions.

5-Step Guide for Making Smart Money Decisions

Whenever you have a money question or dilemma, come back to this guide for a clear path forward. It can be the ticket for leveraging your financial resources, reducing stress, and building wealth as quickly as possible.

Step #1: Build a cash reserve.

Oftentimes I get money questions about paying off different types of debt, such as credit cards, student loans, and mortgages. My first response is to ask if you have a cash reserve, also known as an emergency fund.

Your number one financial priority before doing anything else should be to accumulate an emergency fund. Having a cash cushion to fall back on can be the difference between surviving a financial emergency—such as losing your job or having an unexpected medical bill—or getting buried under it.

Devastating events are tough enough to handle without also being stressed about money. When you don’t have a financial cushion to soften the blow of a large expense or a loss of income, you could end up going into debt.

How much emergency savings you should have is different for everyone. If you work in an unstable industry or are the sole breadwinner for a large family, you probably need a bigger financial cushion than a single person with no dependents and plenty of job opportunities.

Ideally, you should accumulate at least three to six months’ worth of your living expenses. Another good rule of thumb is to accumulate at least 10% of your annual gross...

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