Like a good "responsible" adult, I created a budget. On paper, everything looked great. I had everything accounted for. In reality, I suffered from "empty piggy bank syndrome". Every month, without fail, I exhausted my budget and had to dig into my savings or debt just to survive.

That's what happens when your income is only $30,000 per year but your debt is $70,000 and the bills keep coming.

Breaking out of this pattern felt like an impossibility until I started to take small and specific steps to dig a path toward financial freedom. I took specific steps, some of them outlined below, to build a life centered around my financial future and not my financial past.

1. Get a REAL honest picture of where you are.
2. Start looking for the "leaks" in your budget.
3. Pay yourself first.
4. Pre-spend every dollar. End the month with a zero budget.
5. Set up auto-pay, if you are can afford it.
6. Become a financial adult. Delay instant gratification.

One resource I found to very helpful to me was Dave Ramsey.

Please note that I am providing general financial principles, not specific advice. For specific financial advice, please contact a certified financial advisor.

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