OK, you’ve decided to join the rebellion. You are no longer going to live your life under the oppressive weight of debt monster. So where do you start? This can be a debilitating issue as it may seem overwhelming. So what did I do.

First, I admitted to myself that I didn’t know what I was doing. I didn’t know enough to decipher good advice from bad advice. So after a couple of weeks of going back and forth, reading all over the web, and scouring through some books at the bookstore/library I decided to just start taking action. For me, personal finance came down to two basic things, paying down debt and saving money. I had nothing in savings and plenty of debt.

With that identified, I reasoned that I seriously needed to start an emergency fund. Now, there are tons of advice on how much you need in an emergency fund. Three to six months pay is a nice number, of which I am still building up towards. However, we are talking about getting started. So, I set a modest goal of paying each bill on time and putting back $100.00 in the emergency fund in three months time. Now, I know many out there would have better ideas. That wasn’t and isn’t the point.

I set a goal and accomplished it. This provided motivation to learn more. That is the important part in learning and motivation. Goals are very important for motivation. Each time you accomplish one, you feel better about yourself and drive harder to improve. It can be addicting. Just keep setting small goals. Small steps. As you learn they will become bigger and better. Don’t be afraid to be wrong about your ideas, just learn and change as you go.

-rebel