Take control of your money
Edited by: Amy Kalin, Senior Editor, Credit & Debt
Follow our steps to master your money so you can live for today, but prepare for the future.
Image: financial-firsts-manage-spendingEditorial Note: Intuit Credit Karma receives compensation from third-party advertisers, but that doesn’t affect our editors’ opinions. Our third-party advertisers don’t review, approve or endorse our editorial content. Information about financial products not offered on Credit Karma is collected independently. Our content is accurate to the best of our knowledge when posted.
Your roadmap begins here
Managing money is about making sure you have the cash you need for what’s important to you now and tomorrow.
Start with these steps:
Image: Circle + Icon@2x-3Learn what accounts you need and plug into tools that automate tasks and help with cash flow.
Image: build creditCreate a budget and track spending
Apps and other tools make it easy to stay on top of your money so you stress less (and make more progress)
Image: Circle + Icon@2xSave and build an emergency fund
Think of saving as paying yourself so you can live independently and have more fun
Got questions? We have answers.
A good first step toward taking control of your money is to get an accurate idea of what you earn and what you spend each month — that’s it. Once you have a sense of that, you can make one move at a time: setting up banking, then budgeting and planning, and setting up goals and strategies for saving.
Setting goals that actually mean something to you can help motivate you to stay on top of your finances. That might mean a trip, moving out, paying off a card, or just not stressing about bills. It can also help break big goals into smaller milestones so you can see real progress along the way. And give yourself permission to enjoy at least some of your money now, not just later.
Yes, especially when you’re just getting started on your own and expenses are significant but income is still building. The gap between where you are and where you want to be can feel bigger than it is, particularly when social media makes everyone else’s finances look easy. The most important thing isn’t where you are, but where you want to go.