At the end of each month, there are three, and only three, possible outcomes. You are either getting ahead, getting by, or getting behind. You’re getting ahead if you are financially better off than when the month started. That means you saved part of your paycheck or put some money away in your 401(k). It means you are closer to reaching your goals. On the other hand, if you are getting by, it means you spend pretty much what you make. You’re not going into debt but you’re not saving either. Financially speaking, you’re just surviving. The last option is that you are getting behind. That means you are spending more than you are making—you’re going into debt each month.

The only way to get ahead each day, week, month, and year is to save and to invest. Even if it’s only $10 or $20 a month. Set your Goal and Do it. Just get it started even if you have debt. There’s something very special that begins to happen when you start to save and you begin to see your savings/investment account grow. Most of us want to achieve our goals and to improve our lives. If we simply focus all of our money and effort on paying off debt, it doesn’t feel as good. While of course we need to pay off our debt, I absolutely recommend you take some money each paycheck and put it into a savings or investment account.