Preface ix 1 Million Dollar Habits 1 No. 1: Start Small, Dream Big 3 No. 2: Don't Compare Yourself to Others 5 No. 3: Automate and Stay Consistent 5 No. 4: Start with Day 1 6 No. 5: Keep It Real 7 No. 6: Invest Early and Often 9 Summary 12 Notes 13 Worksheet: Million Dollar Habits 14 2 Plans Change - So Can Your Money 15 The Story No One Told You 17 The Real Reasons Money Feels Tight 18 A New Plan for Your Money 26 Summary 29 Notes 29 3 Money Mindset and Your Emotions 31 Emotions and Your Money 34 Step 1: Identify Your Money Mindset 35 Step 2: Tackle Your Emotional Spending 41 Step 3: Take Action 46 Summary 47 Notes 48 Worksheet: Shift Your Money Mindset 49 4 Flip the Script on Budgets 51 What a Budget Should Be 53 Step 1: Get Organized 58 Step 2: Set Your Money Goals 64 Step 3: Build Your Budget 73 Step 4: Automate Your Money 80 Summary 85 Worksheet: Build Your Budget 87 5 Tackle Your Debt 95 Develop Your Debt Payoff Plan 101 Find Extra Money to Pay Down Your Debt 114 Accelerate Your Debt Payoff 120 For the Student Debt Warriors 124 Summary 131 Notes 136 Worksheet: Debt Payoff 137 6 Get Your Full Financial Picture 141 Net Worth 143 Your Credit Score 144 Your Liquidity Ratio 146 Your Debt-to-Income (DTI) Ratio 147 How Often Should I Check These Numbers? 149 Summary 151 Worksheet: Get Your Financial Picture 152 7 Invest Early and Often 155 The Magic of Investing: Compound Growth 158 Tanya's Wealth Journey 163 How Much Should I Invest? 169 Update Your Investment Goals 175 Summary 177 Notes 178 8 Investing 101 179 The Magic of Tax-Advantaged Accounts 181 The Average Money Maker's Guide to Investments 208 Summary 220 Notes 221 Worksheet: Investing 101 222 9 Beyond the Basics 225 Tanya's Next Steps 227 How to Open a Brokerage Account 232 For High Income Earners: Consider a Backdoor Roth 240 Get Penalty-Free Access to Your Investments? Using a Roth Ladder 241 Tracking Your Investments Across Multiple Accounts 243 Creating Generational Wealth 243 Summary 249 10 Confessions of a First-Time Homebuyer 251 My Homeownership Journey 253 Lessons Learned 259 11 The Rent Versus Buy Debate 267 Why Buying a House Can Be Difficult 268 The Pros and Cons of Homeownership 272 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Buying a Home 274 Summary 276 Notes 276 12 Nine Steps to Homeownership 277 Real Estate Lingo 278 Step 1: Find Out How Much You Can Afford 282 Step 2: Shop Around for Lenders 289 Step 3: Find Your Home 291 Step 4: Make a Strong Offer 292 Step 5: Finalize Your Mortgage 293 Step 6: Get Your Inspection 294 Step 7: Get Homeowners Insurance 295 Step 8: Final Walk-Through 295 Step 9: Closing Day! 295 Building Wealth with Real Estate 296 Summary 302 Closing 305 Appendix 309 Acknowledgments 317 About the Author 319 Index 321.