Summary
Ramsey's seven Baby Steps offer a strict, sequential plan: a $1,000 starter emergency fund, debt snowball (smallest balance first), 3–6 months expenses saved, then invest, college, mortgage, and giving. He's blunt about credit cards, leases, and 'normal' debt being normal because most people are broke. The math is sometimes suboptimal (debt avalanche pays less interest), but the behavioral wins from quick small victories often beat the spreadsheet.
