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Achieving financial literacy can help individuals avoid making poor financial decisions and help them become self-sufficient and achieve financial stability. Key steps to attaining financial literacy include learning how to create a budget, track spending, pay off debt, and plan for retirement. Educating yourself on these topics also involves learning how money works, setting and achieving financial goals, becoming aware of unethical/discriminatory financial practices, and managing financial challenges that life throws your way.

How do I create a budget?
Budgeting starts with tracking how much money you receive every month, minus how much money you spend every month. You can do this in an Excel sheet, on paper, or in a budgeting app—it’s up to you. However you track your budget, clearly lay out the following:

Income: List all sources of money that you receive in a month, with the dollar amount. This can include paychecks, investment income, alimony, settlements, and money that you make from side jobs or other projects, such as selling crafts.
Expenses: List every purchase that you make in a month, split into two categories: fixed expenses and discretionary spending. If you can’t remember where you’re spending money, review your bank statements, credit card statements, and brokerage account statements. Fixed expenses are the purchases that you must make every month. Their amounts don’t change (or change very little) and are considered essential. They include rent/mortgage payments, loan payments, and utilities. Discretionary spending is the category for nonessential or varying purchases for things like restaurant meals, shopping, clothes, and travel. Consider them wants rather than needs.
Savings: Record the amount of money that you’re able to save each month, whether it’s in cash, cash deposited into a bank account, or money that you add to an investment account or retirement account like an IRA or 401(k) if your employer offers one.

Bank accounts are typically the first financial account that you’ll open and are necessary for major purchases and life events. Here’s a breakdown of which bank accounts you should consider and why they are step one in creating a stable financial future.