MONTHLY BUDGET BREAKDOWN Needs (rent, insurance, phone): $1,245 — 33% — Healthy Wants (dining, entertainment): $570 — 15% — Lean Debt repayment (aggressive): $1,200 — 32% — Priority Savings (emergency buffer): $380 — 10% — Low but right for now Buffer: $405 — 10% — Keep as cushion Note: Subscriptions at $35/month — audit these. Cancel anything unused. SAVINGS ROADMAP Goal: build a $1,000 emergency buffer first, then redirect all savings to debt. Months 1–2: Save $380/month → hit $1,000 emergency fund by Month 3. Month 3 onward: Redirect $380 to debt repayment → total debt payments $1,580/month. Timeline to debt-free: 5.5 months after Month 3 (Month 8–9 overall). Account: High-Yield Savings Account (HYSA) at ~4.5% APY — recommended: Marcus by Goldman Sachs or Ally Bank. DEBT PAYOFF STRATEGY Method: Avalanche (highest-interest debt first — saves the most money). Balance: $6,500 at 22% APR. Month 1 — Payment $1,580 | Interest $119 | Principal $1,461 | Remaining $5,039 Month 2 — Payment $1,580 | Interest $92 | Principal $1,488 | Remaining $3,551 Month 3 — Payment $1,580 | Interest $65 | Principal $1,515 | Remaining $2,036 Month 4 — Payment $1,580 | Interest $37 | Principal $1,543 | Remaining $493 Month 5 — Payment $500 | Interest $9 | Principal $493 | Remaining $0 Debt-free in Month 8. Total interest paid: ~$322 (vs $1,100+ at minimum payments). TOP 3 QUICK WINS Call your credit card company today and ask for a lower APR — 60% of people who ask get a reduction. A drop from 22% to 18% saves $80+ over your payoff period. Set up automatic transfer of $380 on payday so savings happen before you can spend it. List your subscriptions on paper right now — the average person forgets 2–3 they're paying for. Cancel anything unused in the last 30 days. FINANCIAL HEALTH SCORE: 6/10 — Solid income-to-expense ratio and a clear path to debt freedom; the main vulnerability is a thin emergency cushion that one unexpected expense could wipe out.