I’m constantly asked:

The problem? Money is the only "game" with no tutorial. No one taught us what to do with it or how to manage our emotions around it. Add the endless advice online and 20-year-olds on Instagram driving Ferraris—it's no wonder people feel overwhelmed and stressed about money.

To guide you, here’s an order for investing your money. Follow these steps, and you’ll be playing life on normal difficulty instead of hardcore survival mode. TLDR: You will build real wealth 💸

Most gurus say save six months of expenses immediately. The advice is fine, but overwhelming for most. Start with what we call a Newbie Emergency Fund— one month of essentials — housing, food, transportation, utilities. Keep this in a high-yield savings account, not with a big bank. This buffer prevents random expenses from landing on a credit card.

Most people skip this step. If someone depends on your income, you need life insurance. Without it, a sudden Game Over 🪦 leaves your family financially devastated.

Use the 10× rule: if you earn $100,000/year, get a $1 million term policy. Avoid whole life or universal life insurance—they're overpriced. Term life is cheap, simple, and effective. Invest the savings into real wealth-building tools 👇

Now we grab the most broken cheat code in personal finance: The employer match.

If your employer offers a match (401k, 457b, 403b, TSP 🫡), contribute enough to get the full match. This is a guaranteed 100% return instantly. Skipping it is like refusing free loot.

Once the match is secured, tackle high-interest debt. Your credit card's 20% APR beats the stock market's 7% average return—you're losing money by waiting. Two strategies: Avalanche (highest interest first) or Snowball (smallest balance first). Avalanche is optimal mathematically, Snowball psychologically. Consider a balance transfer card or consolidation loan.

Now it’s time to upgrade your emergency fund to 6 months of expenses. This cash buffer gives you flexibility—you can take your time finding a new job if you quit or get laid off.

Next is the tax-free account sent from the gods! The only catch is you pay taxes upfront but your investments grow tax-free, and withdrawals in retirement are tax-free. Even if your account grows to $3 million, Uncle Sam gets none of it (GG EZ). We’re talking about the Roth IRA. Invest whatever you can, but aim to max this account out each year. For 2026, that’s $7,500.

The next play is a triple tax advantaged account: contributions are tax-deductible, growth is tax-free, and withdrawals for medical expenses are tax-free. The advanced strategy is paying medical costs out of pocket, saving the receipts, and reimbursing yourself years later after the money has had time to grow. You can also treat this account like a Traditional IRA in retirement! This magical account is called the Health Savings Account (HSA), and I regret not starting one out of college 😭.

After maxing out your Roth IRA and HSA, circle back and max out your employer retirement account. One caveat: if you're planning to buy a home soon, you’ll want to balance this with cash savings. We don't want you at 38 saying, "I have $200,000 in retirement, but I can't afford a down payment."

This looks like a lot of steps, but when you're playing a game, you don't jump straight to the final boss. You beat one level at a time, learning and gaining confidence.

You also don't need to complete every step. Once your retirement is covered, feel free to stop and enjoy the rest of your money. The goal is to build wealth while enjoying life now—not to live in spreadsheets.