5 Steps To Take Control of Your Finances, According to Rachel Cruze
Written by
Ashley Donohoe
Edited by
Zuri Anderson
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A June 2025 Achieve survey found that 58% of Americans were facing a financial crisis, and just 43% believed their situation would get better by January 2026. Whether you’re drowning in debt or earning too little to pay all your bills, losing control of your finances not only creates stress now but also makes it harder to reach major money goals later on.
Some good news is that you can regain control without suddenly receiving a load of cash or making extreme changes right away. In a recent YouTube video, money expert Rachel Cruze discussed five steps you can take to improve your situation in around 20 minutes.
Write Everything Down
Sometimes, simply holding in what’s making you anxious about your situation can add to your problem and make it harder for you to focus on finding an actual solution.
“Write it all down, and this can include your worries, your stressors, your frustrations, financial problems, like whatever is going on that’s in your head that is stressing you out,” Cruze advised. (1:24)
For example, you might get a pen and paper or use an app to jot down the debts that make you feel overwhelmed, concerns about your job and frustrations about rising bills. Doing this can clear your mind and provide some initial relief, even before you actually make any changes.
Sort Your List
Once you’ve listed everything, Cruze suggested sorting those items based on whether you can or can’t control them immediately or in the long term.
Cruze used overspending and salary concerns as examples. You can immediately start sticking to a budget and making wiser purchase decisions to address spending problems. However, making more money can take time, as you’d likely need to negotiate your pay, reconsider your job or find a side hustle.
Other frustrations, like rising inflation or high interest rates, are beyond your control, but you might still find ways to reduce their impact on your wallet. That might look like avoiding certain purchases for a while and pausing plans to borrow money.
Verbalize Your List
Since money often involves different emotions, Cruze recommended talking to someone else about your concerns.
Whether you turn to a friend or family member, you can benefit from their support and perspective. That person may have also been in your situation before and have advice to offer.
Plus, Cruze said that you might learn that your money problem isn’t so huge or urgent after all. She gave an example of someone stressing over their baby’s future college costs, even though they still have many years to figure it out.
Take Small, Tactical Steps Toward Change
Now that you’ve got your list and another person’s perspective, you can start addressing each of the problems you identified as controllable.
“Next to every stressor that you have written down, just put a little plan in place, like just a small thing — what can you be doing?” Cruze suggested.
For example, if you’re worried about a big upcoming expense, start saving part of each paycheck until you’ve got enough. Other potential moves for common concerns include opening a retirement or college savings account, making a debt payoff plan or researching career change options.
Have a High-Level Plan
You’ll also benefit from a high-level plan that guides you on how to prioritize different financial moves and ultimately sets you up for long-term stability and less stress. Cruze recommended Dave Ramsey’s “7 Baby Steps” for this purpose.
This plan starts with a $1,000 emergency fund that you’ll come back to fully fund after clearing your non-mortgage debt. After that, you’d contribute 15% of your pay toward your retirement, save for your kids’ college (if you have or want kids) and pay your mortgage off early. The final step focuses on financial freedom, generosity and wealth building.
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