Short answer: Clear anything above ~10–12% interest first (cards, personal loans); invest alongside cheaper debt like home loans.
The longer version
The fastest way to take control of your money is to put real figures on paper. The number above is a starting point, not a law — your city, dependents and income stability all shift it. What doesn't change: you can't manage what you don't measure.
Put a number on it this week
Open your tracker and check the actual figure for your own life — last month's real data answers this question better than any article. Set a cap or goal around it, turn on alerts, and revisit in 30 days.
Common mistakes
Answering from memory instead of records; setting targets copied from someone else's salary; and changing five habits at once. Pick the one number this article is about, fix it for a month, then move on.
