Where should your next dollar go? Enter your real balances and get a step-by-step plan based on the r/personalfinance Prime Directive. For US savers
This is the r/personalfinance Prime Directive, using its own step numbers. The same backbone shows up in The Money Guy Show's Financial Order of Operations and the Bogleheads guide: small cushion, free match, kill expensive debt, full emergency fund, then invest.
| Step | What | Why it sits here |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Budget | You can't direct extra money until you know how much there is: take-home pay minus essentials and minimums. |
| 1 | Starter emergency fund | $1,000 or one month of expenses, whichever is more, so a flat tire doesn't go on a credit card. |
| 2 | Employer match | A 50–100% instant return. Contribute enough to get the full match, and nothing more yet. |
| 3a | High-interest debt (10%+) | Paying off a 22% card is a guaranteed, tax-free 22% return. Highest rate first (avalanche) saves the most; smallest balance first (snowball) gives quicker wins. |
| 3b | Full emergency fund | 3–6 months of expenses, so a job loss doesn't put you back in debt. |
| 3c | Moderate-interest debt (4–10%) | Roughly a coin flip against investing; paying it is the guaranteed choice. Under 4%: minimums only. |
| 4a | IRA | Yearly limit (). Unused room is gone for good. |
| 4b | Required upcoming costs | Things you'll have to pay soon no matter what: a certification, a car you need for work, tuition. |
| 5 | Retirement to 15% | 15% of pre-tax income going into retirement, counting your employer match and what you've actually put in your IRA. Usually reached by raising your workplace contribution and filling the IRA. |
| 6a | HSA | If you're on a high-deductible plan: tax-free in, tax-free growth, tax-free out for medical costs. |
| 6b | Kids' college (529) | Only after your own retirement is on track. Students can borrow for college; nobody can borrow for retirement. |
| 6c | Goals you want | Travel, a house, a nicer car. Money needed within 3–5 years stays in savings, not stocks. |
| 6d | Invest the rest | Max your 401(k) (), then a mega backdoor Roth if your plan allows it, then a taxable brokerage account. |
Our one addition: a checking cushion (1 month by default, adjustable). It isn't in the Prime Directive, but it means autopays and credit card balances never cause stress. One month is set aside at step 1; any extra month comes at step 3b, after expensive debt is gone, so it doesn't slow down paying off a 22% card.
How the projection works: each month, your extra money (take-home minus essentials) runs through the steps in order. Debts grow by their APR and shrink by their minimum payment. When a debt is paid off, its minimum joins your extra money. Raising a 401(k) contribution lowers take-home pay, assuming about 20% of each pre-tax dollar comes back as lower taxes. IRA, HSA and 529 room resets every January. It's a planning estimate, not financial advice. For years the IRS hasn't announced yet, it uses the latest known limits. Contribution limits come from the IRS for each year (), and the projection uses the right year's limits as it moves forward. Order based on the r/personalfinance wiki.
It's the r/personalfinance community's order for spare money: a budget, a starter emergency fund, the full employer 401(k) match, high-interest debt, a full emergency fund, moderate-interest debt, then retirement accounts and other goals. Spillover runs your numbers through that order and fills each step before money spills into the next.
Both, in order. Keep a starter emergency fund ($1,000 or one month of expenses, whichever is more) so a surprise bill doesn't go back on the card. Then put every extra dollar toward debt at 10% APR or more. Build the full 3–6 month emergency fund after that debt is gone.
Everything above your starter emergency fund and checking cushion, until debt at 10% APR or more is paid off. Spillover shows the exact transfers to make today: how much goes to each card, highest rate first, using the cash you actually have.
It depends on the interest rate. At 10% or more, pay it off first: it's a guaranteed return that investing can't reliably beat. Between 4% and 10% it's close, and the Prime Directive pays it down after the full emergency fund. Under 4%, pay the minimums and invest. The one exception is the employer match, which comes before any extra debt payments.
Next come an IRA, any costs you'll have to pay soon, retirement savings up to 15% of pre-tax income, an HSA if you have a high-deductible health plan, a 529 for kids' college, other goals, and finally a taxable brokerage account. Spillover uses each year's IRS contribution limits.
Yes. There's no account, no bank login and no tracking. Everything you enter stays in your browser and is never sent to a server. It's a planning tool, not financial advice.