If you feel financially stressed, you’re not alone. More than 7 in 10 people surveyed in 2025 by the Employee Benefit Research Institute said thinking about their financial future was stressing them out. And there was the same amount of stress reported about a near-term concern: not having a solid emergency savings account to handle life’s curveballs.
If you are a card-carrying member of the financially stressed, I want you to listen up.
Take a deep breath.
I am very serious. Whenever you feel financial stress, slow down and literally focus on taking a few slow and deep breaths. And as you focus on calming yourself, give yourself a good talking to. Remind yourself you have what it takes to work toward the financial future you deserve. Notice I said deserve. Not want. Not hope for. Deserve. And there is to be no blame or shame if you are not yet where you want to be. That is self-defeating. If you need my help, remind yourself: “Suze says I have this!” This isn’t cheerleading. It is an important way to remind yourself that moving forward is a choice. And it is entirely within your control to decide to help yourself.
Small Steps, not Olympic Jumps.
One of the biggest mistakes I see people make is to focus on the finish line of a financial goal, rather than just taking it step by step. For example, you know I hope you can get to a point where you have at least eight months of living expenses set aside in an emergency savings account. But if you focus on the eight-month goal, you’re likely to get more stressed! That seems impossible. I agree!
All your energy should be on what you can do this week. Or this month. Or this paycheck cycle. Nothing longer or bigger. Any week or paycheck where you manage to put some money in savings, or contribute to a retirement savings plan, or pay down some credit card debt, is a victory. You are literally taking a step toward the financial security you deserve.
Might it take years for you to reach your ultimate goals? Maybe. But what is in your power today, this week, next week, and every month from today is that you can put yourself on the path to reaching that goal. And every week and month you stick with that commitment should reduce your stress, because you are taking control of your future. Step by step.
Make it Easy to Move Toward Your Goal.
Technology is your friend here. If you want to save for retirement, and your workplace offers a savings plan, you can agree to have a portion of your paycheck automatically deposited into your personal retirement account. If you are saving on your own through a Roth IRA or other brokerage account, you can set up the same automation: every brokerage that offers retirement plans makes it super easy (and free!) to have money automatically transferred from a checking or savings account into a retirement account.
Is a lack of emergency savings your stress point? Again, deep breath. Then check if your employer might now offer a way to help. Smart companies are adding a system that automatically takes money from each paycheck and transfers it into your own FDIC-insured savings account. (I am a founder of SecureSave, which helps employers offer this great benefit to workers.) If you don’t have this option yet, or you are self-employed, here’s your workaround: at the same bank or credit union where you have your paychecks deposited, I want you to open a savings account. Then, set up automatic transfers from your checking account into this new emergency savings fund. Every bank will let you decide how much and how often you want to make these automatic deposits to your savings: weekly, monthly, quarterly; it’s your choice.
Celebrate weekly.
Look, I am not suggesting your financial stress will miraculously disappear if you follow my step-by-step plan. But I can guarantee you will feel less stress because you are taking steps to build security. I think it becomes important to remind yourself that you are being so very generous to yourself: rather than being paralyzed with stress and fear, you are taking action to do what is in your power, to create that future you deserve. When you take a moment each week to remind yourself that you have moved one step closer to a financial goal, it provides motivation to keep at it.
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