The 7 Baby Steps framework is simple. Work through them in order, complete one before moving to the next, and you'll go from broke to financially free in a predictable path that millions of people have followed.
The part nobody talks about: actually tracking your progress is hard. How much is in your emergency fund? What's your exact debt payoff date? Are you really saving 15% for retirement? Most people are guessing.
Here's what each step requires you to track — and how to do it on your phone.
Simple to track: you either have $1,000 in a savings account or you don't. The key is keeping it separate from your checking account so you don't accidentally spend it. Track the balance and don't move to Step 2 until it's fully funded.
This is where tracking gets real. You need to list every debt — credit cards, car loans, student loans, medical bills — with the current balance, interest rate, and minimum payment. Then you need to see your payoff date and how extra payments change it. Without this math in front of you, it's easy to lose momentum.
You need to know your monthly expenses to set the right goal. If you spend $4,200/month, your target is $12,600–$25,200. Track the balance against your goal and know exactly how many months of runway you have.
This requires knowing your gross income and tracking what you're putting into your 401(k), Roth IRA, and any employer match — separately. Most people have no idea if they're hitting 15%. You need to see the number.
If you have children, track each child's 529 balance and monthly contribution. You should know how much you'll have at their estimated college start year.
Track your mortgage balance, remaining term, and what extra monthly payments do to your payoff date and total interest paid. Even $200/month extra can cut years off a 30-year mortgage.
At this stage you're tracking net worth — total assets minus total liabilities — and watching it grow over time. Projecting that growth out 10, 20, 30 years at realistic return rates shows you what you're actually building.
Most people try to track this in a spreadsheet. It works, but you have to update it manually, it doesn't calculate payoff dates or projections automatically, and you're never looking at it when you need it most — which is on your phone when you're about to make a financial decision.
Forge is a personal finance app built around the Baby Steps framework. It tracks all 7 steps, calculates your exact debt payoff date, shows your retirement savings rate, and projects your net worth out 50 years — all on your device, no account required, one payment of $6.99.
Download Forge on the App Store
Also available on Google Play. $6.99 once.
© 2026 Adam Groesbeck · forgebudget.app