Why ‘Paying Yourself First’ Matters More Than Ever

If you’ve ever done any financial planning at all, you’ve likely heard the advice that you should “pay yourself first.” In a nutshell, this pithy slogan simply means that you should fund your savings and investment accounts before you use that money for anything else, even paying your bills. But this strategy becomes even more essential during times of economic strain. As of Sept. 14, 2025, many Americans are feeling the financial pinch from stubbornly high interest rates and inflationary pressures that s ...