I’ll be honest—whenever I’m trying to figure out money stuff, my cousin Dave always has some way of breaking it down. The other day I was stressing about how to save up for a big purchase, and he just looked at me and said,
“Three steps, man. Plan. Save. Grind. That’s it.”
Of course, I rolled my eyes at first, but then he walked me through it. Now whenever someone says they’re having trouble hitting a money goal, we’ll joke back:
“Oh, it’s not working out for you? Did you do the steps?”
So here’s Dave’s playbook—simple, but it works.
1. Plan
Dave always starts with planning. Before you save a single dollar, you’ve got to know what you’re aiming for. Is it a car? A new laptop? A trip? Write down the exact thing and the exact price. Break it into smaller chunks so you know what you need to set aside each week or month.
As Dave puts it: “If you don’t know the finish line, how are you gonna pace yourself?”
2. Save
This is where discipline kicks in. Open a separate savings account, jar, or even a shoebox if that’s what it takes—just keep it away from your everyday spending. Automate transfers if you can, or at least set a rule: no dipping into it unless it’s for that purchase.
Dave says: “Treat it like rent—you wouldn’t skip paying your landlord, so don’t skip paying yourself.”
3. Grind
Here’s the part most people don’t want to hear. If your income isn’t enough to hit the goal on time, you’ve got to grind. Pick up an extra shift. Sell stuff you don’t use. Freelance. Deliver food. Whatever it takes.
Dave shrugs and says, “Money doesn’t just appear. Sometimes you’ve got to create the extra push.”
Putting It All Together
When you look at it, Dave’s system isn’t complicated. It’s not supposed to be. That’s the beauty of it.
- You plan so you know exactly what you’re working toward.
- You save so the money actually adds up.
- You grind so you can close the gap faster.
Every time I catch myself slipping, I hear Dave’s voice:
“Oh, it’s not working out for you? Did you do the steps?”
Usually, the answer is no—and that’s when I know what to fix.
👉 So next time you’re trying to save for something big, remember cousin Dave’s plan. Plan. Save. Grind. It really is that simple.