Dave Ramsey's 7 Baby Steps BABY STEP 1 – Save $1,000 to start an emergency fund. BABY STEP 2 – Pay off all debt using the debt snowball method. BABY STEP 3 – Save 3 to 6 months of expenses for emergencies. BABY STEP 4 – Invest 15% of your household income into Roth IRAs and pre-tax retirement funds. More items...