When it comes to personal finance, Suze Orman is clear: You are the best person to take care of your financial future. In a recent episode of her “Women & Money” podcast, she reminded listeners that “the government can’t save you,” and encouraged everyone to take responsibility for three key areas: debt, income and expenses, and investments.

Here’s how Orman breaks it down — and what actions she suggests taking now.

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Orman separates debt into two categories: good and bad. Good debt might include a mortgage or a car loan — especially if you need the car to get to work. Bad debt, on the other hand, usually comes in the form of high-interest credit card balances used for nonessential spending.

If you’re dealing with credit card debt, Orman suggests organizing your cards by interest rate, from highest to lowest. Write down the minimum payment due on each one, then total those minimums and add 20% to the total. You’ll make the minimum payments on all cards, but apply the extra 20% toward the card with the highest interest rate. Once that one’s paid off, you roll the entire amount you were paying into the next highest card — and so on — until the debt is gone.

She also encourages maintaining your credit limit, warning that closing cards can lower your FICO score.

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The next area Orman says to evaluate is your cash flow — what’s coming in versus what’s going out.

Orman suggests a simple exercise: Look at what you spent over the past year and divide that number by 12 to get your average monthly expenses. Then compare that number to your after-tax, after-retirement-contribution income. If your income doesn’t cover your expenses — or just barely does — you have some work to do.

“You either have to earn more, or you have to spend less,” she says. “Or you can do both.”

Orman emphasizes that your relationship with money isn’t just about reaching a specific dollar amount. It’s about how you value money — and by extension, yourself. Being proactive about your income and expenses now can help you avoid painful surprises down the line.