2016: Get your money in order

Personal Finance 101

Saw a post a while back looking for information on how to get your money under control. These are Dave Ramsey's 7 baby steps to personal finance. Find out more here: http://www.daveramsey.com/new/baby-steps/

If you want proof that it works, go to YouTube and search "Debt Free Scream." Then watch all of them. and cry sometimes. you big sap.

There are a ton of tools on his site about how to budget, which most people say is the key to everything else (and makes you feel like you got a raise).

I've listened to the Dave Ramsey podcast for years (free, three hours per weekday) and I still learn new things/get inspired to manage my monies. If you need more, you can check out his blog, buy Total Money Makeover, or attend Financial Peace University in your area.

Step 1: Start an Emergency Fund

$1,000 keeps your head above water. Put it in a savings account or money market - not trying to build interest, but only for real emergencies.

Step 2: Pay off all your non-house debt

Debt snowball FTW. Minimum payments on everything, attack the smallest debt and once it's paid off, throw what you were paying on the next biggest one. Repeat.

Step 3: Complete your full Emergency Fund

Once your debts are paid off, 3-6 months worth of expenses gives you breathing room for major challenges, but there are definitely circumstances where you may want to save more (pregnancy, potential layoff expected, major medical expenses in the future).

Step 4: Start contributing to retirement

15% of your income into retirement - there are way more specifics on his website (Roth vs. traditional 401k/IRA, which types of funds, etc.). When asked to name the greatest invention in human history, Albert Einstein simply replied "compound interest."

Step 5: Start on kids' college fund

Lots of tips on how to plan for kids going to college if your kids are about to go to college in next year or 18 years out.

Step 6: Pay off your house early

'Once you pay off your house, the grass underneath your feet will feel different.' - Everyone who calls in to his show to say they paid off their house

Step 7: Increase generosity to ludicrous speed

Going plaid with charitable donations, yo.

[Starship Troopers] Do you want to know more? http://www.daveramsey.com/get-started/debt

What other resources are there to help people?

[Front Page Edit] First - thank you! Second, a few points based on the comments:
1: You need a budget and when you do it right, it will feel like you got a raise. Lots of free tools out there including Mint or he has an iOS app called EveryDollar (from his budgeting philosophy that you need to sit down at the start of each month and assign every dollar a name)
2: Paying down the smallest debt first doesn't make financial sense, but personal finance is all about personal behavior and he says its proven from all the people who have gotten out of debt on his show that the small initial wins give people the motivation to keep going because they see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Hope this helps! For more, check out his free podcast or go to Reddit r/personal finance for more discussion.