If you want to buy something and it will require you to run monthly balance on your credit card, you can't afford it. On the flip side, credit cards are a very powerful tool that should not be ignored.

For me, the most important thing was to budget. I used the YNAB app and made a line item for all of my spending. It took a few months to adhere to the budget but once I did I got the ball rolling. I also did not know how to invest, so I did some reading on IRAs, mutual funds, 401ks, etc. to better understand this. I also started paying more attention to my credit.