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Debt Awareness Week Daily To-Do List
Updated: February 23, 2026
Written by Tiffany Russell
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Debt Awareness Week Daily To-Do List
DAY ONE
Know What You Owe
Debt awareness starts with knowing where you stand.
Today’s challenge:
List all your debts and their balances. The first step to tackling debt is understanding what you owe!
Task: Write down all your current debts—credit cards, student loans, auto loans, personal loans, and mortgages. Include the outstanding balance and minimum monthly payments for each.
DAY TWO
Know Your Interest Rates
High interest can make paying off debt feel like an uphill battle.
Today’s challenge:
Record the interest rates for each of your loans and credit cards. Knowing which debts to target first can help you save in the long run!
Task: Identify the interest rates for each of your debts. Highlight which debts have the highest rates and which ones may be costing you more than you realize.
DAY THREE
Track Your Spending
Small purchases add up quickly!
Today’s challenge:
List all your debts and balances. Clarity is step one.
Task: Review recent spending. Look at the past 2-4 weeks. Total what you spent on gas, groceries, and dining out, subscriptions, and extras. Highlight one area where you can reduce spending. Small awareness today = strong money tomorrow.
DAY FOUR
Find Your Financial Triggers
We all have financial triggers that lead to extra spending. Is it sales, stress, or social events?
Today’s challenge:
Identify your spending triggers and write them down so you can stay ahead of impulsive purchases.
Task: Reflect on your spending habits and identify your “debt triggers”—situations where you’re more likely to spend impulsively or rely on credit (e.g., online sales, emotional spending, or emergencies). Download the Debt Triggers Worksheet to journal how to avoid them.
DAY FIVE
Calculate Your Debt-to-Income (DTI) Ratio
How much of your income goes toward debt?
Today’s challenge:
Calculate your debt-to-income ratio (DTI) by dividing your monthly debt payments by your monthly income. A lower DTI means more financial flexibility!
Task: Add up your total monthly debt payments and divide that number by your monthly income to calculate your debt-to-income ratio. Understanding your DTI helps you see how much of your income goes toward debt.
DAY SIX
Review Your Credit Report
Your credit report tells your financial story.
Today’s challenge:
Download your free credit report and review it for accuracy. Knowing what’s on your report is key to improving your financial health!
Task: Check your free credit report at AnnualCreditReport.com and review it for any errors or unfamiliar accounts. Take note of your total credit usage and any past-due accounts. Download the Credit Report Review Worksheet to track your current credit score, credit usage, and errors to report to the three major bureaus.
DAY SEVEN
Set Your Debt Goals
Now that you’ve learned more about your debt, it’s time to make a plan!
Today’s challenge:
Set one short-term and one long-term debt goal. Whether it’s paying down a credit card or saving for emergencies, every small step counts!
Task: Write down at least one short-term and one long-term debt-related goal (e.g., paying off a credit card, building an emergency fund, or refinancing a loan). Outline a small action you can take to get closer to each goal. Click Download the Debt Goal Worksheet to journal your short-term and long-term, debt-related goals and action items to meet them.
Planting Progress: A Seasonal Guide to Steady Money Growth
A quarter-by-quarter financial journal designed to turn small actions into lasting momentum.
Planting Progress is a printable guided journal that breaks the year into seasonal goals focused on budgeting, debt payoff, credit, and savings
When you finish the 7-day challenge, get your exclusive financial awareness guide, a season-by-season planner on how to make financial improvement feel manageable, practical, and consistent instead of overwhelming.
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