--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Investing is important, but get debt-free…" description: "\"Investing is important, but get debt-free first. That's what frees up your income so you can win.\" — Dave Ramsey" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/735/dave-ramsey-1362_debt_investing-is-important-but-get-debt-free_2518145.jpg" --- # Investing is important, but get debt-free first. That's… ![“Investing is important, but get debt-free first. That's what frees up your income so you can win.” quote by Dave Ramsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/735/dave-ramsey-1362_debt_investing-is-important-but-get-debt-free_2518145.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/735/dave-ramsey-1362_debt_investing-is-important-but-get-debt-free_2518145.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/735/dave-ramsey-1362_debt_investing-is-important-but-get-debt-free_2518145.jpg) > “Investing is important, but get debt-free first. That's what frees up your income so you can win.” [Dave Ramsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-ramsey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Prioritize eliminating debt before investing, as financial freedom comes from having no obligations that drain income. **In simple terms:** Clear debt first, then invest. Key Takeaway Pay off debts before building wealth. Themes financial responsibility budgeting wealth building prioritization Mood pragmatic motivational Type advice financial When to use this quote - monthly budgeting - debt snowball method - investment planning Key Concepts debt management investment strategy financial independence Questions to Reflect On - What steps can you take to reduce debt quickly? - How will debt‑free status change your life? A Different Perspective Debt repayment can be slow and emotionally taxing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Debt free](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debt-free/) [Income](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/income/) [Investing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/investing/) [Winning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winning/) [You can win](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you-can-win/) ## Related quotes > [Rich isn't an amount of money, it's a mindset about how you live. If you believe you can win, you can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-ramsey/rich-isn-t-an-amount-of-money-it-s-a-mindset-about-how-you-live-if/) [Dave Ramsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-ramsey/) > [“The most empowering thing you can do though is to create innovative ways to bring in livable wages. That begins with a debt free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandi-l-bates/the-most-empowering-thing-you-can-do-though-is-to-create-innovative/) [Brandi L. Bates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandi-l-bates/) > [I'm going to try to get everybody who makes less than $125,000 in their family, which is the vast majority of people, to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-m-going-to-try-to-get-everybody-who-makes-less-than-125-000-in/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [Many more people could ride out the storm-tossed waves in their economic lives if they had their year's supply of food…and were debt-free. Today…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-s-monson/many-more-people-could-ride-out-the-storm-tossed-waves-in-their/) [Thomas S. Monson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-s-monson/) > [I have a plan to make tuition debt-free for public colleges and universities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-have-a-plan-to-make-tuition-debt-free-for-public-colleges-and/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [I see light at the end of the tunnel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman-rostow/i-see-light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel/) Walt Whitman Rostow > [Think What You Do When You Run in Debt: You Give to Another Power over Your Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/think-what-you-do-when-you-run-in-debt-you-give-to-another-power-over/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [If you have debt, you have to worry about it. I would challenge each of you to try to be debt-free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-truett-cathy/if-you-have-debt-you-have-to-worry-about-it-i-would-challenge-each-of/) [S. Truett Cathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-truett-cathy/) > [Our ministry is debt free and we have not had to beg or plead for finances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wilkerson/our-ministry-is-debt-free-and-we-have-not-had-to-beg-or-plead-for/) [David Wilkerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wilkerson/) > [“Number 198 was wonderful too. Blake had watched a good-looking and ridiculously pretentious guy hit on Livia. The fancy man dropped expensive name after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debra-anastasia/number-198-was-wonderful-too-blake-had-watched-a-good-looking-and/) [Debra Anastasia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debra-anastasia/) > [I think building the middle class, investing in the middle class, making college debt-free so more young people can get their education, helping people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-think-building-the-middle-class-investing-in-the-middle-class/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [I want to make college tuition-free for the middle class and debt-free for everyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-want-to-make-college-tuition-free-for-the-middle-class-and-debt/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [With debt free college there is absolutely no incentive to rein in administrative costs when the government is foolishly pushing everyone to get a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kennedy-montgomery/with-debt-free-college-there-is-absolutely-no-incentive-to-rein-in/) [Lisa Kennedy Montgomery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kennedy-montgomery/) > [Whether you want to exercise more often, or you're hoping to become debt-free, real change happens in stages. Slow and steady progress is great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-morin/whether-you-want-to-exercise-more-often-or-you-re-hoping-to-become/) [Amy Morin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-morin/) > [We need to have a goal of becoming debt-free as soon as possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bo-sanchez/we-need-to-have-a-goal-of-becoming-debt-free-as-soon-as-possible/) [Bo Sanchez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bo-sanchez/) ## More by Dave Ramsey > [You've got to tell your money what to do or it will leave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-ramsey/you-ve-got-to-tell-your-money-what-to-do-or-it-will-leave/) [Dave Ramsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-ramsey/) > [Stupid is not illegal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-ramsey/stupid-is-not-illegal/) [Dave Ramsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-ramsey/) > [Work is a surefire money-making scheme.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-ramsey/work-is-a-surefire-money-making-scheme/) [Dave Ramsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-ramsey/) > [You can't work three hours a week and make $100,000. Get rich quick doesn't work. Crock pot mentality always defeats microwave mentality!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-ramsey/you-can-t-work-three-hours-a-week-and-make-100-000-get-rich-quick/) [Dave Ramsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-ramsey/) > [No one got rich on a government program. Do not choose to be a common man. You can be uncommon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-ramsey/no-one-got-rich-on-a-government-program-do-not-choose-to-be-a-common/) [Dave Ramsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-ramsey/) > [A lower interest rate doesn't make a debt go away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-ramsey/a-lower-interest-rate-doesn-t-make-a-debt-go-away/) [Dave Ramsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-ramsey/) > [It's never too late to turn things around. 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More wealth makes you more of what you already are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-ramsey/more-wealth-doesn-t-fix-your-life-more-wealth-makes-you-more-of-what/) [Dave Ramsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-ramsey/) > [“I have heard it said that if you tell a lie often enough, loudly enough, and long enough, the myth will become accepted as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-ramsey/i-have-heard-it-said-that-if-you-tell-a-lie-often-enough-loudly/) [Dave Ramsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-ramsey/) > [A good financial planner is going to do more than pick your funds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-ramsey/a-good-financial-planner-is-going-to-do-more-than-pick-your-funds/) [Dave Ramsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-ramsey/) [Explore all 239 Dave Ramsey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-ramsey/) ## More Debt quotes > [I'm a strange mixture of my mother's curiosity; my father, who grew up the son of the manse in a Presbyterian family, who had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/i-m-a-strange-mixture-of-my-mother-s-curiosity-my-father-who-grew-up/) [Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/) > [There is nothing that we can properly call our own but our time, and yet everybody fools us out of it who has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/there-is-nothing-that-we-can-properly-call-our-own-but-our-time-and/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [Praise will come to those whose kindness leaves you without debt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-finn/praise-will-come-to-those-whose-kindness-leaves-you-without-debt/) [Neil Finn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-finn/) > [“Most people, given more money, only get into more debt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-t-kiyosaki/most-people-given-more-money-only-get-into-more-debt/) [Robert T. Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-t-kiyosaki/) > [“An honest man is a debtless man, he doesn't owe anyone anything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/an-honest-man-is-a-debtless-man-he-doesn-t-owe-anyone-anything/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [It is perhaps my greatest hope, Mr. President, that some day we'll consider tax and spending measures with no one else in mind but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/it-is-perhaps-my-greatest-hope-mr-president-that-some-day-we-ll/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [The American people reject the idea of giving Washington a blank check to increase the debt limit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-roby/the-american-people-reject-the-idea-of-giving-washington-a-blank/) [Martha Roby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-roby/) > [Without a trace of irony I can say I have been blessed with brilliant enemies. I owe them a great debt, because they redoubled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/without-a-trace-of-irony-i-can-say-i-have-been-blessed-with-brilliant/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [I love Black Sabbath. They made an amazing contribution to music today. Almost every band that made it big in the Nineties owed a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-grohl/i-love-black-sabbath-they-made-an-amazing-contribution-to-music-today/) [Dave Grohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-grohl/) > [“The human eye is restricted to see the useen, because there’s a price to be paid to the rulers of this image and if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/the-human-eye-is-restricted-to-see-the-useen-because-there-s-a-price/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [It is a well-settled principle of the international code that where one nation owes another a liquidated debt which it refuses or neglects to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-jackson/it-is-a-well-settled-principle-of-the-international-code-that-where/) [Andrew Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-jackson/) > [Student loans have been helpful to many. But they offer neither incentive nor assistance to those students who, by reason of family or other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/student-loans-have-been-helpful-to-many-but-they-offer-neither/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [Our sins are debts that none can pay but Christ. 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