The Ultimate Guide to Wealth-Building: Dave Ramsey’s Baby Steps + Cash Flow Strategies (Building Wealth vs. Getting Rich)

David Kuo
Mar 7
8 min read

Updated: Mar 9

財富累積終極指南：戴夫・拉姆齊（Dave Ramsey）的財務七步驟 + 現金流策略（建立財富 vs. 變得富有）

Are you tired of feeling stuck financially? Do you want to build true wealth instead of just making money and losing it? Many people chase getting rich, but few actually focus on sustainable wealth-building.

你是否厭倦了財務困境？你想建立真正的財富，而不是只賺錢又很快花掉嗎？許多人追求變得富有，但真正能建立可持續財富的人卻很少。

What I Have Done Wrong in Half of My Life / 一半的人生都是在錯誤中的運作

I have worked tirelessly throughout my life, believing that hard work alone would lead to financial success. But over the years, I found myself trapped in a loop of debt, unaware that financial literacy and discipline are just as crucial as effort.

As I recently celebrated my 50th birthday, I had a moment of deep reflection. I realized that if I don’t take control now, not only will my generation suffer the consequences of financial missteps, but so will the next. Our parents and grandparents made countless sacrifices, hoping to give us a better future—but if we don’t manage our finances wisely, we risk repeating the same struggles.

Like many others, I always knew that “get rich quick” schemes don’t work—and yet, I still fell into the trap. I have failed twice in business, costing me not just financially but also emotionally, bringing stress and unrest to my family.

If I could go back in time, I would tell my younger self that true wealth isn’t about how much you earn, but how well you manage and grow what you have. And today, I hope to help others avoid the same mistakes by sharing a wealth-building strategy that truly works.

我一生都在努力工作，相信只要夠拼命，財務上的成功就會到來。然而，多年過去，我卻發現自己陷入負債的循環，沒有意識到財務知識與紀律才是財富自由的關鍵。

最近，我剛迎來50歲生日，內心充滿了反思。我深刻體會到，如果現在不做出改變，不僅是我們這一代人，連下一代也可能因為財務決策錯誤而受苦。我們的父母和祖父母付出了無數的心血與犧牲，希望我們能擁有更好的未來——但如果我們不懂得如何正確管理財富，我們可能會讓他們的努力白費，甚至重蹈覆轍。

今天，我想分享兩個關鍵財務觀念，這是我後悔沒有在更年輕時就開始實行的智慧。我曾犯下的最大錯誤，就是把努力用錯了地方，以為只要更努力工作，一切最終都會變好。所謂的**「常識」**告訴我，只要拚命賺錢，就能實現財務自由，但後來才領悟到——光是努力是不夠的，努力必須用在正確的財務策略上。

我們都知道**「快速致富」的計畫幾乎不可能成功**，但即使如此，我仍然曾經兩次在創業上失敗，這不僅讓我財務上受到巨大損失，也對我的家庭帶來了壓力與不安。

如果能夠回到過去，我會對年輕時的自己說：真正的財富，不是取決於你賺多少，而是取決於你如何管理和增值你已經擁有的資源。今天，我希望透過分享真正可行的財富累積策略，幫助更多人避免走上我的老路。

Two Foundation For Financial Freedom / 財富自由的兩大支柱

Today, I want to share two critical lessons I regret not implementing much earlier in life. The biggest mistake I made was putting effort in the wrong place, believing that if I just worked harder, things would eventually fall into place. Common sense told me to hustle, but I later learned that hard work alone isn’t enough—it must be directed toward the right financial principles.

Foundation One/基礎一: (How to keep $ and build wealth)
- The Dave Ramsey Baby Steps provide a clear roadmap to financial stability. But if you want to accelerate your journey
- 戴夫·拉姆齊（Dave Ramsey）的財務七步驟提供了一條通往財務穩定的清晰道路。但如果你想加速你的財富成長
Foundation Two/基礎二: (How to build revenue stream and optimize it)
- you need a cash flow strategy—that’s where the 3+1 revenue model comes in.
- 你需要一個現金流策略——這就是3+1 收入模式的關鍵。

******

Foundation One: Understanding the Dave Ramsey Baby Steps / 了解戴夫·拉姆齊的財務七步驟

Many people struggle with money because they lack a step-by-step approach. Ramsey’s method is simple: start small, build momentum, and achieve financial independence.
許多人在金錢管理上掙扎，因為他們缺乏清晰的計畫。拉姆齊的方法很簡單：從小步開始，建立動力，最終達成財務自由。

>> 1. Save $1,000 for Emergencies / 存下 1,000 美元的緊急預備金

Before anything else, build a small safety net. Unexpected expenses will happen. Having at least $1,000 (約台幣 30,000 元) prevents you from going into debt.
在做任何事之前，先建立一個小型安全網。突發開銷是無可避免的，但擁有至少 1,000 美元（約台幣 30,000 元），可以防止你因小事而負債。

>> 2. Pay Off Debt Using the Snowball Method / 使用「雪球法」還清所有債務

Step One / 第一步驟: Sequence the amount of debt / 排序債務總額
- List your debts from smallest to largest
- 將你的所有債務從小到大排序，
Step Two / 第二步驟: Pay Off the Smallest Debt First / 先還清最小額度的債務
- Next, focus all your effort on paying off the smallest debt first while making only the minimum payments on all other debts. This method helps you build confidence and frees up more cash flow to tackle the next debt.
- 接下來，集中所有的財務資源來償還最小的債務，而對於其他債務，只需維持最低應繳款。這種方式可以幫助建立信心，並釋放更多的現金流，讓你更快地清償下一筆債務。

>> 3. Save 3-6 Months of Expenses / 存下 3-6 個月的生活費

Once debt-free, expand your emergency fund to cover 3-6 months of living expenses. This prevents financial stress in case of job loss or emergencies.
當你清償所有債務後，擴大你的緊急預備金至3-6 個月的生活費，以確保即使遇到突發狀況（如失業）也不會陷入財務危機。

>> 4. Invest 15% of Income for Retirement / 投資 15% 收入作為退休金

Start putting 15% of your pre-tax income into retirement accounts like 401(k) or IRAs (台灣則可考慮勞退自提或投資 ETF)。
開始將15% 的稅前收入投入退休帳戶，如401(k) 或 IRA（在台灣可以考慮勞退自提或投資 ETF）。

>> 5. Save for Your Kids' College / 為孩子的教育存錢

Use a 529 Plan (美國) or 教育基金 (台灣) to avoid student debt.
使用529 教育計畫（美國）或教育基金（台灣）來避免學貸負擔。

>> 6. Pay Off Your Mortgage Early / 提早還清房貸

Eliminate your largest debt—owning your home outright provides financial freedom.
消除你最大的負債——擁有全額付清的房屋能帶來真正的財務自由。

>> 7. Build Wealth & Give Generously / 建立財富，並慷慨回饋

Once completely debt-free, invest, build assets, and give back to society.
當你完全無債後，開始投資、累積資產，並回饋社會。

******

Foundation Two: The 3+1 Revenue Model: Creating Sustainable Cash Flow / 3+1 收入模式：建立可持續的現金流

While Ramsey’s method provides financial stability, you still need steady income streams to sustain wealth growth.

雖然拉姆齊的方法提供了財務穩定性，但你仍然需要穩定的收入來源來讓財富持續增長。

Three Revenue Stream

>> 1. Charge Premium for One-Time Sales / 高價單次銷售

Many customers only buy once. Instead of selling cheap, charge at the highest possible rate.
許多客戶只會購買一次。因此，與其低價出售，不如收取最高可能的費用。

💡 Example / 例子:

A consultant could charge $3,000 USD for a strategy session instead of selling a $500 course in order to make sure you are reaching to the customer really wish to retain your service and ask you to help to solve the problem on hand. The time saved should spent on the next category of revenue, which is recurring.
顧問可以收取 3,000 美元（約台幣 15 萬元）進行策略諮詢，而不是賣500 美元（約台幣 15,000 元）的課程，來確找到真正需要請你協助來解決當下急迫問題的客戶。省下來的時間，就來投入在下一個收入來源，建構具有回購的商品服務。

>> 2. Focus on Recurring Revenue / 建立長期回購的現金流

Don’t just sell once—optimize repeat purchases by offering subscriptions or retainers.
不要只賣一次——透過訂閱或長期顧問服務來建立穩定收入。

💡 Example / 例子:

A coach can offer a $500/month mastermind group instead of a single session. The recurring allows to increase the time of interfacing with client to build solid trust, which may increase referral opportunities.
教練可以提供每月 500 美元（約台幣 15,000 元）的會員計畫，而不是單次收費。回購的重點在增加與客戶互動的次數，來建構更深層的信任，也希望能轉換客戶轉介的機會。

>> 3. Don’t Chase Big Projects—Let Them Come to You / 不要追逐大案子，讓它們主動找上你

Big deals take time. Instead of chasing them, position yourself as an expert and let clients find you.
大型專案需要時間。與其主動追逐，不如專注於建立專業影響力，讓客戶主動來找你。

💡 Example / 例子:

A marketing expert who regularly posts insights on LinkedIn will attract corporate clients.
一位行銷專家如果持續在 LinkedIn 分享見解，自然會吸引大型企業的關注。

>> +1 Asset: Use Social Media as a Filter / 社群媒體作為客戶篩選工具

Social media isn’t just for branding—it’s a tool to attract customers who support or curious about your product/service. So before they reach you, there is a certain level of trust and consensus.
社群媒體不只是品牌曝光工具，更是來吸引支持或對你服務商品好奇的潛在客戶。在聯繫你之前，就可能具備有一些信任及共識。

💡 Example / 例子: