Your credit score is important because it follows you everywhere when you need to borrow money. A high score can help you get approved for a credit card, a car loan, or a mortgage to buy a house. It also decides the interest rate you pay; a great score can save you thousands of dollars by getting you a lower rate. Landlords and even some employers might check it, too.

Start with your most important credit bills—the ones that show up on your credit report. This includes your credit card bills, car loan, student loan, or personal loan. You can also add other regular bills like your phone or utilities, but focus on the credit-related ones first. The goal is to make sure the payments that lenders care about most are always made on time, every single month, without you having to think about it.

Look at your budget. Find even a small, comfortable amount you can add to your payment every month. Set up an automatic payment for that new, higher total. This way, you don’t have to think about it each month. Start with what you can, and try to increase it whenever you get a little extra cash, like a tax refund or birthday money.

Start with your list of debts. Two popular methods are the “Snowball” and “Avalanche.“ With Snowball, you pay the smallest debt first while making minimum payments on the rest. With Avalanche, you attack the debt with the highest interest rate first. Choose the one that motivates you most! Then, look at your monthly budget. Find any extra money, even just $20, and add it to your chosen debt’s payment. Stick with it every single month.