Build a baseline before you build a dream

A hopeful scenario is much easier to understand when it has something real to compare with.

1. Build “Life now” with current income and costs.
2. Fix only the large errors.
3. Duplicate it.
4. Change the assumption connected to the possibility.

The baseline does not need to be flattering. Its job is to make the difference visible.

If you start with the dream, you may accidentally remove awkward costs or use optimistic income without noticing. The baseline gives the hopeful version a fair test.