3 people at 3 different stages of saving explain how they're working toward their big financial goals

Skye Gould/Business Insider

• Financial goals look different as our priorities change throughout life, and so do the strategies we need to employ to meet those goals.
• Here are stories from three people, each at different stages of financial planning, working toward their goals.
• A recent college grad, a newlywed millennial, and a middle-aged homemaker talked about how they have overcome setbacks and obstacles, and gave tips for navigating financial challenges.

Before you can execute a plan, you have to make a plan, which is a challenge all its own.

When you develop a plan to work toward a big financial goal, there are plenty of variables to keep in mind: You want the plan to be ambitious without being unrealistic, detailed without being too granular, and strict without losing all flexibility.

To get an idea of what this looks like in action, Business Insider talked to three people with big financial goals who are each at different stages of the process.