I think that your steps zero and one are probably the most realistic recommendations for receiving a "bit of money, not a ton." If this is unlikely to be a life-changing amount of money, then it's probably unnecessary to worry about thinking any further than those steps. If this is actually a potentially life-changing amount of money (six-figures or more), then I recommend the advice on this Bogleheads managing a windfall article.
It's a bigger amount than "a bit" and I don't have any debt. I work with some very wealthy people so my context has gotten a bit skewed in the last few years. I'm definitely glad you point to the article you did, I have already read it, but there were gaps in my understanding. So every time I read something built upon that one, I still feel like I'm playing catch-up and I don't like missing details. Which makes me thorough, but also a bit obsessive until I feel like I grasp it well.