There’s just something about deciding to overhaul some aspect of your life, isn’t there? Whether it’s quitting smoking, losing weight, getting in shape, finding a job you’re passionate about or getting control over your finances it can be a very empowering and optimistic experience. Sadly,...

This is part b in a series on creating a budget that actually works.You can read part a here. In part a I set the homework of spending a month putting all bills and receipts into a shoebox. Here’s what you’re going to do next. Before you start, you’ll need your shoebox and a computer...

Alright, here’s the deal with budgeting. There are many different systems for creating and writing a budget, from extremely high level (pay your bills first, chuck some in a savings account and blow the rest as you see fit) to incredibly detailed (write down every little thing including the $2...

Setting yourself financial goals might seem like an arduous and boring task; the sort of thing you have to do at work or school. For me though, setting goals is one of the most enjoyable things about personal finance! The problem I think that most people have is that they try to set themself financial...

As I’ve said previously, on many an occasion before I became a reformed spendthrift, I would decide to get my finances under control. The biggest barrier to success wasn’t my lack of understanding that things needed to change, but rather a major deficit in my appreciation as to just how bad...