If you are a heavy smoker not only is it an expensive habit, you are raising your healthcare insurance costs too. Scale it down, you will save your wallet as well as your ability to taste solid foods. Face it, when the goal is to come out on top, dont get into a situation where the hole keeps getting deeper, it will only discourage you and make your plans seem even farther from your grasp. You have a plan. Now what? How do you implement these new changes, how do you get your wife to put away the credit cards when that 12th set of dishes goes on sale at Niemens?

Well there are a few ideas out there to help you stick to the plan; one of the best, in my opinion, is to use cash.Good Job, you have taken the first step towards better finances; you sat down with your spouse and analyzed the amount of money it really takes to run your home comfortably. The higher your balance, the more interest you are paying and the longer you will be in debt. Then at the end of the week put the cash away, before you know it you will have quite a stash saved upperfect for gift giving or vacations, because you wont be taking funds out of your budget. So after you pay the electricity and the rent, put 10 (+) of whats left directly into your savings account.
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Finally, make sure that you arent the only one committed to making a change.

Another way to build up your Plastic Garbage Bins savings is to pay yourself every check.

Another tip that can help you on your way to financial stability is paying down your debt, and no, I am not just talking about the minimum payment, pay down your balance

One big money saving tip, that I am not ashamed to advocate, is to cut bad habits out of your budget. Every paycheck, after the bills have been paid give yourself an allowance, it is a lot harder to want to spend your last fistful of cash on something frivolous than it is when you are simply sliding the plastic. Talk to your spouse, make it known that you are serious about strengthening your financial plans, and make sure you are on the same page and dedicated to getting out of debt and bulking up your savings for a more beneficial future.

The premise behind this is to pay money into your savings account, like another bill, each month after you pay your other necessary expenses, that way you arent hoping that your cutting back is working, you have an account that you can watch progressively grow. Also if you tend to throw back a few beer every week with the guys at the local Hooters, consider having one beer then switching to cola, or even better for you water, it is considerably cheaper than alcohol and you still get to enjoy the game with your friends (and you dont have to pay cab fare home if you drink a few too many). You understand your bills, you know how much you have to spend on food costs and clothing, and you are all set.