Though I am not a trained financial expert, I have learned a lot from my Certified Financial Planner husband. I’d like to share some simple, yet powerful ideas I think you might benefit from for helping you reduce your stress by feeling more in control of your money.

1. Know Where Your Money Goes. If you are really serious about getting your finances under control, then you need to first know your spending habits. Start by reviewing your check book register. Then for one month, write down EVERYTHING you spend money on from the coffee lattes to fast-food meals to Walmart trips. Include how much you spent and how you paid for it – know that checks, credit and debit cards are trackable while cash expenditures are not. After the month, review and add up your expenses. You might be shocked at how much you spent on bottled water from the quickie mart! Learn from this and make the necessary adjustments.
    
2. Understand The Difference Between A Need And A Want. For everything you purchase, decide whether it is a need or a want. Needs fall under the categories of food, shelter and clothing (though that Gucci outfit might be a want more than a need!). Wants are just that – things we don’t really need but would like to have like an ipod, a soft drink, or an overly expensive car. So before making that impulse buy, try walking out of the store. If you still want it tomorrow, then buy it. When your wants become needs, you lose control of your cash management.
    
3. Save For Your Retirement NOW. We spend about 20 years getting educated, 40 or so years making a living and if all goes well, we’ll have about 30+ years to spend in retirement. If you want to live with any semblance of the life style you currently have, then you need to start putting money away NOW.
    
4. Pay Yourself FIRST. This is the basis of sound financial planning. Before you pay your other bills, put a set amount of money away each month for your retirement, your kid’s college, your long-term health care, and so on. Even $50 a month over many years in an interest bearing account or mutual fund can yield a tidy sum.
    
5. Knock down your debt. Don’t just pay off minimums. If possible, make a plan to slowly get rid of your credit card debt, then only use your card if you know you can pay it off that month. Try consolidating your credit cards for a lower interest rate or negotiate with your current credit card company for a lower rate.
    
6. Consult With a Qualified Financial Advisor. Since most of us don't change our own oil (we let the car specialist do that) or perform our own brain surgery (we let the brain surgeon do that), then doesn't it make sense to consult a financial professional to help us manage our money?!

This is just a start but I hope this helps you to stop and think about your financial health. If you can do even one of these ideas, you will be one step closer to better money management and hopefully a little less stressed as a result!

In one day you will:

• Overcome any fear of accounting;
• Fully grasp the first principles of accounting so that they will work for you forever;
• Gain the confidence to communicate with colleagues, clients and accounting professionals powerfully;
• Speak the universal language of business; and
• Be able to make better business decisions to increase your business performance and wealth.

Their next public workshops will be held in NYC, Washington, DC and Baltimore, MD. Click the link below for more about Accounting Comes Alive. If you decide to register, tell them I sent you!

Rev It Up Reading is our new public workshop that helps busy people get up to speed with what they read. The schedule includes:

• Boston, MA - November 17
• Fairfield, CT - December 1
• Hartford, CT - February 9, 2007
• Basking Ridge, NJ - April 27, 2007
• and more to be scheduled soon!

Register early for our Early Bird Discounts or always get 10% off if you bring a friend (both receive the discount). Please share this with your family, friends and colleagues!