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- Sit down with your family to determine as a group a realistic lifestyle for you and your family taking into consideration your values, attitudes and capabilities. Then determine how much money you need to make to achieve that lifestyle.
- With your lifestyle in mind, set long term financial goals and develop specific, measurable achievable objectives to reach those goals. An example of a long term goal is to buy a car within the next five years. An objective to meet this goal is to save $200 a month for the down payment.
- Keep lists of your goals to remind yourself why you don't want to overspend.
- Develop a monthly spending plan/ budget based on your monthly net income, minus living expenses and debt payments. (Click here for more information) Divide monthly bills.
- Keep savings account deposits slips with bills to be paid, so as you pay your bills, you pay yourself too. Keep all bills to be paid in one location.
- Keep track of spending in a notebook for a month to see where your money goes.
- Schedule regular family meetings to discuss long term financial goals, short term objectives, and successes or set-backs in sticking to your spending plan. When money for any budget category is gone, stop spending in that category.
- Change your spending plan as family circumstances change.
- Keep your checkbook up to date.
- Minimize number and usage of credit cards. Minimizing accounts will also minimize postage. Keep track of credit card purchases so you can pay bills in full before you are charged interest. If you can't pay a credit card bill in full, pay more than the minimum payment.
- Never sign anything you do not understand.
- Never buy any big ticket item the same day you choose it. Consider reconditioned/used items rather than new.
- After paying off a loan, contribute your new excess to savings.
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Getting Started 
