2. Write down your long-term goals and your short-term goals.
Are there trade offs you will consider?
Planning is all about priorities. This list of goals can also be called priorities.
Are your goals for the short term within your income?
Have you included money saving items like paying off credit card debt?
Can you put together enough money to make extra house or car payments?
Is there insurance with a lower premium?
Have you budgeted for saving money to reach those long-term goals?
Do you have a plan to prepare for your retirement?

3. Reduce your debt. Pay off those high interest credit cards or loans. This will help you get the highest return from your take home pay. If you can defer some taxes by creating an IRA or a 401k savings program, then you can have more spend able income on the same take home paycheck. Retirement programs are not taxed until you take the money out. Create a plan to show you how much you owe, and prepare a plan to begin to pay off these debts. Having a plan you can look at, will help you reach that goal.

4. Make sure the money you need for the next 3-5 years is invested safely. That means in cash, CDs, money-market accounts, or short-term bonds. Sometimes trying to make a high rate of return involves risky investments you might pass up for now. For example, investing in currency might have a high return but also could have higher losses. Some investors join groups of investors who watch chosen stocks continually. If a graph showing the movement of the stock weekly for a year will show you if your money is wisely invested, it could be well worth your time to do this. Or enroll with a company, which will do this charting for you. There are plenty of companies advertising these services on the Internet.

5. Carefully look at your spending. For many years, in many European countries, when a youth was given an allowance, the child was expected to list how that money is spent. This is a wise program for all of us. If the stock market was a bullish market, too many investors forgot to look at their spending habits, thinking all stocks would keep on going up and up. Perhaps land and real estate goes up consistently but investments usually do not.

Regulate yourself, discipline yourself cannot be stated too boldly. Savings for your future also is a flag for you to see clearly. Strict discipline and steady savings are keys to a financial success for you. Most 21st century workers use computers to keep records. Perhaps a small journal of the print outs will be invaluable if that hard drive crashes.

This is if the bank ATM's go down, having some cash nearby will be a real bonus. Power outages, natural disasters, a debilitating illness or accident, any of these can keep you from getting to the bank. So have money you can get to, so your needs will be met for a week or 2.

If you have minor children, then the spouse or caregiver of your family should know where emergency money is. A bold reminder of this wise choice would be a hurricane or flooding. Any natural disaster, which would force an exit from your town, will be a good reason to have some travelers' checks on hand. Your office is a bad place to put them, though. Too many people will be looking for funds also, if a disaster strikes.

Another good set of papers to have in a fireproof box is your insurance policies. These should also be easy to get to in time of natural disaster. Some insurance could be and towing insurance with policy or ID card handy.

Term life insurance is usually a lower price when dependents are young. These policies are best on both parents. Stable insurance companies appear to be best in times when the economy is up and down. Also mortgage insurance to make sure the home mortgage payment is made if one spouse dies is a top priority for family planning. Another is a policy to keep a steady income coming in, in case of disability or accident. These are the documents you will need to protect your family financially.