The second secret is creating a budget.

As a personal financial planning tool, a written, monthly budget allows you to plan for how you'll spend and/or save your money each month and also keep track of your spending patterns.

With a budget, you can begin to prioritize your spending and better manage your money and financia...

• The traditional budget starts with tracking expenses, getting rid of debt, and then building an emergency fund.
• But you can speed up the process by building a partial emergency fund. It will act as a buffer to replace the use of a credit card for e...

1. Gather Some Financial Information: gather a detailed list of your income and expenses.
2. Select a Budgeting Method: figure out how you’ll budget your money to meet your most pressing financial goals.
3. Create Your Budget: tally...