GIVE YOURSELF A MONEY MAKEOVER.

ADMIT YOU HAVE A PROBLEM. "It's really easy to see you need help when your checkbook says zero and you still have a pile of bills," says Christopher M. Pirtle, a financial planner from Peake Financial Group in Silver Spring, Maryland. However, if you're struggling to make your mortgage payments or you're living paycheck to paycheck, you need help. Invest in some sessions with a financial planner or read as much about money management as you can.

PERSONALIZE YOUR SPENDING PLAN. Figure out where your money is going and where you want it to go. Write down all of your daily expenditures, then create a spending plan that reflects your personal values. First decide how much you have to spend each month, then list all the necessities such as mortgage or rent, utilities and loan payments. If there is money remaining, decide how much will be designated for the extras, paying particular attention to those items that mean most to you. "I have clients who say, 'I've got to go to the movies at least twice a month,'" says Fulbright. "They have planned for that in their budget."

USE FINANCIAL SOFTWARE. You don't have to figure it all out in your head. "Get financial software so you can track your expenses and budget and do it on a monthly basis," says Pirtle. "You should be able to generate a personal profit-and-loss statement each month."

DUMP THE DEBT. "It's very sexy to talk about investments, but if you are loaded down with debt and haven't tackled that first, you may start an investment program and have to tap into it because you don't have an emergency fund," says Vicki Brackens, a MetLife financial planner in Syracuse, New York. Choose one debt to focus on and make minimum payments on the rest. If you focus on the debt that carries the highest interest rate, you'll pay less in overall interest charges, but if you tackle the smallest one first, you'll get a psychological lift from paying off a bill in its entirety sooner.

SET SHORT-TERM MEASURABLE GOALS. "You need to break your objective down into a manageable time period," says Brackens. "For example, 'Over the next three months, I want to pay off my Sears card.'" Once you've achieved that goal, set another one. That way you'll know right away whether your plan is working or not, and by achieving goals quickly, you are more energized to continue working your financial plan.

DELAY GRATIFICATION. Put purchases off until you have the cash available in your budget to pay for them. "It's very simple to charge," says Fulbright. "Many people pull out a charge card as opposed to saying, 'Do I need this item right now, or can I wait until next month?'"

PAY YOURSELF. Not only should you contribute to your company's retirement plan and set aside savings each pay period, but you should also give yourself an allowance. "You should have something that you can spend on yourself that you don't have to worry about--even if it's $25 a week," says Pirtle. "If you're getting paid and paying bills and have no money for yourself, sooner or later you're going to explode."

PUT YOUR PLAN IN WRITING. There's something reaffirming about putting a plan down on paper. "If it's on paper, it's real," says Fulbright. "You personally approved it with your board of directors--yourself."

THINK INCOME ENHANCEMENT. Start strategizing on ways to make more money. "A person may not be making as much as she's worth," Fulbright says. "Maybe she needs to retool or get another degree or maybe get an M.B.A. Or perhaps learn to do her job better."

MAKE FINANCES A FAMILY AFFAIR. "Financial soundness in a household where there is a husband and wife must be tackled by both," says Brackens. "They're not 'my bills' or 'your bills." They are 'our bills.' They're impacting everybody in the household--the husband, the wife, the children, everybody."

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