Cash

• The first step to getting a grip on out of control spending is to pay for everything in cash. This can be incredibly difficult in a society built for plastic. Don't worry. The vast majority of businesses still accept cash, but your spend-happy ways should be slowed down by returning to a greenback system. It takes time to plan ahead and have cash on hand, which can help curb impulse shopping.
  
  

Plan

• You need a budget. Begin by writing down all your monthly expenses. You might not realize half your income goes to eating out. Regardless of how you want to divvy up the money, plan where every penny will be spent. But all the planning in the world won't a help unless you stick to it.
  
  

Save

• The best-case scenario would be to have three to six months of living expenses squirreled away somewhere in a savings account. You don't have to get to that point all at once. Start small, and build. One day of living expenses is a baby step, then a week, then a month. Pretty soon you have a cushion in the event you lose your job, miss significant work time for a medical condition or another unforeseen circumstance arises. You can't forecast what might happen, but be ready for whatever it is.
  
  Once you have reached your emergency savings goal, keep up the good work. Begin saving for college tuition or a vacation. Imagine paying for a Hawaiian trip with cash instead of pulling out the plastic. Believe it or not, saving can easily become a habit.
  
  

Relax

• Once you complete the preceding steps, you should feel a sense of accomplishment and relaxation. You now control where the money goes. Money doesn't control you, vanishing from your bank account like a wisp of smoke. Contrary to what many people think, a spending plan doesn't box you in--it frees you.