This is a guest post from the NEFE, a nonprofit organization that’s dedicated to improving the financial literacy of Americans.

NEFE knows that to make your money resolutions stick, you have to begin by looking critically at your lifestyle and making a financial plan that works for you. Once you know how you’re spending, you can begin to understand how to control it.

1. Take the LifeValues Quiz. Understanding your values and attitudes about money bring clarity to the decision making process. Take NEFE’s LifeValues Quiz to help you identify your values and make resolutions based on those values.
2. Write down your resolutions. Clearly articulate why you think this resolution is a good idea. Indicate what steps you can take to reach your goal and what you hope to gain. Don’t forget to post this somewhere you can see every day!
3. Go public. Share your resolutions with family and friends. Having someone to hold you accountable means you’re more likely to keep your resolutions.
4. Gauge your progress regularly. If you’re trying to reduce debt, make sure you check your balances often. Set aside a couple of hours each week just to address your finances.
5. Vary goal intensity. Use short and medium term goals to get you to your long term goals. For example, give yourself a short term goal of organizing your home office. A long term goal could be setting up (and adding to) the emergency account you know you should have but didn’t get around to starting last year.
6. Address conflict logically. If you are finding yourself breaking a financial habit by reverting to old spending habits, identify what value might be causing you to stray and take the time to ask yourself if the decision is appropriate given your current financial situation.
7. Do it NOW! Many of us wait until we feel the time is right to begin these new behaviors. If we wait until after the big party to start watching our diets or until after that last big purchase to start saving money, the ideal time will never present itself. Do it now.

For more New Year’s tips, check out NEFE’s New Year’s page.

This featured post is presented by My Dollar Plan.

I saw a sign in a sandwich shop recently that said, “Honesty is not only right, it’s efficient.” When you’re anything but honest, it takes energy to come up with a new story and maintain that story over time. There’s no doubt that being honest is the easiest and right thing to do. But a commitment to honesty is also a good financial move. Here are 6 people you can’t afford to NOT be honest with.

Continue reading 6 People You Can’t Afford to Lie To at My Dollar Plan.

This featured post is presented by Sense to Save.

Has this happened to you?

You’re strolling up to a cash register to make your purchase. The cashier rings you out and asks, “Would you like to donate $1 to (some charity)?”

You weren’t planning on spending an extra dollar. You aren’t even completely sure of the cause in question. But it’s just a dollar, and you’d feel like a jerk if you said, “no.”

Or maybe, you refuse donations without thinking twice.

Continue reading Donation Solicitations at the Cash Register at Sense to Save.

The following is a guest post by Rachael Miller of Moneysupermarket.

When all the festive cheer is over, many of us are left with big hangovers in January, and not from being too full up. Many of us experience financial hangovers, having spent the best part of our earnings on presents, food and entertainment over Christmas. Even with the recession looming over our heads, that didn’t stop us from splashing out over Christmas. Many of us over-indulge even though we know we can’t afford it, and become prepared for the hangover that will hit us in January.

January is a long month. Not only is it cold and dark (for those of us who live further up the hemisphere), but our finances are usually stretched out to their limit. Many companies pay your salary early in December, meaning that you have to wait longer for your next pay packet. Make sure that you plan out your wages to last five weeks instead of four by perhaps only withdrawing an affordable figure each week and sticking to it. It is also worth in trying to clear your biggest Christmas debts first, if you’ve used a credit/store card to help with your Christmas shopping. Kate Murphy, from Moneysupermarket advises; ‘Paying more off your most expensive debts first will mean less of your monthly repayments are covering interest costs and more is going towards paying down the outstanding balance. This will cost you less in the long run and you’ll be debt free more quickly…’

Christmas is not only associated with over-indulging, but also with waste. The festive season sometimes means that our eyes are too big for our bellies, and we buy too much food and drink. Don’t throw this food away- freeze it to make tasty meals with in January. Then we’re left with the presents that might not be to our taste. There is always one relative who lovingly buys you a gift that is of no use to you. Don’t throw these away, no matter how tempting it might be to start the New Year with a clutter-free home. See if you can exchange the gift in store- you might be able to swap it with something you like. Alternatively, sell these items online. There is always someone out there who needs what you don’t, and it’s an effective way of lessening the pressure on your bank account throughout this difficult month.

The January sales are probably the highlight of the month. Even if you are strapped for cash it’s hard to ignore the massive savings that some stores offer. If you are planning to purchase something expensive, save up during the year but buy in January. You can save up to 70% in the January sales when lines are being changed for the New Year. Instead of paying full price you could save a considerable amount by waiting for a few months to make the most out of the sales.

One thing January is good for is for taking control of your finances. After you have paid all of your Christmas debts off, try to plan for next festive season. Even though it may seem a long time away, there is no harm in planning for the next year- this may save you the pain of the financial hangover. Open a good savings account and add to it each month when you get paid. Compare savings accounts to find the best deal for you.

You hear it all the time — stories about young adults who went to college, signed up for their first credit card, and were up to their eyeballs in debt before they could say “spring break”. What are some of the steps you believe that we as a society or as parents should take to help raise financially responsible children?