As I read the news, I can’t help but reflect on how much money affects our health. So in order to get healthy fiscally, it’s important to remember that “personal finance is 80% behavior and is only 20% head knowledge”, to quote Dave Ramsey. I’ve seen this in my life as I’ve gone from deep debt to debt free. I would go as far to say that personal is more akin to weight loss than anything else. So here are some things that helped me get to a great place financially.

1. Get Organized

This was a huge step for me because I am not an organized person by nature. It’s important that all mail and bills are opened upon arrival and bills are stored where they can be found. I found it really helpful to schedule a time to look at bills weekly or bi weekly, for me it’s payday. I’ve also got one of those multi-layered trays and label them New, Pay and file. Obviously new means new mail, Pay is opened but need to be paid and file is paid and ready to file or shred.

2. Budget and stick to it.

This is a tough subject. Budgeting is a key to financial success. It is important to write everything down every month and be thorough. I write down my income at the top of the page and give every dollar a name. I spent a long time writing down just the bills and whatever was leftover just got spent. I would have never gotten anywhere if I kept on that track. After expenses, I just give everything else a name whether it’s blow money or savings. Most important, once you make the budget stick to it.

3. Limit Eating out.

OK, I think this might get most people out there; I really struggled with eating out and still do sometimes. When I really started to pay attention I took a look at how many times I ate out the month before a started and I nearly lost my lunch. I figured out why we didn’t have any money, we were eating it. Not only will this help to save money but it will also be more nutritional. Cooking is becoming a lost art for the “average Joe”, but I really love it. I can control the ingredients and it’s cheaper by far. Be careful though, you can still spend a lot at the store so make a list and don’t go hungry.

4. Shopping is not a form of entertainment.

We used to be so bad about going out and looking around at stores when we were bored. Honestly, this did nothing but make me want to buy stuff. I usually use the 24 hour rule when purchasing anything big. I wait 24 hours and come back, if I still want it and have the cash, I can buy it. A lot of the time I’ll look at something and never go back, out of sight out of mind. Find another means of entertaining yourself. Start exercising, go to the library or hang out with friends. There is so much more you can do that’s free or low cost and will be better for you.

5. Pay off Debt.

Most financial experts don’t like this notion, “you have to establish your credit” they say. Since when do we let someone else tell us how we are going to operate? I get really mad when this notion of a credit score is thrown around like it’s some indication of success. All the credit score says is that you like to borrow money often and continue to pay it back forever. There is not one indication in your FICO score of how much money you actually have. If you don’t believe me check out myfico.com and see the break down of the FICO score. Practically speaking, the less debt you have, the more money you can keep. We often just can’t see past the propaganda fed to us by everyone.

6. Move Forward.

Most of the time people address out-go and how to spend less, but it’s important to think about income too. Think about where you want to be 5 years from now and start making a plan to succeed. Read a book, take a class and learn new things. The average millionaire reads 1 non fiction book a month. Maybe we can take some tips from them. Do something different, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and expecting a different result. Get out there and take the necessary steps to move forward.

7. Be Positive

Henry Ford Said, “Whether you think you can or think you can’t; either way you’re right.” Be confident and positive about yourself, your money and life. While the media and others want you to believe that the world is coming to an end, you can ignore them and decide that you will succeed.

If you were to ask 100 women “What would you like to achieve financially?” Buying a home or apartment is usually one of the answers. Some women think that they can never own a home – which is not true! In fact, there are so many success stories of home buyers who never thought they would get there. In addition, homeowners tend to have greater financial success in the other areas of their finances life. I’ve seen it over and over.

The benefits of owning a home include: building equity, saving money on taxes and an integral step towards building wealth. With interest rates so low, this is a great environment to buy a home. This article is a checklist with tips and guidelines to buying a home. If you already own a home, some of these tips will be helpful for refinancing your home. Real estate is not a substitute for stocks but it plays a big part in your financial fitness.

1) CHECK YOUR CREDIT. Get a recent a copy of your credit report, especially your FICO score (the score lenders use to determine your interest rate). Check out http://www.myfico.com.

2) HOW MUCH HOME CAN YOU AFFORD? Start with your monthly payment and plug it into a mortgage calculator. (Great one on [http://www.eloan.com:] Affordability Calculator). This site tells you how much home you can afford assuming certain numbers. For example, if you make $6,000 per month before taxes, you can afford anywhere from $125,000 to $345,000 assuming $25,000 as a down payment. There are different choices with the actual monthly payments. If you don’t have enough saved for a down payment, create a separate savings account and come up with a savings schedule. Only borrow what you can afford!!!

3) ORGANIZE YOUR DOCUMENTS. Get together the following documentation: past 3 years of tax returns, recent paychecks, bank statements, investment statements and all other financial statements.

4) WHICH MORTGAGE IS THE BEST FOR YOU? Understand the different mortgage options. Most are based on a 30-year amortization cycle: fixed-rate, adjustable and a hybrid. Hybrids are very popular now; fixed rate for a certain amount of time and then they adjust annually. Consider a 15- or 20-year fixed rate mortgage. The payments will be a bit higher, but you will end up paying much less interest over the course of the mortgage and be debt-free much sooner!

5) SHOULD YOU PAY POINTS? A point is equal to 1% of your loan amount. You pay a point to receive a lower interest rate on your loan. If you get a low enough rate, paying points can be worth it.

6) SHOP AROUND. Work with a mortgage broker or check out a few mortgage websites: http://www.e-loan.com, http://www.bankrate.com

7) PRE-APPROVAL 6 MONTHS BEFORE BUYING A HOME. Get pre-approved for a loan from the bank or your mortgage broker. It gets the process going faster and in a competitive market, it gives you the edge.

MINIMIZE YOUR DEBT. Avoid big-ticket purchases so not to add to your debt load.

9) SAVE MONEY ON TAXES. Points paid for a first-time home (not for refinancing) can be deducted in the year your home was closed.

10) BE CAREFUL OF COSTS. Don’t ignore transaction costs and watch closing costs very carefully. There are also many hidden costs of home buying: moving, minor renovations (especially if you are buying an older home). Make sure you are prepared.

11) DIVERSIFY, DIVERSIFY, DIVERSIFY. Don’t tie up all your assets in your home.

12) PAY YOUR MORTGAGE AUTOMATICALLY. Get it taken from bank account automatically every month. You don’t ruin your credit and don’t forget to pay every month on time.

13) REFINANCING?
? Shop around for interest rates.
? Start with the bank that currently holds your mortgage. It may give you a good deal just to keep your business.
? Avoid paying points. When you refinance, you can deduct only a portion of the points each year, so it’s usually not a good deal.
? Don’t try to outsmart the market and wait for interest rates to hit their low point. If the numbers make sense for you, go for it.

14) PMI INSURANCE. You will have to pay monthly PMI insurance if you put down a down-payment less than 20%. Once you are paying your mortgage for more than a year, ask your lender to reconsider.

15) BAD CREDIT? DON’T HAVE ENOUGH FOR A DOWN-PAYMENT?
? You can use your investments or securities as collateral for buying a home.
? Consider a low-documentation, no documentation or sub-prime mortgage. You will pay a higher interest rate but it will help build your credit and equity.
? Also, check out these government agencies:
? Freddie Mac http://www.freddiemac.com.
? Fannie Mae http://www.fanniemae.com.
? http://www.hud.gov/fha.

16) OTHER MORTGAGE OPTIONS:
? Bi-weekly mortgages,
? Customized mortgages – usually offered by local banks,
? Use investment portfolio as collateral and a smaller cash down-payment.

17) HOME INSPECTION. Have an inspection done by someone with accreditation (www.nahi.org).

18) REMODELING? If you remodel, be diligent about keeping records. The right improvements can decrease your taxable gains when you sell.

19) CAN’T AFFORD TO BUY NOW? But want to get into real estate? Check out REIT stocks or REIT mutual funds, http://www.investinreits.com.