4) SPEND WISELY

Reduce The Number Of Shopping Trips

You shop for many reasons, including loneliness. Visiting a few stores on your way home from the office because your spouse is working late or your roommate is traveling or you don't feel like making dinner for one? If you see, the frequent shopping trips you make are not mostly because you need to buy anything in particular, but to avoid loneliness. Remember, that the salesman is not your friend, even if he says how great that leather jacket looks on you. He is only doing his job which is getting you to open your wallet and spend. So kindly, do your wallet a favor and hold off for the day.  

More: 5 Ways to Curb Emotional Spending

Stay Away From Spendthrift

It's human: when your friend orders a dessert, it excites you to do the same. While watching others swipe their credit cards makes you want to swipe yours too. Be money wise and avoid such social gatherings. Make your lifestyle and purchasing decisions based on what you can actually afford, not on what your peers are buying. Even if your friends drive a luxurious car, there's a good chance of some them having a flashy debt to match. Instead of coveting them, try to feel smug about your fat retirement account and your zero credit-card balances.

5) INVEST SMARTER

"What's The Worst That Could Happen?"

Always ask that question--and know the answer--before you invest in anything. Could you lose all your money? Will your money be stuck and would you be not able to get it back if and when you need it? Or is the worst-case scenario that your money will sit there and earn nothing (which means you're losing after taxes and inflation)? Understanding the upside is only half of what you need to know before making any important investment decisions.

Also Read: 7 Money Matters That Can Kill a Marriage