4. Monitor and improve your credit.

You should check your credit report every year. You can do this free by visiting AnnualCreditReport.com and viewing a free report from each of the three credit bureaus every year. Regular reviews of your report could help you fix errors quickly, catch an identity thief at work or get on top of a potentially delinquent account.

To dispute an error in your report, contact the credit bureau directly. If you notice a problem in one report, check reports from the other two bureaus as well. Note that your free credit report does not get you a peek at your actual credit score. You'll usually have to pay a fee to see your FICO score.

5. Live a simple lifestyle

Find contentment with who you are and what you have, and attempt to live simply. This doesn’t mean that you can’t get out and enjoy yourself with the occasional treat or vacation, but it does mean that you need to train yourself to live within your means, and save up for those fun extras.

Develop a sense of yourself, and contentment with that, and you will be less tempted to spend yourself into debt in order to keep up with friends and family who appear to be living large.