Top Ten Personal Finance Tips

• Make the effort to educate yourself about personal finance. Read financial magazines and good financial books and use well-known, reputable sites on the Internet.

• Budget! Operating without a budget is like driving a car without a steering wheel. You don't have control over where you are headed.

• Save the pennies, and the dollars will save themselves. Lots of small amounts add up to big savings.

• Pay cash. If you can't afford to pay cash, maybe you can't afford to buy.

• Always think about opportunity costs. You may not be paying for something directly, but giving up the opportunity to make money is a real cost.

• If possible, take savings out of your paycheck before you see it. After a while you'll get used to planning your spending on the lower amount, while your savings grow.

• Be a smart shopper. Don't buy cheap items that won't last and don't pay for bells and whistles that you don't need and won't use.

• Know how to recognize the warning signs of too much debt, and if you see yourself headed for trouble, act quickly, before you ruin your credit record.

• Don't go without some type of medical insurance, even if you can only afford a policy with a very high deductible. If you become ill or are injured in an accident, the medical bills could ruin you financially.

• Remember, most millionaires are just average people who practiced sound financial principles like those in this book. You could be one of them.