It's a new year and now everyone is just waiting until it is time to submit your taxes to get that sweet tax refund. That tax refund can help pay off some of your credit card debt. It can help with whatever monthly bills you have to pay. Or if you are the financially well off of the bunch, you can use the refund on getting yourself something special or even taking a nice getaway trip.

Regardless if you are able to get a tax refund or not, you should budget. I know there are people out there that don't need to budget and just have so much money that they don't know what to do with it. I envy you few. For the rest of us, we need could use a little financial reassurance to make sure we make ends meet and have a little extra for our self. Phone bills, tuition, insurance, housing payments, etc. are all things that take up a good portion of our paychecks. It shouldn't half to be like that. What are we doing that is making it more likely for us to be going from paycheck to paycheck with our bills and other expenses?

Do you go out to eat every other day? Do you stress shop and do some retail therapy? Do you buy things knowing darn well that you don't need it, but you want it anyway? Do you go out for drinks in the more expensive parts of town? These are just a few of the ways that people easily lose a good chunk of their paycheck each time they get one. This needs to either be minimized or stopped completely.

Most places of employment will let you see your paycheck amount prior to receiving it. Here is what I do before I get my biweekly paycheck: I make a list. I make a list of all the things I will have to pay for the next two weeks and see how much money I will have leftover. Whatever amount I have left over I split between "fun money" to keep in my checking account, and the rest goes into my savings account. If you do not have a savings account, please open one. Having a savings account is so beneficial in the long run. A savings account is solely perfect for being able to pay for emergency expenses. Those expenses might be an emergency flight to see an ill family member, car repairs, or something as simple as a nice date night outfit. The savings account will help you splurge when needed, but not acquiring immense credit card debt.

I have had a savings account since I was nine years old. I have been putting in birthday and Christmas money in there since then. Once I started working I put half of my paycheck in savings. As I started acquiring more bills and expenses I started making my budget list and stick to it. I'm in my senior year of college and only have seven thousand dollars in loan debt. I would not have been able to do that if I haven't been budgeting all this time. I went out of the country twice last year, went to several concerts, and had several nights out. I wouldn't be able to do that if I didn't budget.

Start making a list and see how much you really spend on things you don't need. Eat at home. Buy your alcohol at a store, not a bar. Don't go to the concert everyone else is going to. You know you'll be able to watch the highlights on Snapchat anyways. Start making a budget as a new years resolution, I know you'll be surprised at how much money you can save.