Money is just simply that…money. It has form and agreed upon value. Money is also a big bad illusion that makes David Copperfield proud. Everything that you heard about money is probably true. Money can’t buy you love, make you happy, buy you friends or make you better.

How do we go about fixing our finances? It starts within all of us. Until you change your attitude about money, you will continue to be a financial disaster. Being financially successful is available to all of us and the first and biggest step begins with us taking responsibility for our present condition. Remember that YOU are the cause of your current financial state.

You have to stop playing the victim game in money. Stop blaming others for your financial mess. Many people blame our problems on others with money, our own kids for being a burden, George Bush and our partners for not making enough money or spending way out of budget. The number one reason that couples get divorced is because of money and finances.

Once we’ve changed our attitude and beliefs about financial responsibility, we can begin taking these 3 steps to financial freedom.

1) Begin by getting an accurate financial picture of where you are currently. Create your own financial statement that includes assets, liabilities, income and expenses. Assets can be cash, investments or real estate. Your liabilities include your car, credit card debt, student loans or home mortgage. Keep track of the money that comes in and the money that is being spent.

2) If you are in a financial mess with a huge massive debt, then take charge and admit responsibility for it. It definitely will not go away magically by itself. It may feel stressful at such times, but the experience will make you stronger in the end. Clean up the past first before looking toward the future. Having the mess will only keep you from getting where you want.

It is not necessary to overwhelm yourself with the entire problem. Be patient and take as much time you need. Start the repair process piece by piece. Get in touch with your creditors and people you owe money to work out a plan to clean up your debt. Most companies are willing to work with the customer to help them get out of debt.

3) Write down what you would like your ideal financial situation to be. Include goals and milestones that you want to meet by certain time periods such as within 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, etc… Always keep an eye on your timeline as it can change depending on how fast you reach your goals.

Set financial goals that are realistic and achievable. If you plan on decreasing your debt, write down your goal as a reduction of $500 for the 1st month. Then you can increase the size of your goal to a $750 reduction for the 3rd month. Another example is having a goal of saving $100 dollars per week, then increasing that goal to $125 per week and so on.

We live in a get-rich-quick world full of dreamers and greedy people. The act of writing down goals and moving up piece-by-piece and step-by-step may seem like a slow process to many. However this is the way to go. Donald Trump did not get rich overnight. He was in debt at one point in his life before he made billions. He started with nothing and ended up a billionaire over time.

Here are some great tips that will help you make your piggybank so nice and plump that Farmer John would be jealous of it! Only this time, when it gets slaughtered, money comes out of it instead of your next Staples Center hot dog or morning bacon. Even though it doesn’t sound like much in the beginning, believe me, a little here and there over the long run will add hundreds and thousands of extra dollars into your savings account. I don’t know about you, but there are plenty of great investments I can do with those extra thousands.

1) First of all, you have to change your views about shopping. Buy because it is something you “need.” These are basic needs items such as toilet paper, soap, toothpaste and food. When I mention food, I mean staying in and cooking as opposed to eating out. Don’t buy because it is something you “want.” Why do you buy another pair of shoes, when the other pair is still brand new or only worn once? That would be a waste of money.

2) Live within your means. There is no need to compete with your next door neighbor or the celebrities with big homes and 14 cars on MTV. Nothing gets us faster into debt than trying to be better than someone else. Take the time to plan a budget and keep a monthly tab on the money coming in and the money going out.

3) Make sure you have a plan for everything. For example, make sure you have a grocery shopping list of the items that you only need. This will prevent impulse buying and spending more than you need to.

4) Use coupons, especially when the item is on sale. A combination of the two will help you gain substantial savings. I used to laugh at my aunt when I was 14 years old. I thought she was wasting her time cutting out those coupons every Sunday. It didn’t hit me until 10 years later how many hundreds of dollars they helped me save.

5) Check out the clearance section at department stores. There can be amazing bargains just waiting for you. You may be able to find that shirt you’ve been wanting to have or that toy your kids have been clamoring about.

6) Go to discount stores like 99¢ Only or Big Lots. There is nothing wrong with shopping there at all! It is not what it used to be. In the past, they may have offered generic items of brand names or poorly manufactured items. But now, they are stock full of name brand items at a fraction of the cost. Why not shop there when the same box of laundry detergent can be bought for 80% off the regular price?

7) Participate in rebate programs in stores that have them. Yeah, it is a pain to cut out UPC codes, fill out forms and make copies of receipts. But the money that you save is well worth it.

8) Keep a jar or large cup nearby if you don’t have a piggybank. Put all your change in there everytime you break your bills. You will notice over time that the loose change will build up. Take this jar to the Coinstar machine at your local grocery store and convert it into dollar bills.

9) Are there gifts that you receive but never use? Well, there is this secret Chinese way that helps you get rid of it! It is called “gift recycling.” This can be anything from unopened chocolate boxes to DVDs. This is another money saver because you do not have to buy any more gifts and you have something that you can give right away.

10) Buy items that can be reusable. Some items that come to mind are batteries and towel wipes. Sure rechargeable batteries cost more initially, but over time, the savings will add up since you do not have to buy anymore new batteries. Towel wipes are great for cleaning spills, counters and mirrors. It sure beats using rolls of paper towels to clean up the same mess.

Ok, I hope that these 10 tips will help you on your way to a debt free life. Remember, only you have the power to avoid the big storm that is headed our way.

Please feel free to leave comments and feedback on any of my articles. In addition, tell me what other personal development topics you want to hear about. Thanks.