What are your top tips for managing your money?

My tips:

1. Track everything you spend and take in. Use a program like Quicken, it's a lifesaver. As long as I keep up with my receipts, I know exactly what I have in checking, savings and credit cards.

2. Pay yourself first. I've set up my savings and retirement accounts to auto-deduct every time I get paid. I never see it in checking, so I never miss it.

3. Pay off your credit cards on time. Obviously.

4. Pay your other bills on time to keep from racking up late fees.

Yeah.... I've never been big on that whole 'write shit down' thing....

Thank God for online banking. I gave Anne all my passwords and she takes care of it.

I've currently got 5% going to my TSP (Federal Employee 401K) with the Army matching with 4%. Once I get all caught up from the wedding I plan on bumping it up to 10% (but they only match up to 5%).

Unfortunantly I only have a whopping 101.31 in my savings account. :flow2:

That will start getting added to once the ring is paid off.

I've been late twice. Once wasn't my fault legally and is currently in the process of being removed. The other was in July during the wedding. Damn that fucker was expensive!

Again, thank God for online bill pay. Until then I pretty much just waited for someone to call me.

Another hint to remember on paying your bills on time, some companies will raise your rate just because you were late on another payment. It's a shitty practice, but some places do it.

Like Forbin and countless others, you have discovered the true purpose of marriage.

Don't borrow, save up and buy.

No really fancy plans so far . . . live within my means, 401(k), don't buy frivolous things, take care of what I have so it lasts a good long time, etc.

I'm looking to get a condo, and have my eye on a few already, but I don't really understand what's going on with the mortgage/lending/housing bubble situation. The condos I'm looking at are around $20,000 more than I'd like to pay (naturally), and I don't know if the price might come down at all since they've been in need of occupants for nearly a year now and maybe the builder (or whoever's in charge of the price) will get a clue. Of course if I ask the realtor or mortgage brokers about what might be best they'll certainly all say Buy! Buy! Buy! Now! Now! Now! and I can't really trust them.

I'll have to do the math and see if I'd be better off paying [ever increasing] rent while saving for a substantial down payment or going with a lower down payment (and paying way more in interest) and getting into the housing market sooner . . .