30 days, 30 ways to organise your finances

Day 1

Download a free budget tracker. Print it out and put it on your fridge, in your purse, or wherever you will actually use it this month to track your expenditures. Commit to writing down everything you spend this month.

Alternatively, try an online tool such as iVillage's Cash Flow Calculator

• 10 steps to becoming debt free

Day 2

Take the time to write down a financial goal you would like to achieve within the next 12 months. Maybe it’s climb out of debt, maybe it’s to fully fund an emergency account. Once you’ve selected a goal, break it down into a series of smaller, monthly goals.

• 10 steps to becoming debt free

Day 3

Set an egg timer for 10 minutes today to brainstorm all of the steps you could take to achieve your financial goals. No idea is a bad idea. Just generate as many ideas as you possibly can.

• 10 steps to becoming debt free

Day 4

Do you have an organised way to keep track of your receipts? Get a small accordion file and keep it in your handbag or briefcase. Once a day, transfer loose receipts from your wallet or bag into the organiser. At the end of the week or month, you'll have them handy when you reconcile your accounts.

• 10 steps to becoming debt free

Day 5

When was the last time you audited your finances? Try it now!  Set a reminder in your calendar to do the same again in 30 days.

• 10 steps to becoming debt free

Day 6

Take a moment to reflect on the purchase decisions you have made today. Whether you’re aware of it or not, you have sent a message to the world through the things you paid for. What did you choose? Do your purchases reflect the values you wish to live by?

• 10 steps to becoming debt free

Day 7

Look back on your expenditures for the past week. Have you been diligent about tracking what you’re spending? If not, why not? What could you do to make it easier to track? If you’re avoiding it for emotional reasons, why? What are you afraid you will see?

• 10 steps to becoming debt free

Day 8

Do you know your credit score? Find out from your bank now, it will be useful to know. And if you have bad credit now's the time to start trying to turn that around.

• 10 steps to becoming debt free

Day 9

Look back at the list you came up with on the third day. Pick the three things that you think will have the biggest impact on your ability to achieve your financial goal. Organise yourself tonight to implement them in the days ahead.

• 10 steps to becoming debt free

Day 10

If you have a private pension fund, are you aware of what contributions you have made to your account so far this year? Investigate whether you’re on track to make the payments into accounts for the year. If not, write it in your planner as a 'to-do.' If you do not have one look into getting a private pension.

• 10 steps to becoming debt free

Day 11

Take stock of the credit cards in your purse. How many do you have? Do you really need them all? Evaluate what they are doing for you. Can you get rid of any with very high interest rates? Experts recommend you have three. If you have more, consider winnowing what’s in your wallet.

• 10 steps to becoming debt free

Day 12

Try refraining from buying anything today. Don’t pay for others to entertain you and don’t purchase any goods. Cook using food already in your fridge and choose activities that are totally, utterly free. At the end of the day reflect on how it felt. Was it difficult to make it through the day? To what degree are you even conscious of spending money day-to-day?

• 10 steps to becoming debt free

Day 13

Is your financial information organised? If you’re married, do you know where all of the financial accounts are held?

If not, sit down with your significant other tonight to discuss what accounts you have, where they each are, and who to contact at each institution if needed.

• 10 steps to becoming debt free

Day 14

Your bank probably has some free tools and resources to make you more financially fit. Look online or call or visit your branch to see what’s available. Specifics to look for: online spending analyses and savings calculators.

• 10 steps to becoming debt free

Day 15

What do you have lying around your house that you no longer use that could be transformed into cash? If you have more than 20 items, go to a car boot sale at the end of the month. If fewer, consider selling them on eBay or Gumtree.

• 10 steps to becoming debt free

Day 16

Sign up for daily financial tips and advice from sites such as Money Saving Expert.

• 10 steps to becoming debt free

Day 17

Map out the birthdays of friends and relatives and anniversaries you have coming up in the next few months. Rather than spending a lot at the last minute, make a budget for them. Think up some gifts that fit within that budget now. If you can, purchase them this week.

• 10 steps to becoming debt free

Day 18

Do you spend a lot of money dining out each week? Sit down today and map out meals for the next 20 days. Tally up how much you typically spend eating out and apply half of that amount to your food budget. Put the rest right into your savings account.

• 10 steps to becoming debt free

Day 19

Are you an emotional spender? Where are your weak spots when it comes to consuming? Just like dieters need to understand potential emotional eating pitfalls, consumers need to be aware of emotional hardwires that can trip unnecessary spending sprees.

• 10 steps to becoming debt free

Day 20

If you buy your coffee outside the home, calculate how much you spend each day. Multiply that by the number of days you’ll buy coffee for the rest of the year.

Shocking, right? What if you treated yourself to special coffee once a week? How much of a difference would that make on your bottom line?

• 10 steps to becoming debt free

Day 21

Set up a Direct Debit from your current account to a savings account or ISA.

If you are short on cash, start small – £10 a week adds up surprisingly quickly.

• 10 steps to becoming debt free

Day 22

If you’re a woman and it’s been awhile since your last raise – it’s time to ask for more.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) in the UK has found that female graduates earn less than 20 per cent of their male counterparts.

For women who have not been to university, the gap rises to 23 per cent.

• 10 steps to becoming debt free

Day 23

If you have over 20 different accounts (from utilities to credit cards), each account comes with its own set of bills, statements, notices, offers, due dates, emails, paper mail, websites, and passwords. In short, it’s a nightmare to organise.

Sign up for one of the many services available that aggregate all of your account information in one place so that can truly go paperless.

• 10 steps to becoming debt free

Day 24

Do you currently subscribe to services that are automatically paid by a credit card on file each month?

If so, scour your statements and highlight any services that you are not using to the fullest extent. Call and cancel those accounts by the end of the day today.

• 10 steps to becoming debt free

Day 25

Get perspective. As important as this is, money is only one part of life and not even the most important. If you let it, money matters can consume your life.

Remember to keep focus on the really important parts of life: family, home, happiness, love and whatever else is in your heart. Pursue long-term financial security but never at the expense of your life.

• 10 steps to becoming debt free

Day 26

Do you have loose change lying about? Get some coin wrappers and tonight while you’re watching TV, wrap them up.

Deposit the coins on your way to work tomorrow.

• 10 steps to becoming debt free

Day 27

Check out Clare Francis's personal finance blog on iVillage.co.uk for weekly advice and tips on how to save money.

• 10 steps to becoming debt free

Day 28

Do you have adequate insurance? If something were to happen to you or your home, would you and your loved ones be covered?

Sites such as moneysupermarket.com will help you shop around for the best deals.

• 10 steps to becoming debt free

Day 29

Go to the library and take out a great book about financial wisdom.

There are so many great options, from The Millionaire Next Door to 9 Steps to Financial Freedom. Instead of watching TV tonight, read instead.

• 10 steps to becoming debt free

Day 30

At the end of the day, look back at your monthly expenditure worksheet. How did you spend your money? What are some 'leaks' in your bucket that could be plugged without too much hassle?

Set a budget for the coming month that assumes you fix those leaks.

• 10 steps to becoming debt free