We all know that if we eat too much and do no exercise we'll get fat and flabby. Similarly, if you spend all, and more, of your money and don't watch what is coming in and out each month you will become poor and in debt. Here's what you need to do to make sure your bank account stays in shape and healthy, all year round.

Weighing your account

The first thing to do is face your financial situation. 'Weigh' your account, and decide not on how much you plan to lose, but how much you plan to gain. Being in control of your money helps you take control of your life so decide right now that you are going to run your finances, not allow them to run you!

If you don't already check your account online, contact your bank to find out how you can do this. If online banking is not available with your bank, ask them to send your statements weekly instead of monthly, just make sure they don't charge you for the service.

Look at your account at least once a week so that you know exactly what is going in and coming out. (Apart from being more aware of your personal finances, you will also be able to quickly spot if someone is fraudulently taking money from your account - an increasing problem these days.)

Organise your dieting habits.

By simply altering and reorganising the ways you spend and manage your money, you will start to pick up 'good' money management habits, which will help you stay on track and make the most of your income.

• Tackle credit cards
  Take a good look at your bank account and examine your credit card statements and bills. If you're paying out interest on credit cards and loans, prioritise them by paying them off as fast as possible so that you cut out this big waste of money.

  Change your attitude to credit cards. For example, start using the word 'debt' to yourself whenever you see the word 'credit' in shops or banks. See how uninviting the phrases 'get instant DEBT now' or 'apply now for instant DEBT' look.

• Trim the financial fat
  Cut out what's bad for your bank account, such as unused direct debits that you'd forgotten to cancel. Loose the 'financial fat' by cancelling seldom-used gym memberships, stopping any 'warranties' that you were pressured into buying for electrical goods and any other regular payment that you know you don't need.

• Become a cheapskate!
  Check out all your utility bills and switch to cheaper providers (look at sites like www.buy.com, www.uswitch.co.uk, www.switchwithwhich.co.uk for help switching gas, electricity, phones and even bank accounts).

  Make a resolution to cut out expensive, lazy habits. Cut down on convenience foods, particularly takeaways, stop smoking forever, minimise your alcohol consumption and trade expensive nights out with mates with cheaper alternatives. Also, keep yourself away from temptation. If you can't go into your local department store without buying something at the make-up counter, ban yourself from even stepping through its doors!

• Keep a diary
  Keep a spending diary for a month, writing down every single penny you spend every day, and you'll soon find out where you're wasting money.

Count those cash-calories

You can save money and have control over your spending if you just organise your life a little more and take on some good habits. For example, don't go shopping without a shopping list and try to go in to shops less often so you have fewer opportunities to spend there. Set aside time to shop and go to the cheaper outlets. If you have a market near you, buy your food there rather than the supermarket. Studies have shown that markets are, on average, about 30 per cent cheaper than most supermarkets. Don't automatically go for top-notch produce unless you are preparing for something special; especially for items like tissues, loo roll, kitchen towels, etc.

If you're finding it hard to stop yourself bending your plastic every time you go out, cut up all your credit cards except one 'emergency card' which you should put in a bowl of water in the freezer. The ice won't damage the card but the microwave would if you used it to thaw it out. If you really need the card, you can have it but you will have to wait a couple of hours for the ice to melt naturally. At the same time, give yourself a cash budget that you think you could cope on each week, take it out of the ATM on the Monday and make yourself eke out your costs for the full seven days.

Slim down your debts

If you have debts - credit card, overdraft, loans - use any money you have saved with this new regime to pay them off as fast as you can. Once you?ve paid those off, start over-paying your mortgage. Even if you over-pay by a 50 or a hundred pounds a month, you will save thousands over the years by paying it off quicker.

Exercise your finance power

Power is knowledge and the more knowledge you have of money matters the more control you will have over your finances, and therefore over your life, so its important to educate yourself:

• Check out the 'Money' sections of Sunday newspapers and look through some of the links at the end of this article to get clued up.
• Banks and other financial institutions make £billions every year by selling useless, expensive products to people who don't know any better, so make sure you're not one of them by shopping around for the best deals on the Internet.

Piling on the pounds

You can lose weight quicker if you exercise more while you cut down on the food you eat. In the same way, if you increase your income while cutting down on your spending you will 'pile on the £'s'! Go round your house and collect up anything you don't want anymore - books, CDs, clothes, jewellery, bric a brac - and sell them either at a car boot sale or online on eBay or Amazon. Put any money you make into paying off debts or into a high interest account to boost your future income. Financial websites such as The Motley Fool have up to date information on the best high interest savings account to suit your individual needs.

If you are serious about making more money, perhaps to pay off your mortgage or create a retirement fund, take on an extra job that you enjoy. This doesn't have to be difficult or even as structured as a part-time job for a company. Do some babysitting, make greetings cards to sell, organise children's parties or rent out a room to foreign students; the Inland Revenue allows you to earn up about £350 per month tax-free through the rent-a-room scheme, which could make you huge savings. There are hundreds of ways of making some extra cash - use your assets and your skills to make yourself rich.

Finally, don't forget to reward yourself every now and then for making more money. Give yourself a goal - perhaps paying off one credit card or making an extra £1,000 and once you've reached this monetary 'weight' you can reward yourself with a small financial treat such as new shoes or a slap-up meal out with friends. But don't go mad. Remember, the goal is to live below your means and invest what's left over for a rich and secure retirement. Good luck!

Jasmine Birtles is author of 'A Girl's Best Friend Is Her Money' (Boxtree £12.99) and 'A Bit on the Side: 500 Ways to Boost Your Income' (Piatkus £10.99)

More advice
Discover the 7 deadliest sins of spending
Find out how to beat the credit monster
Keep control of your account with the cash flow calculator
Find a high interest savings account

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