Happy New Year!  As 2011 rolls out I, like many people will be setting some New Year's Resolutions which will include among other things, how I handle my finances.  One thing I've committed myself to doing is paying myself first, instead of last.  It's always easiest to to set a little money aside while you still have some, instead of "just seeing" if there is money left at the end of the month to put in savings. 

PMF - Pay Myself First will be my motto for the year.  I have done this off and on but I'm determined to use a little more self-discipline in my spending and savings habits.  To do this I I'm going to start with just one simple habit:

   - put all loose coins and bills in a jar at the end of the day.  This jar as of today is sacred and will not be   broken into except in the case of dire extremeties.  By saving a little as I go I'm hoping to erase the need to use my credit card if I get in a pinch.  In my case using cash is always better than using plastic.

So here's a challenge and a request.  Get a piggy bank, jar or bottle and start plinking in your loose change at the end of each day.  At the end of the month decide what you'll do with it.  You could use it to pay down a credit card, simply let it continue accumulating, stick it in a savings account or something entirely different.

I'm interested in two things from my readers.  First, let me know at the end of January how much you've been able to stash away using this idea, and what you'll be doing with that stash.  I personally will just let it accumulate so I have a little cash on hand for emergencies.  What we don't want is for your piggy bank to look like this at the end of the month:

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