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A budget is a great road map for your financial life… but in the end, it’s only a document. It takes a lot of action on your part to execute that plan and make it your financial reality. Fortunately, there are some great habits and tricks that can help make that process happen more smoothly.

Once you’ve put together a good monthly budget for yourself and your family — either on paper or on a computer spreadsheet — you can use some of these methods and programs to put your plan into action. Here are four suggestions to get you started. [Read more...]