I’m a 20-something living in Manhattan. I work in finance, don’t have a drug problem and yet my bank account balance says $70 dollars and it’s only the 5th of the month.

How exactly did this happen? Tasti D lite, US Weekly, manicures and cabs. It all adds up.

How do I fix this? No, my suggestion isn’t to sell your soul and/or grow a money tree, but to make a few small changes to help you take control.

Why should you take my advice? I’ve had a bad month and a half. Between Sandy and Christmas and the fact that I am in my 20s (half adult, half child), I dropped the ball for November and December. However, in the past 8 months, I have paid off 50 percent of my debt and boosted my credit score out of the red. Further, as I am writing this, I have made a conscious decision to finish my December strong by cutting back on certain things. How? Baby steps.

1. Your financial health is just like your weight. For those good at keeping themselves into a size 2 dress, this is a good analogy. Managing your bank account is similar to managing your weight. Pending your body type/how much you exercise, you can only eat an X amount of calories for your body type to be at the weight you want. With your pesos, it’s the same situation. You only have a limited number of funds to play with to be financially stable. When you spend too much, you need to go on a diet.

2. Know your spending and living expenses. Lay it out in a spreadsheet. Don’t let the word “spreadsheet” give you fear. You don’t have to work in excel each day to put this together. Pinkyswear.