Alright you might ask where do I start with a personal financial plan, then you might panic and think oh no I will not be able to have fun anymore, I cant come out of the house except on triple cupon Thursday. You may have to cut back on some things for a while but the goal is as Dave Ramsey says live like no one else so later you can live like no one else. I kind of like that goal. So how do you get started, well I hate to use profanity but you need a budget, or if you like, you can church it up and call it a cashflow plan. A good way to find out what you spend is to keep track of every dollar you spend for a month, yes you will be suprised, but you will know where it is going. Start your budget by writing down what you know you are paying regularly and give your best guess at everything you dont know. Then keep track so you can adjust and find out the true amount you are spending. It usually takes aroud three to four months to get it going right but you will get there. You must be consistent in doing it for it to work and no one ever budgets perfectly so leave a little wiggle room for mistakes. Once you get everything down, you will be able to do your monthly budget in about 15 to 20 minutes a month. Dont forget those things you pay for non-monthly like quarterly car insurance, and oh yeah I checked the calender and Christmas is in December this year. Your kids will also grow over the summer so might want to get them some clothes that fit, if not they can see a counselor later in life. A budget works, but you just have to take the time and do it.