If you have recently noticed that your expenditure has become a little unwieldy and disorganised, it is a good idea to take steps to reign in your outgoing funds and reorganise your financial situation. In the current economic climate, poor money management is vigorously condemned, and in order to make sure you maintain a good credit record, you will want to keep a firm grasp on where your capital is going.

The first step to healthier money management is, as every good finance guide will tell you, the organisation of a solid, systematic budget. Drawing up this kind of financial schematic should not be difficult, however, it will involve some rigorous self-analysis on your part.

To begin with you will need to determine accurately how much money you take in every month after you have been taxed. This figure should go at the head of your page, and from it you will systematically subtract your expenses.

Do this in an ordered, organised way. Begin with the biggest and most fundamental costs – your mortgage or rent and your car payments, for example. Work your way down the list of your expenses, and try to be as accurate and honest as you can.

Once you have finished with this, you should be able to clearly see where your money is going and in what kind of quantities. From here, you should have enough information to make solid changes to your spending habits where these need to be introduced, and once you have managed this, your finances should be back on track.