If you realize that you are overspending resulting in a depletion of your savings account, it's time to keep your spending in check. It takes a lot of discipline to stick to your financial plan. However, keeping to a financial goal is not that difficult if you start with the basics. Fortunately, there are effective strategies you can adopt to make sure you follow through on your good financial intentions. Miranda Grey examines these strategies such as being specific in her book "How to Save Money." Be specific about what you want to achieve out of your financial plan. Decide how much you should save each month or how you should pay off your credit card debt. For example, specifying $200 as the sum you should save each month will help you to visualize and reach that target instead of simply saying 'I'd like to save some money per month." Likewise the motto 'Cut down on grooming expenses' sounds vague and less concrete. How about turning it to 'Spend no more than $100 each month on grooming'? This puts your goal into perspective. Grab your copy of How to Save Money