Saving isn't easy.

Nor is keeping your wallet in your pocket when temptation calls at the mall or you're dining out with friends.

But it's a lot easier to build financial security for yourself and your family if you have an overall plan or strategy that's easy to remember, simple to follow and helps you make smart decisions each and every day.

So here's our Six Step Plan For Managing Your Money. It will help you get out of debt, control your spending and start saving for the future. Make it a part of your life and you'll see the results in days, not decades. You'll be able to stop worrying about money all the time and begin building real wealth.

We're not saying you're going to be wealthy. Bill Gates and Paris Hilton will always have more cash, more stocks, more homes, more everything. But you can have enough cash, enough stocks, a home and enough everything else to make a difference in your life.

It won't be a crisis if your car breaks down or you get laid off. You'll be able to help your kid go to college, your mom recover from a stroke, your sister get through a divorce and retire at a reasonable age. That's what we mean by wealth.

Here's how to do it:

Step 1. Make a monthly budget and stick to it

Get your spending under control by recording every dollar you spend, and what you spend it on, in a notebook or spreadsheet. The first goal is make sure your spending never exceeds your income. Once you see where you money is going you can figure out how to use it more wisely and without sacrificing the stuff that matters most. You'll also be able to see whether you can really afford that new car or Cancun vacation. Once your spending matches your income, try to spend a little less and save the extra.

Step 2. Payoff your credit cards

It's almost impossible to get ahead if you're paying 17% or 18% a year on thousands of dollars in credit card debt. The interest payments alone are gobbling up all of your money. Shift that debt to lower-interest loans. If you own a house, take out a home equity loan or line of credit. If you don't own a house, go to a local credit union for a bill consolidation loan. Either way your interest costs will plummet, your total monthly payments will be lower and you'll pay off the debt faster. Then put all but one of your credit cards in a drawer and forget about them. Pay for everything with cash, checks and debit cards that require you to have the money before you spend it. Use the credit card in your wallet only for emergencies. Make that dire emergencies.

Step 3. Build a rainy-day fund

Nothing will make you breathe easier than not living paycheck-to-paycheck. Socking three to four months worth of pay away in a savings or money market account should be your initial goal. Begin by banking gift or refund checks, bonuses, or the money you saved by switching all that credit card debt to lower interest loans. Work towards saving something from each paycheck. Even if it's only $50 or $100 a month the balance will grow. After you've accumulated a few thousand dollars you can move some of it into higher-earning, three- to 10-month certificates of deposit.

Step 4. Take advantage of your retirement accounts

Start by putting just 1% of each paycheck into your employer's 401(k) plan. Add another 1% every four months. Your initial goal: Contribute enough to take full advantage of any match your company offers. If, for example, your company matches half of everything you contribute up to 3% of your pay, your goal should be to work your way up to putting 6% of your pay into your 401(k) plan. Obtaining that match is like getting a 3% raise. Your next goal should be to increase your contributions by 1% every six months until you are contributing as much as your company or federal law will allow. Begin by investing in a mutual fund that owns shares in large, dividend-paying companies. As your balance grows you can diversify into funds that own smaller companies, foreign companies and corporate bonds.

Step 5. Own your home

It's no accident that a home is the most valuable asset most Americans ever have. So if you're renting, you should be actively and creatively looking for a way to buy. Your wealth grows as you build equity in the house or condo -- that's the difference between what you could sell your home for and how much you still owe on the loan. Each month you pay the mortgage, you build equity. Each month your home appreciates in value, you build equity. You can also get a break on your income taxes by deducting the interest and property taxes you've paid from your earnings. Those are all benefits renters just don't receive. We know how difficult buying a first home can be, especially if you live along those parts of the East and West coasts where prices have doubled or tripled over the past few years. But mortgages that require little or no down payment can help and maybe you persuade a family member to become a co-owner with you.

Step 6. Track your progress

Use another notebook or spreadsheet to calculate your net worth -- consider it to be your financial score in the great game of life. After each quarter (they end March 31, June 30, September 30 and December 31) record how much your savings and retirement accounts are worth. If you own a house or car, estimate their current value. Add them together and you've determined your assets. Next record and add together all of your debts, such as how much you owe on your house, car and student loans. Subtract your debts (or liabilities as they're often called) from your assets and that's your net worth. Don't be surprised if your debts are bigger than your assets, especially if you're in your 20s. What you want to see is your net worth steadily improve. Maybe not every quarter. But most quarters. Then you can consider yourself to be winning financially. Celebrate the success.

By Mike Sante

Interest.com Managing Editor

Have a question about your finances? Ask us at editors@interest.com