If you enjoyed the holidays as much as everyone else, then like them, you must have been surprised to realize that you’ve spent more than you ought. I know I did. And it’s painful because it’s hard to start a new year with negative finances. But don’t get depressed just yet, because you can do something about it. Here are things you can do to fix your messed-up budget.

List all payables. How much credit card debt do you have? Get all your receipts and know exactly how much you owe. Late payment fees can be caused by overlooked or misplaced bills. The best way to get around this is to keep all bills in one container so you can really keep track of everything. In addition, if you are regularly monitoring your bills, it will enable you to pay your bills on schedule, thereby saving you from a lot of penalties. It’s also a wise thing to always check your credit card statements so you can see if your bank is increasing its rates.

Explore ways on how you can manage your finances more efficiently. There are ways on how you can computerize your checkbook. Among these services are the Microsoft Money and Quicken. Look up such programs because they can greatly help you become organized.

Cut spending. There are slices in your budget pie where you can afford making some adjustments. Use the savings in these adjustments to pay up your loans.

Seek out part-time jobs. You may not have enough money, but you have more than enough time which you can use to earn extra bucks. Ask your friends if they know of anything which you can do for a fee.

Set a budget for 2009. Make it your new year’s resolution to strictly limit your spending according to your set budget. If you can religiously follow your set budget til the end of the year, you have made yourself more disciplined to do it every year.