You may be meeting all your monthly bills and even scraping together a small percentage of your paychecks to put in your 401k, but doing the bare minimum isn’t enough to be truly financially responsible.

Here are the 5 commandments you need to follow in order to build a solid foundation.

Be Responsible With Credit Cards

Credit cards can be a handy tool, but they can also quickly turn into a runaway train. If you find yourself charging groceries or other necessities without the money to pay off that card at the end of the month, you’re in trouble.

If you’re carrying a balance on your credit card, it means you’re spending more than you can afford to pay back. That’s a problem you need to address immediately before it keeps getting worse.

Do whatever you have to do to start shoveling your way out of debt. If you need to take a part-time job for a few months, try to power through it. Or make a solemn vow you won’t use your credit card anymore. Take any extra money that comes your way and start chipping away at that debt.

This is one of the top money commandments you can follow. Credit cards can erode your wealth and your sense of well-being.

Have a Will

Yes, this will cost you money, but having a will is a sign of financial responsibility. Your next of kin deserve to have some sort of instructions about what needs to be done if something happens to you. And if you have any assets at all, you need a will to help avoid any hard feelings or fighting amongst your family.

Do Not Buy More House Than You Can Afford

It can be tempting to go over budget on a house. It’s a long-term investment and you want to get everything your heart desires the first time. That way, you won’t have to move someday.

But overextending yourself is a bad idea. You don’t want to be so strapped for cash because of the big house payment that you can’t enjoy your life. If you worry about how you’re going to meet that bill every month, is it really the place you want to be?

In order to avoid breaking this commandment, when you’re house shopping, come up with a realistic budget. Don’t feel pressured to look at houses that are more than you can afford.

Save Automatically

If you try to count on yourself to set aside money for your emergency savings or 401k each week or pay period, you’re not going to get very far. You’ll be trying to scrape together the spare change that is left in your account, instead of taking the first swipe at the big bucks that are in there right when you get your paycheck.

Set up automatic savings that will take a chunk out of your check before you’ve had a chance to touch it.

Find Like-Minded Friends

If you want to be successful, you should surround yourself with successful people – people who share your goals and dreams. In this case, you want people who share your enthusiasm for having their financial act together. They’ll fuel your drive to succeed instead of your urge to overspend.