Nothing can mess up your finances faster than having your identity stolen. And even if you manage to recoup your losses, you’re going to lose the time you spent trying to correct the matter and you’ll have gone through all that frustration for no reason.

What you need is prevention, not reaction. The following tips will keep your identity safe and your finances on track.

Buy a Shredder

The best thing to do with all those credit card statements, bank statements, and all your other sensitive financial documents is to shred them. If you just put them in your garbage, they could end up in the wrong hands.

You can buy a quality shredder for a decent price, and while it will set you back a little money, it could save you some money and your time in the long run.

Make it a habit to shred anything that contains any information a thief could use against you.

Protect Your Social Security Number

Your Social Security number is used for every important thing you do. Whether you’re filing your taxes or trying to get your retirement benefits, you need your Social Security number. You don’t want it falling into the wrong hands.

Don’t give it out to anyone unless you know it’s absolutely crucial they have it. And never carry your Social Security card around with you.

Guard Your Phone

Most of us do a lot of business on our phones these days. We download statements to take a look at them. We pay our bills using them. Some of us even keep a list of all our other passwords on them. All that sensitive information could do a lot of harm to us if it fell into the wrong hands.

That’s why we need to guard our phones by putting a password on them so random strangers can’t access them as easily.

Make Your Passwords Stronger

If even your grandma could crack your password, you need to put more effort into it. Don’t include your birthdate, your phone number, or your address. Those are all really obvious things to put into passwords, and with a quick cyber search about you, criminals may be able to easily guess your password.

Another thing you should stop doing is using the same passwords for multiple accounts. Every password you use should be unique, even if it requires you to write them all down in a notebook to keep at your house.

Watch Credit Reports

Occasionally, despite your best efforts, you might fall victim to identity theft. If you do, you need to keep your wits about you so you can stop it before it starts to spiral out of control.

You should do frequent checks on your credit report. If you see any accounts you’re not familiar with, it’s time to take prompt action by contacting those companies and explaining you are worried you might be the victim of a theft attempt.

They’ll walk you through the steps you’ll need to take to clean up that problem. Make sure you follow everything they tell you to do.

You’ve been fantasizing about your retirement for so long you can almost picture every single moment of it already. You know just what you want to do and are so excited for that day to finally arrive. But when will it?

If you’re crippled by the uncertainty of when you’ll be able to afford to pull the ripcord and start living your life on your own terms, let’s look at some indicators that will help you decide when the right time is.

You’ve Pictured How You’ll Spend Retirement

Unless you’re so wealthy it doesn’t matter what you’ll be doing during retirement, you need to have a lock on what your retirement will look like. Are you traveling? Playing golf at a country club every day? Are you always on the go, dining out in nice restaurants?

If so, you’re going to need more funds than you would if you just want to hang out with your grandkids and play cards with your buddies.

That’s why it’s crucial to know exactly what you’re planning to do with your retirement – it can make a big difference to your bottom line.

You’ve Looked at Your Debts

Ideally, you’ll have no debts when you enter into retirement. But unfortunately, that’s not the reality for a lot of people. You may have credit card debt, a car loan, or a mortgage still. And that’s okay, but you’re going to need more income to cover those debts.

You’ll need to have a good grasp on what you currently owe before you’ll be able to determine if you can afford retirement.

You’ve Crunched the Numbers

After you know how you want to spend your time and how much debt you have, you can start making real calculations about how much money you need for your golden years. Don’t forget to add some extra for medical costs because they tend to increase every year and show no signs of slowing down.

After you have a budget in mind, look at your investments and Social Security and determine if it will be enough to cover your bills year after year.

Plan on longevity because you may end up living a lot longer than you anticipate. You’d hate to run out of money when you’re in no shape to go back out into the workforce. One way to almost guarantee that you’ll have enough money to last as long as you live is by only withdrawing 4 percent of your retirement investments each year.

If you can’t swing retirement while only withdrawing 4 percent of your money, you might need to look at working longer or taking on part-time work in retirement.

Your Spouse’s Plans

You need to factor in your spouse’s feelings about your impending retirement too. Does your spouse plan to keep working after you retire? Will you still be okay financially if they have a change of heart and decide to retire soon after they see you having so much fun without them?

You’ll need to plan this next adventure out together so neither one of you feels cheated or upset. Then you’ll be ready to bid working life goodbye and get on with this next act of your life.

Whenever you’ve wanted to become a serious student, you’ve relied on a teacher to show you the ropes. Whether it was karate class, learning to play an instrument, or learning those tough math equations you never thought you’d master in school, you were able to reach the next level because of your teacher.

Learning about finances is like that too. Reading and studying up can take you a long way, but in order to fully realize everything you’ve been working toward, you need a money mentor – someone who can help you piece it all together.

If you’re trying to build a lucrative website, it helps to talk to someone who has already done it. If you’re trying to learn what to do with your investments, you need an advisor you can ask for advice.

So how can you find a mentor – someone you can ask real-life questions to and tap for hard-won advice? Here are three ways to do so.

Look for One at Work

There’s usually one in every office – that legendary employee who tells everyone how he is poised for early retirement. What you want to do is hop on that guy’s train. Ask him how he did it – and tell him not to leave out any details.

He’ll likely tell you a lot of the same advice you’ve heard all along – start investing early, save as much as you can, and keep your debt load low. The difference between hearing that advice and seeing a real-life example can be astounding. It can seem far away and impractical when you read about early retirement, but when you see someone doing it, it suddenly seems possible and exciting.

Your coworker will likely be happy to show someone how he’s carefully constructed the house of cards that will allow him to retire early. Just make sure you pay attention.

Look at the Elders in Your Life

You can learn a lot about finances by paying attention to any grandparents or older relatives you have. Unfortunately, not everyone is a shining example of what you should be doing with your money. But if you look hard enough, you’ll find one or two people who have their act together and can help you get yours together as well.

Don’t look for the flashiest person in your life – look for the one who seems comfortable and relaxed. Those are the ones who are usually the least worried about money.

Hire One

If you can’t find a free mentor, hire one instead. It’ll cost you money, but if you follow the advice you are given, it will more than pay for itself over the long term.

Stay away from anyone who promises to make you rich quickly. Real wealth is rarely built overnight.

Instead look for a financial advisor who is focused on long-term growth and has a solid plan of how you can get there.

If you are starting a business or a website, you can also hire consultants or advisors who can show you how to take your projections to the next level. The cost can be a lot upfront, but it may be worth every penny.

You want to be financially independent, but you just can’t seem to get there despite your best intentions. What are you doing wrong?

Here are some of the ways you might be hurting your finances without even realizing it.

Procrastination

If you think of a lot of ways to improve your finances, but always procrastinate when it comes to taking action, you might as well not even have that knowledge to begin with. Knowledge only helps you if you’re willing to use it.

If you know you should join your company’s 401k program, but you keep procrastinating, you’re not making any headway. It’s the same no matter which situation you are facing – doing a balance transfer, setting up automatic deposits to your savings account, or other things. If you’re not taking action, you’re procrastinating. And you’ll never get anywhere by doing that.

Laziness

If you’re in debt, laziness can be your worse enemy. It can cause you to turn down overtime that could greatly help your finances. If can stop you from even addressing your problem to begin with – you could be too lazy to take a hard, long look at your finances to see the mess you’ve gotten yourself into.

If you know you’re prone to laziness, it’s time to give yourself a pep talk. Convince yourself of all the reasons why you need to find some inner motivation. And then use your newfound motivation to make a real difference in your life. It might take a few months of hard work, but you’ll be glad when it’s over.

Impulsiveness

Impulsive urges can lead to some of our worst financial mistakes we make. Window shopping can lead to all kinds of trouble for our bank accounts. And unfortunately, it’s easier than ever to window shop now. We can do it whenever we want from the confines of our own home. And there are countless sites for us to spend our hard-earned money on.

If you know you’re the impulsive sort, you’re going to have to work extra hard to fight those tendencies if you want to improve your finances. One bad decision can bankrupt your whole savings account. If you really have trouble, you need to institute a hard rule that you never break – you’re not allowed to make a big purchase without taking a week to think about what it could do to your finances.

That should stop a lot of your urges to spend mindlessly.

Jealousy

Being jealous of our friends, family, co-workers, or neighbors can get us to overspend in the blink of an eye. If a neighbor gets a pool, suddenly everyone on the block is considering whether they can afford to do the same, even if they previously thought a pool was a waste of money.

It’s natural to want what others have. But you have to remember that true happiness and satisfaction doesn’t come from things – it comes from within. And financial security can bring you great peace of mind and happiness because you won’t have the stresses that other people do.

Think about that the next time you’re contemplating buying something just to keep up with your neighbors.

You want to see the world, but your budget doesn’t agree with you. You’re worried the closest you’ll get to foreign countries is watching a film with subtitles at your nearby theater’s matinee showing.

But there are ways to cut corners so you can fulfill your desire to head to parts unknown.

Camp Your Way There

If you’re planning a road trip, load up your trunk with camping gear and hit the open highway. While you might not relish the idea of camping, it has evolved a lot over the past few decades. You can opt for glamping instead – bringing an air mattress with you. That can make the experience more comfortable and you’ll still save a ton of money.

If the idea of camping for a full week is more than you can stomach, consider camping out until you get to your destination – on the way there and back you can stay at campgrounds. But while you’re at your destination, you can spring for hotels.

Give Up Fancy Accommodations

Fancy hotels are nice – they have everything you could ever need right at your fingertips. But you’re also paying a lot of money for that added comfort and convenience.

Go to a budget hotel instead. You can find hotels where you’ll pay well under $100 a night, compared to two or three times as much at fancier hotels.

As an added cost savings, look for hotels that offer continental breakfasts so you get one square meal a day you’re not paying for.

Go with a Group in the Offseason

If you’re headed to a popular tourist spot, try to talk other people into sharing your adventure – but do it in the offseason. If you can convince a few friends or family members to share your beach vacation, you’ll be able to rent a condo you can all share for less money than you might pay for a week’s worth of hotel rooms by yourself.

Plus, a condo will have a kitchen so you can prepare foods there instead of spending more to eat in restaurants.

Stay Away from Restaurants

Food costs can be one of the biggest budget busters you’ll face during your vacation. Whether it’s grabbing a snack at the gas station every time you refuel your vehicle or eating out every meal at a restaurant, food can add hundreds and hundreds of dollars to your trip.

For what you spend on food costs alone, you might be able to finance a weekend getaway somewhere else. Just keep in mind when you’re tempted to overspend on food, you might be shorting yourself another mini vacation you could take if you only had more discipline.

If your hotel has a kitchen in your room, you’ll be able to save a lot of money on food just by preparing meals yourself. But even if there is no kitchen, you can still buy cold cuts and buns at a nearby grocery store and stock the mini refrigerator in your room. That way you’ll still save money and you’ll have a cheap dinner you can grab on the go.

If you’re lucky enough to score a windfall – whether it’s a severance package or an inheritance – you don’t want to squander it. Large amounts of money don’t often just randomly drop into someone’s lap. You want to make sure you make the most of this opportunity.

Here are a few ideas on how to put that money to good use.

Pay Off Credit Card Debt

Credit card debt is toxic. It can seriously destabilize your financial future if you aren’t careful. It’s easy to get in over your head and a lot of people do.

So if you receive any sort of windfall, the first thing you should do with it is pay off any credit card debt you have. It doesn’t matter what your APR is – this is one debt you need to retire as soon as possible. It will be a huge relief knowing you don’t owe any money on your credit cards anymore.

Once it’s paid off, you should make sure you try to avoid racking up any more in the future.

Build an Emergency Fund

If you are out of credit card debt, but you don’t have an emergency fund, now’s the time to start one. Experts recommend having three to six months of expenses set aside in an emergency fund.

That can add up to a sizeable emergency fund, depending upon how much money your household needs to function each month. It can take some time to build it up to that level, but you’ll feel better with every dollar you add in there.

You can put in in a savings account or a money market account – just make sure you can access it if an emergency does happen.

If you have received a windfall, consider putting some or all of it into an emergency fund. You’ll sleep sounder at night knowing you’re covered for a while if you lose your job, have a medical emergency, or a family crisis.

Go Back to School

If you’ve always dreamed of going back to school to pursue your passion or a more lucrative career, this windfall could give you the opportunity to do so.

Look at the cost of the degree you want to obtain and figure out if you’ll be able to earn more money when you receive it. Even if you don’t, you might want to still move ahead with your decision to go back to school if it means you’ll be happier or have less stress. Not every decision in life should be about money, after all.

Open an IRA

If you don’t have any high-interest debt and your emergency fund is already in good shape, you might want to consider opening an IRA with your windfall. If you’ve already paid tax on your windfall – if it was large enough that you were required to do so – you may want to check out a Roth IRA.

While it might be tempting to go out and blow your windfall on a new car, some fancy meals, or new clothes, you should use the bulk of it to improve your finances in some way – and a retirement account is a great way to do that.

If you’ve never made a budget, you should try it to see if it helps you reach your financial goals. Doing a budget is never foolproof – you’ll rarely figure it out perfectly. But if you can manage to stick to it most months, you’ll make some real headway with your finances.

Here are some tips to get you there.

Look at Your Income

To do this, you should add your weekly or biweekly direct deposits or checks together to see what you’re bringing in each month. Only use your after-tax, bring-home pay.

Don’t forget about any other income you have coming in. If you have a part-time job or a side hustle, you should include what you earn from that too. If you have previously been treating that extra income as spending money, a quick look at what it could mean to your budget might have you reconsidering that strategy.

Subtract All Your Expenses

It’s not just enough to list all your expenses – you should also consider whether they are necessary. If you’re finding you have more expenses than money at the end of the month, you’re going to have to do some trimming.

Start with the non-essentials like cable and see if you can make enough cuts to end up with a balanced budget.

It can be tempting to cut down your food expenses dramatically if you find your expenses are starting to balloon, but you need to be realistic about what you can survive on month after month when it comes to food.

Don’t Forget the Semi-Regular Extra Expenses

Things like haircuts, Christmas gifts, and vacations should make their way into your budget too. You don’t want to have a perfectly balanced budget every month and then end up needing thousands of dollars at the end of the year for all the extras you forgot about.

Look at the Difference

The difference between your expenses and income is what you can afford to save every month. It’s never a good idea to have that number be zero because emergencies happen frequently. When they do, you’ll need a safety net of cash saved up so you won’t have to finance those emergencies on your credit card.

Make sure as the month rolls on that you track your spending so you can see how your actual budget stacks up to your anticipated one.

Include a Contingency Amount

It’s inevitable, especially in that first full year, that you’ll forget something you should have included in your budget. Repeatedly going over budget can make you feel like a failure or cause you to think the budgeting process doesn’t work.

To avoid those feelings of defeat and to help you stay the course, you should include a contingency amount in every budget. This will be money that isn’t designated for anything in particular but can be used for anything you need.

How much you put in this line item is up to you. Over time, you might realize you no longer need a contingency fund and you’ll be able to cut it out. If you don’t use it, you should add it to your savings if you can.

It can be easy in life to take what you’re given, accepting that what you’re offered is the best you can do. But that’s the wrong approach to follow when you want to build greater wealth.

Learning the art of negotiation can save you a lot of money in the long run, if you consistently do it year after year. By realizing that offers aren’t set in stone, you can save thousands of dollars per year.

Here is how you can do it.

Raises at Work

The workplace is a great arena to utilize your negotiation skills. Even if it pushes you outside of your comfort zone, you should ask your boss for a raise periodically. The worst he’ll do is say no. You have way more to gain than you do to lose.

It can be intimidating to make the walk to his office and ask for more money. But instead of reacting emotionally if he says no, ask what you can do to turn that no into a yes. Would taking on more responsibility get you that raise? Is there any overtime you can work instead of getting a raise?

If you can land a small raise, don’t feel bad about it. Even if it’s just $10 a week, over the course of your lifetime, it will add up to a significant amount.

Satellite Radio

Satellite radio has really taken off in recent years. People are willing to pay extra to have some of their favorite channels and artists available to them while they’re driving to work or taking a road trip.

But if you accept the first offer they give you for a six-month or a year’s subscription, you’re not playing it smart.

Instead of looking at that bill and mindlessly paying it, you should call the number and explain that you’ll have to cancel because you can’t afford to pay that much. They’ll quickly fire off a reduced figure you can pay instead. You might feel pleased and decide to accept that offer. But if you want to pursue even more savings, tell them one more time that even that figure is more than you can afford.

They’ll likely drop it one more time. They’ll still make money and you can enjoy your favorite songs without worrying about what it’s doing to your bottom line.

Cable or DirecTV

Every month you get your statement from your cable provider and every month you think about how many hours you have to work just to pay that bill. Unless you watch a lot of television, it can be disheartening.

Instead of paying that bill, try to fight it. Call your cable provider and tell them you’re thinking about switching companies so you can lock in a lower rate. The cable industry is fiercely competitive and they want to keep your business, especially if you’ve been a long-time customer.

You should be able to get about 25 percent of your bill knocked off for a few months, possibly even up to a year. At the very least, they may offer you a free movie package for a three- or six-month term. And while that might not save you any money, at least you’ll get some free entertainment out of the deal.

A good portion of what we earn each week from our jobs gets stuffed right into our mouths. While we need food, we don’t always do a great job of watching our spending when we buy it.

With a little planning and some willpower, we could save a lot more money at the end of the month if we just pay more attention when we’re thinking of our stomachs.

Here are some tips to help your food costs shrink.

Watch for Sales

This should be a basic rule everyone should follow. Before you walk into a store and start throwing items in your cart, it pays to pick up the sales flyer at the entrance. Take a minute to look it over or look up the sales online before you get to the store.

Think about what’s on sale and how you can use it. It may not be your favorite food, but it wouldn’t hurt to incorporate some of it, especially if it’s healthy and cheap, into your diet for the next week or two.

Clip Some Coupons

You might think of clipping coupons as something only old ladies do, but you can save a lot of money by using coupons. Some national chains, like Kroger’s, also offer digital coupons you can add free of charge online to your membership card.

Scanning the digital coupons for five minutes could easily save you $10 or more per trip. And the best part is you won’t have to clip anything or watch as an exasperated checkout clerk has to enter each coupon. Because they’re digital, they’ll instantly be taken off your total as soon as the clerk scans your card.

Don’t Go Shopping While You’re Hungry

Bad things happen when you walk into a grocery store on an empty stomach. You’ll regret it almost instantly – and so will your bank account. You’ll be tempted to throw every piece of tasty-looking food into your cart, no matter how much it costs.

All you’ll be thinking of at that point is feeding your face. So it’s best to eat a meal or have a snack before you head to the grocery store.

Cut Out Some Meat

No one expects you to become a vegetarian, but your body doesn’t need meat at every meal either. Have a big salad or a filling soup once or twice a week for dinner instead of a big burger or steak.

You’ll be just as full after that meal and you’ll see some savings too because of how expensive meat can be.

Plan a Menu

At the start of each week, plan a menu detailing what you’ll eat at each meal for the week. By thinking ahead, you’ll be able to keep your shopping list to only the ingredients you’ll need to make those meals. Plus, you’ll be less tempted to decide last minute to go to a restaurant or hit a fast food joint when you already have a meal planned out.

That will help you avoid spending unnecessary amounts of money on eating out when you’ve had a long day.

If the thought of working until you can collect Social Security is too depressing for you, think outside the box. Although many people might tell you it can’t be done, early retirement is an option for you if you begin to plan when you’re young enough.

But, be forewarned, it will take a lot of discipline and self-control to reach your goals. Here is how you can do it.

Start a 401k As Soon As You’re Able

The first day you’re eligible, sign up for your company’s 401k. Commit to making as high of a contribution to it as you can out of every paycheck.

Once you have started contributing, review your contribution level every six months or so and see if there is a way you can bump it up. While contributing 10 percent of your own income, not including your employer’s match is a good start, if you’re eyeing early retirement, that won’t be enough. You should attempt to get that percentage up to 20 percent as soon as you can.

Because you won’t be working as many years, you need to save aggressively while you do.

Take Some Risk

Because you’ll need your retirement savings sooner than your peers, you’ll need to seek out high returns. That means you’ll need to get comfortable with assuming some risky stocks in your 401k. Those safe options may be more appealing, but you need to earn as much interest as you can – and that means taking on some risk.

Watch Your Home Purchase

Unless you can find rent dirt cheap, it’s better to buy a home than rent because you’re building equity. If you plan to flip your home for a profit, you might spend a little more upfront for a home, especially if it’s located in a neighborhood you believe will take off someday. Many early retirees were able to say goodbye to the working life because of flipping a home.

If you’re buying a house you plan to stay in for the rest of your life, remember to make it affordable. If you’re spending too much on a house, it’s going to be harder to meet your retirement goals.

Add a Side Gig

While watching your spending is crucial, it doesn’t hurt to have a little extra money coming in either. If you find a side gig you love, you might be able to continue doing it well into your retirement years too. It could be an invaluable source of income for you then. And until then, it can help you save more aggressively.

If you have a talent for writing or you’re handy with tools, cash in on your skill. By joining some freelance sites online, you’ll be able to bring a significant amount of money in each month.

Don’t Cave To Peer Pressure

It’s only natural to want to live as fancy of a lifestyle as your friends are. It can be tempting to join them when you see them driving expensive cars, dropping a lot of money on nice clothes, and taking exotic vacations. But remember, every dollar you spend now is robbing your dreams of early retirement.

You have to decide which is more important to you – early retirement or instant gratification – and act accordingly.