After reading this article. in the morning, the headline stuck in mind for the entire day. Why? Because I absolutely can't believe that people are taking out student loans for kids who are only 4 or 5 years old!

I'm a firm believer in the importance of a good education. For most people, it's priceless. A good education can pay off for years and years - often in ways you don't even realize. And education doesn't always mean a college degree, or graduating from a prestigious prep school. Learning is something that can occur just about anywhere. But I'm not blind to the fact that there are good schools - and there are bad schools. And there's nothing wrong with parents wanting to do everything in their power to send their kids to a good school.

I get that.

Heck, one of the biggest reasons we moved to the town we currently live in is for the highly regarded school system. And a lot of my tax money goes into this school system. So it's not like this good education is entirely free. My taxes are definitely NOT cheap!

But going into debt for a kid that is 4 or 5 years old?

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Many personal finance sites will give endless, though no less, great advice on how to save money. Whether it’s trimming your budget, opening a savings account, or beginning to invest money in stocks and bonds, if your read personal finance sites, chances are you know all there is to know about growing a nest egg. Still, even though we know exactly how to go about saving money, we don’t necessarily do it. The key, in my experience, has been to change my overall attitude toward money. Here are a few tips:

1. Understand that the future is not a distant mirage.

Recently, I read a fascinating article that outlined a study showing that native speakers of languages in which the future and present tense are explicitly differentiated tend to save less money for the future. The reason behind this phenomenon, researchers speculate, is that since the future is so starkly contrasted from the present, it seems almost unreal. While of course, this is merely a conjecture, it brings to light one the most important attitudes you must adopt in order to save money—you have to take the future seriously. If you conceive of the future as present that will happen to you all-too soon, then you’ll be more likely to understand the necessity of saving.

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When you’re in school the thought of having money – any money – is usually a laughable novelty. What money you do have is usually spent on late night pizzas and scraping up rent. Then when you get out of school and you get your first “real job” where you actually are bringing in a decent paycheck that money goes towards acquiring all the things you couldn’t buy in college. Suddenly you can afford things – you don’t have to shop the clearance rack or order off the dollar menu. Rarely do young, aspiring professionals think about planning their finances because the thought of investing money or saving a portion each month doesn’t seem as important as buying your first brand new car, or closing on your first house. However when you’re young is the perfect time to get familiar with financial planning, and can be done rather easily and in ways you may not have thought of before.

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Recently, renowned NYU professor and activist Andrew Ross encouraged students to sign a petition promising to default on their student loans in solidarity against rising student debt. Associated in part with Occupy Wall Street, Ross claimed that if enough students defaulted together, it could meet the protestors’ ostensible demands of across-the-board student debt relief, free education, and other such cosmic improbabilities. If Ross understood for just a second what would actually occur if any graduate forewent their legal contract to repay their loans, maybe he would think twice about encouraging others to destroy their financial futures. For those not in the know, there are quite a few consequences when you default on your student loans. You essentially run the risk of:

OK, it's nearly a week after Black Friday so an article on holiday spending is probably too late for shopping junkies. But since I don't shop until at least December 15, there may be time to reach some of you who think like me :)

So, do you even have a plan for holiday spending?

Be honest now, nobody will know but you (well, the big guy in the red suit might find out, I think he signed up here a few weeks ago before he got busy).

My plan is the same as always - focus on quality and not quantity. And no, I'm not doing this just because I'm cheap. Fortunately, our kids don't ask for lots of junk. The realize the holidays are not just about spending lots of money and getting lots of gifts. Unfortunately, the gifts they do ask for are usually expensive. But at least we know they are getting something they really want and can really use. Which at least makes buying gifts a lot more fun.

Sadly, many people don't have a plan for buying holiday gifts. They just go out shopping, and buy whatever they find for the people on their list. This is clearly the WRONG way to approach holiday shopping. The list should include not just names, but gifts. This way you'll limit what you spend. Of course, if money is no object then a plan doesn't matter. But for the rest of us it does.

Do yourself a favor, make a list like Santa does - with name and gifts. And limit your buying to what you can REALLY afford - if you need to cut back a little now so don't end up with huge credit card bills in January your friends & family will have to understand!

So, what's your plan for this holiday season?

So, are you wondering how you could have saved much more this year than last year? Luckily, you can start afresh in 2011. Every year people make resolutions, so this time you should take some extra care of your personal finances. It is really important that you have proper control over your finances just so that you can feel good about them when you look back next year. Here are a few personal finance tips that will do you good. Take a look:

How to take care of your finances this New Year!

The moment you ignore your finances, chances are good that they may go haywire. So, always keep a strict eye on your money and invest and save wisely. Here are 6 of the top personal finance tips that you can benefit from:

1. Assess your wealth: This would be the first step in any savings plan. You first need to find out how much you have, how much you owe, and how much you will have to spend on your basic needs. Finally you must analyze how much money you can set aside for savings. You can use online ledgers or make one of your own so that you can keep a track of your finances.

2. Set long-term goals: When you want to save money, you need to set long-term goals for yourself and your family. Some of these goals could be your child’s marriage, their education, your retirement, or buying a house in the future. So, start investing some part of your earnings in a savings, money market, or other investment account. Whatever it is, just get started saving for the future. You will have to start planning now if want to save for your future.

3. Create a cash buffer: By this we mean that you must have at least 3-4 months of expenditures available in your savings. It is important that you save regularly and have money set aside for emergencies. This is why a cash buffer is very crucial.

4. Regular savings: This may require a lot of discipline but again save regularly. Put aside a fixed amount each month or each paycheck and do it very strictly. Even when you think in some months that you cannot do it, still save the amount. That's where an automatic deposit comes in handy, so you don't miss the money and aren't tempted to use it on other things.

5. Teach your children: When you want to keep your personal finances on track, it is very important that your family gives this importance too. Teach your children the value of money. Let them know that it is your hard earned money and that it is not to be squandered away. This way, even they can help you save or maybe they can learn to save at an early age.

6. Shop before the New Year: If you want to buy something that costs a lot, then buy it now. This is so that you can avoid the new and increased VAT that will be introduced in the New Year. (A great tip for our readers in the UK).

It is your money and you need to save & invest wisely. So, take care right now and start managing your finances for 2011!

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This is a guest post from Jonny at FinanceWand.com. His experience, knowledge and network of financial professionals makes him a more valuable resource for individuals and small businesses, while trying to improve their current financial position as well as their future prospect. Check out his blog on personal finances and budgeting.