Broke? 5 ways to turn your finances around

Yes, it is possible to take total financial control even when you're in the worst economic straits. Here's how the Women in Red are taking charge of their financial lives.
By Mp Dunleavey

1. Get to know your money
Being good with money doesn't require a Ph.D. in physics. But you do have to get a certain amount of good, basic personal finance knowledge under your belt to recover from past mistakes, ditch bad money habits and make real financial progress.
2. Get to know your financial self
One of the hardest tasks in taking financial control has nothing to do with money but with getting to know yourself financially.
This is one of the primary goals for women who join the ranks of the Women in Red. You can't fix those numbers until you have some idea of where your weak spots lurk, what your financial demons look like, and how and why they manage to trip you up.
3. Slash expenses
Sometimes you need to take a meat cleaver to your expenses, as new Women in Red member Jane has discovered.
4. Save, save, save
Few people recognize that saving doesn't just mean having an account. It's a habit you have to teach yourself, starting with dimes, nickels and quarters, if that's all that's possible.
The routine of saving is more important than the amount saved. This saving is separate from retirement. It's the financial cushion that helps you keep an even keel.
5. Be brave
Above all, what many of the Women in Red learn as they change their financial lives is that it's a "no guts, no glory" scenario.
Does it take time (and sometimes feeling like a fool) to read and learn and ask basic questions in order to find the answers you need? Yes.
Is it painful to examine your past mistakes and be humble enough to learn from them? You bet.
Is it tough to reorganize your priorities so you can live on what you make? Of course.
These steps are hard for everyone, but they can feel nearly impossible when you have so little money to start with, when you're behind on the bills, and no matter how hard you yank those two ends they never seem to meet.