So, look at the numbers and make a few plans about how you might approach the task for the next month. Don’t look beyond that right now; the most important thing here is that you start swimming. Whether the shore is 100 feet or ten miles away is nowhere near as important as starting to swim right now.

For the next month, make a note of all your expenses going out, right down to the last penny where practical. This will do two things. It will help you realise where the money is going as you spend it and it will also give you a much more accurate assessment of your finances when you sit down and repeat this exercise again next month.

That’s right; you need to do this every month until the columns are working the right way round and continue doing it as you slowly swim closer and closer to shore.