For years, investment advisors have been writing about how if people only started to save and/or invest earlier in life, most of their money issues later in life would be solved. Obviously, some issues arise unexpectedly but, for the most part, you will have a better chance of retiring early, traveling more and being able to spend more time with your family and grandchildren if you start early.

But with all this advice in books, magazines and online, people in their 20s are still not beginning all that much earlier than their parents did. Perhaps, it’s a case of like father like son? Or like mother like daughter? We’ll show you how to take a few easy steps to turn around your financial future from stressful to stress-free by taking control your current situation.

Make a Pledge

To begin, you should make a pledge to yourself that over the next three days, you will:

• Plan on taking four very easy steps to increase your chances of having a secure financial future.
• Promise yourself today — right now, this minute — that you won’t be surprised by financial windfalls or pitfalls in the future because you’re going to plan accordingly.

Don’t get too pumped up now, we’re not talking about giving up your daily Starbucks here. This is going to be a lifelong process, but it’s important that we get started sooner rather than later. There is no exact date for this financial pilgrimage, so no work will be missed, no concerts will be passed up and no after-work sports leagues will be canceled. Relax. The advice below will require that you make one stop at a local store and possibly visit a couple websites.

Step by Step

Does it all sound too easy? Well, it is. So, let’s get started. Here are the steps:

1. Get a file system and get the folders to go with it. They are pretty cheap at your local office supply store. A simple file cabinet (plastic or otherwise) and some simple file folders are all that’s needed here.
2. Get your most recent credit card statements, phone bills (if you pay online, print a copy), insurance information, your user names and passwords to websites, etc. Make sure to get basically everything that you could look for later but usually can’t find right away when you need it — like the receipt for that wedding gift you have to return or your eBay password you can never remember. Now file all these statements, bills and receipts into the filing system you just bought. It generally helps to have the most recent document to the front of the file, but how you choose to file will depend on your personal style.

Make sure to keep adding to these folders as new bills and statements come in. Your goal here is to keep these files organized and up to date so you can always find what you’re looking for when you actually need it.