I can remember a time not so long ago, that I would only buy a few dollars worth of gas at a time, because the price was likely to go down in a few days and it would be foolish to fill my tank with more expensive gasoline now rather than wait for a price drop.

Well, prices are headed up and up and, it seems, up. The price of a gallon of regular is up an average of 21 cents and prices are expected to increase through March.

Rising gas prices may make us groan at the pump as we watch the numbers tick off but because the increase happens over a period of time, we may not immediately notice the impact they have on our budget.

But that is the way inflation and rising prices work. Last year’s budget may not reflect your actual expenditures this year. Because we tend to include increases in income – probably because it makes us feel better about spending – and less likely to include small increases that over time take more and more of that income, our budgets can be inaccurate if not kept up to date.

Take time out, say every three months, to go over your projected expenditures and bills and adjust your budget where necessary. Only by having an accurate financial picture today can you plan and save for your future.

Do you often think that winning the lottery would be the dream answer to all your financial woes? Most people do, which is why lines for lottery ticket sales get long when the jackpot gets high.

So why then are there so many tragic stories of financial ruin following lottery windfalls?

According to experts, people who aren’t used to having money and then have “sudden money” aren’t prepared to handle it. Whether they are altruistic and want to solve all the financial problems of family and friends or whether they just overspend, invest poorly or live too highly, most winners are doomed to end up in worse circumstances than they were before they won the lottery.

An article from Bankrate.com featured on MSN Money details the stories of 8 lottery winners who ended up living on food stamps, deeper in debt, back to working for a living, and in many cases filing for bankruptcy.

Another story in the news recently is the sordid and tragedy-filled tale of Jack Whittaker, initally hailed as a benefactor in his small community in West Virginia and now claiming his inability to pay a judgement in a lawsuit because of his financial ruin.

If winning the lottery is part of your financial plan, the odds against it are probably enough to ensure you won’t have to deal with the problems attached to sudden wealth. Regardless, learning to handle your money now will lead to a more secure future and give you the tools to handle your income – even if it does suddenly increase.

Christmas morning will be a flurry of fancy wrapping, bows and ribbons flying, a symphony of “oooh”s and “aaahh”s, a festival of feel-good gift exchanging, a surfeit of festivities.

Then comes the sobering chill of January. No, I don’t mean the weather. I mean the bills. Suddenly the true cost of all this merry-making will start to arrive in the form of credit card bills and disappointingly low balances on checking account statements. Is it already too late?

It’s never too late to turn over a new leaf when it comes to your attitude towards finances, although at this time of year it may be more out of necessity than good planning.

If you haven’t made that budget with us yet, now is the time to do it. Finding the funds to pay off this extra debt may seem impossible, but if you are serious about repaying your holiday debt, you can do it.

Start with a few New Year’s Resolutions:

1. Make a budget and stick to it

2. Place a moratorium on your credit card spending, if you can’t afford it, don’t buy it

3. Be consistent about making payments towards credit card debt. If you are in over your head, contact creditors to make payment arrangements that could save your credit standing. Generally, it is best to pay off the highest interest debt first.

4. Start saving on luxury expenses you can do without. It may mean small sacrifices such as going without those morning coffee shop stops or making your lunch instead of eating out. Modify your cable TV choices – give up those premium channels and look into renting movies (or borrow them – even cheaper).

Every money site seems to have its golden rules for becoming rich. The trouble is, most of the rules require you to have a bundle of money in the first place! Rich is a relative term, after all, and a few thousand dollars is pin money to some, a fortune to others.

CNN Money has 25 Rules to Grow Rich By and my criticism applies to most of them. But seven of them make a lot of sense, no matter how much you’re starting with:

1. For return on investment, the best home renovation is to upgrade an old bathroom. Kitchens come in second.

5. Never hire a roofer, driveway paver or chimney sweep who is going door to door.

17. The best credit card is a no-fee rewards card that you pay in full every month. But if you carry a balance, high-interest rates will wipe out the benefits.

19. Anyone who calls or e-mails you asking for your Social Security number or information about your bank or credit card account is a scam artist.

20. The best way to save money on a car is to buy a late-model used car and drive it until it’s junk. A car loses 30% of its value in the first year. (A much debated one, this – the problem is that there is something so enjoyable about that new car smell!)

22. Resist the urge to buy the latest computer or other gadget as soon as it comes out. Wait three months and the price will be lower.

25. When you shop for electronics, don’t pay for an extended warranty. One exception: It’s a laptop and the warranty is from the manufacturer.

Of course, it would be nice to be able to go for them all…