1. Spend less than you earn. Millions of people still don't grasp this simple principle, choosing instead to believe they can borrow their way to security and wealth. Unless you spend less than you earn, so that you have money to invest, all talk about personal finance is fruitless.

2. Make your saving automatic. Saving can't be something you do with money that is 'left over.' There is no such thing as leftover money. Saving has to be as real and constant as buying food or paying the mortgage. The best way to do it is to arrange yor finances so that you never see the money. That means using a 401(k) plan to the hilt, if you have one, or at least arranging for automatic withdrawls to an investment account.

3. Take free money. Many people who would drive miles for a store sale routinely leave easy money on the table: they don't take advantage of company-provided 401(k) plans or 403(b) plans. The first benefit is tax savings; the second benefit is the dollars frequently contributed by employers.

4. Keep the return on your money. Share as little as possible with the taxman. And be tightfisted with your commission or advisory dollars. Getting a high return on your investments is only good for you if you get the return. If you get the risk and someone else gets a guaranteed return, you're losing money.

5. Owe as little as possible. There was a time owing money was a good idea. That time is long gone. Mortgage debt should be paid off in 15 years or less; nondeductible debt should be avoided or paid off as soon as possible

6. Tend to your own garden. The favored selling illusion is that someone else, somewhere else, has opportunities that are not available to regular folks. We have limited control over the return on our investments; we have great control over the amount of money we invest. Concentrate on what you control.

7. Trust the power of average. For the handful that has great wealth, competition for the highest returns is essential. For the rest of us, it is only necessary to participate in the broad creation of wealth. That means favorinng index investments unless there is a compelling case to 'bet' on a particular competitor in the contest of creating wealth.