Your bonus. You may have been counting on some of your bonus to cover expenses. But be sure to sock a generous percentage of it away in savings.

Savers are, in general, happier people.  They feel more secure because they not only have enough money to bail themselves out of a jam, but they are also doing something positive for their future. Financial advisers, unfortunately, often draw a random line in the sand and advocate saving 10 percent of whatever it is you make. Problem is, it's much too difficult for most people to start there, particularly if they're saving for the very first time. If the bar is set too high, set it lower. Try 3 percent. If that's easy enough, try 5 percent. 

If you haven't already, track your spending and saving. Write down everything you spend money on for a solid month, using this spending tracker.