ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. – When Holly Manus looked at her family's monthly expenses, she realized their spending habits had to change.
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"At the end of the month the money had run out and we were dipping into savings to cover the bills," Manus said.
With two kids in college and retirement not far behind, the professional photographer and her husband decided to get a financial checkup.
Manus met with Harry Stadelmayer, with the Certified Financial Group in Altamonte Springs.
The veteran certified financial planner asked the couple to write down every expense, from groceries to utilities to the mortgage.
Stadelmayer says the couple was making the same mistake most consumers fall into: They know how much they make they just don't know how much they spend.
"Whether you make $600,000 or $60,000, it's living within your means and many people don't have a clue what that number is," Stadelmayer says.
Stadelmayer says the most common consumer mistake is going to a credit card to cover extra purchases they really can't afford.
"I think it's an epidemic…" Stadelmayer says.
MagnifyMoney.com conducted a survey that found consumers are carrying an average of $10,000 in credit card debt.
Manus says that fiscal checkup has helped her turn the family spending into an exercise in saving money.
In fact, she says she doesn't use a credit card anymore.
"It's fun to have control over the situation," she says. "Every single month I know what's going in and I know what I'm spending when we get each paycheck."
For more information on paring down your debt or putting together a financial plan go to: www.FinancialGroup.com