Hiya!
All excellent advice from everyone there and good reading and research sites indeed.
After all that reading and learning and understanding, you'll then need to actually formulate a plan of action. This is the next step and arguably the 'harder' part. Words such as Discipline and routine start to come into play.
One of the first things you'll need to do is create a benchmark or baseline as to where you are right now. This is often called a 'Statement of Affairs' or SOA. You analyse your income levels, and then monitor EVERYTHING that you spend over the course of a month perhaps, including cash purchases etc. You'll then know how much you spend Vs how much you earn. It's usually at this point there's often sharp intakes of breath as you realise just how much things can tot up!
With what you've learnt from reading all the sites, and to what you practically spend on each day/month stands you up for good 'routine' and 'discipline' in where you make cutbacks, how you monitor and ultimately how you'll reach you financial goals whatever they may be.
I've mentioned it before, have a go at using financial software such as Quicken or Microsoft Money - although these aren't made for the UK market anymore, the last versions around still do alot and all the important bits are still there. Get into the habit of monitoring you're bank accounts, cash withdrawals and what they're spent on. It's tempting to 'miss' bits out, but at the end of the day, all you'll be doing is pushing your goals further back.
the most basic would be a spreadsheet, if this suits you that's fine, you'll just not be able to as easily run reports and apply other features of software to give you more information - things like automated entry and working out savings goals etc. With the later versions of Microsoft Excel for instance, perhaps there are ways of doing the above, but it'll be more convoluted than using dedicated software.
Once you are in the routine and habit, and make certain changes you feel benefit you and your lifestyle and goals, you'll most likely find it becomes second nature and you'll be very surprised at just how much change can occur with 'relatively' little time spent !
The good thing is older versions of UK Quicken and Money are like £20-30 or so off ebay, if you have a copy around, bonus! There are other software titles available, some that are open source and free or cheap and ones that run on Mac's etc. They're less well known, and although they do have a 'following' still seem to be relatively obscure in the UK market place.
If you want a copy of UK Quicken, and some advice on how to get started, drop me a PM, as I used to work for Quicken UK and know the software very well indeed
Hope this helps - Cheers! DtM! West London & Slough UK!
