It’s not about how much money you make; it’s about how you spend it and keep track of it that determines how well you live.

I admit that I am a control freak who doesn’t like surprises. I always want to know exactly what is going on. I am one of the few people I know who can keep two or three hundred dollars in my pocket for weeks, without spending it until something important comes along that fits into a high priority category.

I recently reviewed my credit report from all three of the credit reporting agencies. I have a credit record that spans over twenty-five years -- some of them were lean years. Every account has the notation “Never Late” attached.

The IRS recently audited me. After we finished the audit I received the comment “Thank you, there are no changes.” from a very nice IRS agent.

In my opinion, the three best free personal finance programs are Mint.com, Quicken Online and Wachovia Billpay.

I use a three-step procedure to pay my bills and keep track of my finances.

One. I look at Mint.com to see all of my personal accounts in one place. It is an up-to-the-minute snapshot of all my banking, brokerage and credit accounts. My net worth as of that moment shows up at the bottom of the page. You can look at the individual transactions on each account to make sure that they are in the correct income expense or tax category. If I see anything that needs correcting, it is easy to fix it.

One of the things I really like about Mint.com is that all of the accounts are automatically brought up to date, with balances and interest paid, etc. when I log on. I can look at my mortgage or loan accounts and see exactly how much the principle and interest were and what the new balances are after each payment was received and posted.

Two. After I look at Mint.com I turn to Quicken Online to make a checkbook-type entry relating to any payment I am about to make.

Three. Then I log onto Wachovia Billpay to make the actual payment. Using Wachovia Billpay I don’t have to pay any postage or catch the mailman; and, I can set up all of my recurring bills to be paid automatically each month. It is easy to make changes in the payments if needed.

I am including some useful information articles and tutorial links:

Mint.com http://www.mint.com/solutions/budget/

Quicken Online http://www.thesunsfinancialdiary.com/personal-finance/quicken-online-review-a-free-online-money-management-tool/

Wachovia Billpay https://www.wachovia.com/foundation/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=ef625ef43a0aa110VgnVCM1000004b0d1872RCRD