Forget all that stuff about making a New Year’s Resolution and sticking to it. It is all crap. Are you really going to do that yoga DVD every day for the next 365 days? Nup. Zero chance. But there are some simple things you could decide to do this week that will mean you get richer. They’re painless, and almost all are close to effort-free. Tick them off as you go, and at the end of 2011, you’ll have made a lot of cash.

1. Make a list of ALL of your debts as they stand now, prioritise them in order of most to least interest charged, and work out a weekly plan to pay them back this year. Remember to include all credit cards, store cards, loans from the bank and even loans from family and friends. Stick the list from January 2011 somewhere where you can see it often and tick them off as they get paid off – ridiculously satisfying. If you have debt in many places, consider consolidating the debt. Use every cent of your existing savings to pay off your debt – I know it looks like you have less in the bank, but it’ll mean less interest charged and it’ll make you richer in 2011.

2. Find out how to make your savings work for you a little better. Go here to find out the best rates on term deposits, and work out how much you can afford to put into your long term savings. The longer you put it away, the richer you’ll be at the end of 2011.

3. Make sure that your everyday habits aren’t making you poor. Stop buying dinner ingredients every night at the convenience store, or keep a money spending diary if you’re just not sure where all your cash goes.

4. Do quick n easy audit of your “essential” spending – especially insurances – and work out if you can get the same thing at a cheaper price. If you can’t be bothered shopping around, just call your existing insurer and ask for a cheaper price. If you have a convincing argument (and a friendly phone manner), you’re likely to get it in the current economic client.

5. If you’re renting something you don’t really need (especially appliances and electronics), stop it. If you have unwanted valuable items or clothes, sell them.

6. Figure out what you spend a lot of money on, and just don’t do it in 2011. Or for all of January in 2011. My weakness is clothes … I’m going to start Fantasy Shopping again. It’s so much cheaper!!

7. Work out where you have money or points sitting that you may have forgotten about, and use them. Frequent Flier points can be used to buy cool stuff. Don’t bother having a balance sitting in your PayPal or similar accounts – they won’t ever pay you any interest!

8. Start a long-term, meaningful relationship … with a good accountant. Get a referral from a friend or colleague, and pay attention to your new best mate. You wouldn’t walk up to a perfect stranger and give them a wad of notes … but you’re doing exactly that if you’re not taking your tax returns seriously.

Good luck …! Let me know how you go.

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