Personal financial planning seems like such a lofty task to so many people. But it is really a simple idea. You are in control of where your money goes.

So few people are. And there really isn't any reason why. Managing your finances isn't a difficult task. In fact, it is one you must master in today's world. It will get you to where you are heading. It will help put your kids through college, it will take you on that second honeymoon, it will buy your home and retire you in comfort. How could you not learn the basics?

There are three general processes in managing your finances.

First, you must be able to control your day to day finances. This is your spending and your earning. You must create a budget, perfect it and learn to utilize it. You have to put the credit cards aside and get out of debt. You have to choose saving over spending sometimes.

The key behind managing your money is that it is no longer managing you. When you are in debt and your money is all spent as soon as you are paid, you aren't in control. When you decide where that money is going and it goes to where it earns you money, you are the one in control.

The second aspect of financial planning is seen in the choosing and working towards realistic long-term goals. These goals are the motivation behind controlling your finances. You may want to get out of debt, buy a house, go to college and retire comfortably. You might want to see the ocean for the first time -- in Mexico. You might want to tour Europe with your daughter when she graduates college. No matter what your goal, it will be the fuel to keep you on the right path. Use it.

The third factor is the building of a financial safety net around your family to prevent financial disasters. You need to have adequate insurance to protect you and your family from illness, death and lawsuits. You need to have a will in place. You must have an emergency savings account that has enough money in it to cover three to six months of expenses.

Your emergency savings not only cushions your budget from the unexpected, it also prevents the usage of credit and protects your savings. You won't have to dip into retirement when something major goes wrong. You don't have to use an emergency credit card and then pay high interest to replace something that is broken. You have protected your finances.