Given the number of conversations my friends and I have about finances and money management these days, I think a post of this nature is long overdue. Given my age bracket (mid 20s), part of this is just my demographic being new to managing money — once they get out of college and actually have some money, people tend to develop a new interest in managing it properly — but a big part of it, of course, is our current economic situation. More than ever, you want to make sure a buck goes as far as it can — I think it’s safe to say that’s a concern no matter tax bracket you fall into.

I’ve absorbed a lot of information from people who have been doing this a lot longer than I have, but of course I do have some of my own experiences to share. I’m not an expert, obviously, but if I can help anyone even a little then I’ll be happy. People not handling their money properly — either because of apathy, ignorance, or by the hand of misleading and disingenuous bankers — is largely what led to what many bloggers are calling the “financiapocalypse.” (That’s going to be the last time I use that word, it’s too hard to type!)

I almost didn’t write this because I’m not anywhere close to an authority on the subject — but then I remembered that the financial “authorities” and “experts” were the ones who got us into this mess! So maybe it’s time for real people to share what they know, and for every one of us to do what we can to be responsible for our own financial futures. Even with my wife in graduate school, a few student loans left over from my time in college, a car payment, a 120 mile per day commute, and all your other modern living expenses, we still manage to save a significant chunk of our income — and I want to share how we do that. I’ll give you a little hint right now: a big part of it is mental. So stretch that big muscle up in your skull and get ready.

This was originally going to be one post, but I quickly realized there is far too much to talk about. This is therefore the introduction to a three-part series that I will try to complete over the next week or two:

• Part 1: Controlling spending
• Part 2: Saving for what’s next
• Part 3: Growing for the future

In Part 1, I’ll discuss what we’ve done (and what you can do) to keep your monthly spending under control but still enjoy life. This is not going to be “How to be a total cheapskate” — I’m fortunate enough not to have to pinch pennies, but I still want to maximize value when I spend money. It’s all about knowing what to spend it on and what not to — and training yourself to ask certain questions.

Part 2 is most important to me right now since my wife and I are going to be buying a house within a year or two, and is also one of the biggest problem areas for most Americans. Disciplined saving is way too rare these days, but it doesn’t have to be hard — I’ll show you how to make saving part of your routine.

Finally, retirement and life-long goals in Part 3. This is yet another area for which many Americans are woefully underprepared — all at a time when healthcare costs are rising and retirement benefits are dwindling. But if you start early and — again — are disciplined about it, you’ll almost certainly have nothing to worry about.

I’m a gadget guy, so a lot of the discussion about spending decisions is going to be scenarios where I’ve had to balance the desire for the latest camera or computer against savings goals — but whatever your vice, the same principles should hold. While I go write for awhile, I recommend you poke around a few of my favorite financial blogs. These are normal people who at one point just decided to grab on and learn all they could about personal finance — and then started writing about it. Much of their advice is sound, and a great deal of what I’ll be writing about will be my own take on their opinions and recommendations.

• FreeMoneyFinance.com
• GetRichSlowly.org
• The Disciplined Investor

If there’s anything in particular you want to hear about, or if you have any tips and tricks of your own, hit up the comments!