To celebrate the New Year, I'm going to give you a little present that might surprise you, coming from a financial adviser: I'm giving you permission to NOT do a family budget. This runs counter to many financial planners, who will probably tell you that before you do anything, you need to get on a budget to monitor your expenses.

But, here's the problem with budgets: nobody sticks with them. It's like that New Year's gym membership, or exercise bike, or new diet you vow to stay on…soon, your commitment has passed, your enthusiasm has waned, and your discipline has eroded. Telling yourself that "you're just too busy," you then revert back to your old, bad habits and you're disgusted with yourself. I'm sparing you from that disappointment.

You see, I know that if you're like most folks, you thought about a budget, maybe even tried one for a while, but it didn't work. Monitoring daily expenditures, recording every cup of coffee…we're just too busy for that. So, bag it. Why beat yourself up?

Instead, I'm going to ask you to do something much simpler, requiring much less time on your part, that will allow you to reach your financial goals…are you ready?

I want you to save 15 percent of your income, starting immediately.

"WHAT?!" you cry. "Fifteen percent?! There's no WAY we can do that! I mean, we're barely scraping by as it is, living paycheck to paycheck, both of us working, having to pay for daycare, the mortgage, dry-cleaning, healthcare, cable, gas-n-electric, car payments, and food, to say nothing of going out to eat, or going on a vacation."

Well then, let me put it another way. If I asked you if you could survive on 85 percent of your 2008 income, could you?

Most folks I talk to in this country could live on 85 percent of what they made last year—they'd find a way.

You see, saving 15 percent, or surviving on 85 percent, are the same thing…it's just a question of perspective. And, unlike doing a budget, once you put your savings plan on autopilot, it's simple. I didn't say it'd be EASY, but it's simple…just have 15 percent of your pay automatically direct deposited into your Roth, your 401(k), your savings/investment account…whatever your goals are, apply those monies there. Then (and here's the really fun part) anything left over is yours to spend as you wish, because you have the comfort of KNOWING that you've already saved what you need to reach your goals. Go ahead and buy that latte. Get that new pair of shoes, because, as the old expression goes, you've "paid yourself first."

Too many people do it the other way around…they say, "Once I pay my bills, THEN I'll sock some money away." But, before you know it, years have passed, with little to show for it.

And, here's the other interesting thing...if you're like most people, you won't miss that 15 percent after a few months' time. In 5 years, you'll be amazed at how much you've socked away for your future goals.