Image and video hosting by TinyPicLast weekend I attended a wedding fit for a queen…or, rather, a sweet New York Jewess girl. It was crystal clear the skies were the limit when it came to budget, from the lavish location to the bride’s stunning designer dress, to unlimited sushi appetizers, filet mignon and other bountiful treats.

During the ceremony, I remembered that my parents placed my wedding fund into long-term savings. (Sigh.) They have very little faith in me. To make matters worse, that account was seriously under-performing the last time I checked!

I recently connected with female financial guru Galia Gichon. Together, we organized a fun Master Your Money workshop for other sushi-loving females in the city. Most of the women in the class were ready and willing to take control of their money and start feeling wealthy no matter their level of earnings. Some needed to pay off credit card bills, others wanted to build on their savings, and a few wanted to save for their own swanky weddings. (Cough.)

Galia Gichon is a full-time financial consultant who mainly works with freelancers. She advises, “Forget where you were yesterday with your finances.  It doesn’t matter how much you DIDN’T save or that you DIDN’T open your investment statements or that you DIDN’T have a spending plan. You are where you are today with your money. You are definitely able to save money, understand your investments, or live within your means for today and tomorrow.” There’s hope, after all!

She herself is married to another finance genius and has two young girls in NYC private schools, which doesn’t come cheap. She makes it her business to save each month, automatically depositing money into her ING direct accounts, which she says collect great interest.

Here are some of her other tips for getting your finances in order:

1) Sign up for a class. Nothing motivates you like joining a group with accountability. Fall is the perfect time because many programs at continuing education centers or universities begin then.

2) Be prepared for the holidays. Set your realistic spending budget now before the frenzy. Have a concrete plan as to where the money will come from. This may be an opportune time to be honest with your family about putting a realistic dollar cap on gifts or creating a memory together instead. One large, frugal family I know organizes a holiday ice-skating party every year instead of exchanging gifts, which seems amazingly stress-free and fun for everyone.

3) Money journal in a different way. Keep track of your spending for a week. But instead of writing just the dollar amount, also write down your feelings at the time you spent the money. Upon review, you’ll probably be surprised to see you spent your money because you were bored, lonely or tired instead of consciously making the purchase.

She also recommends planning a money date at a certain time each week to concentrate only on finances and bills. Also, as with any behavioral change, you’ll find more success if you have a buddy pushing you to succeed. Check in with each other weekly for encouragement and that extra little “You can do it!”  Mondays at 4:00 pm, anyone?

With a little determination and a lot of saving, you’ll soon be humming “Here comes the bank…” We’ll work on the whole bride issue later!