Many people handle money well at work, but horribly at home. There's a different mindset when you're expected to act like a professional. What if you handled your personal finances with the same professionalism a CFO takes care of business? Discipline and professionalism can add a lot to your personal financial future. Just because no one is watching you doesn't mean you can be irresponsible with your finances at home.

Act like a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and take control of your money:

1. Live by your budget. Even the wealthiest companies have budgets that each department and manager are expected to follow. As your own personal CFO, you should prepare a monthly budget and chart any discrepancies. Then make the necessary budget adjustments.

• If you don't have a budget, creating one is the first order of business.

2. Manage your debt. One of the biggest responsibilities of a CFO is the debt structure of the company. While you might not have the option of issuing stocks or bonds...