Don’t fall into the trap of waiting for motivation to strike before you start a project or begin working toward a goal. One effective strategy to combat procrastination is to take just one tiny step toward completing the task at hand.

The ever-present enemy of the morning latté in personal finance blogs, budgeting can bring to mind images of coupon clipping, self-deprivation and sorting towering piles of receipts. But do you really need to do it?