The start of a new year is a traditional moment for turning over a new leaf. Whether your personal goal is eating better, getting in shape, or putting your financial house in order, a fresh calendar feels like an opportunity to start on the road to self-improvement. But real change doesn't come easy and, just as Jan. 1 is the customary time to start trying to turn things around, the end of the month is the customary time for giving up and going back to the status quo.

With that in mind, we're asking you -- our DailyFinance readers -- to tell us your best financial planning stories. Whether your struggle involved getting out of debt, paying for college, selling your house, or changing your financial life in some other way, we're betting that you have a money tale to tell, a tip that helped you turning your fiscal life around, or a secret strategy for squaring your accounts.

So if you've got a suggestion to pass on or a method for making financial self-improvement last beyond Groundhog Day, let us in on the secret! Either tell us your story in the comments section below, or send your suggestion to bruce.watson@teamaol.com. We'll publish some of the best stories in the upcoming weeks. In the meantime, good luck with your resolutions.


Bruce Watson is a senior features writer for DailyFinance. You can reach him by e-mail at bruce.watson@teamaol.com, or follow him on Twitter at@bruce1971.