The New Year is here and it’s time to make 2011 your smartest year of spending yet. You’re reading a personal finance blog, so I’m pretty sure you want to improve where you’re at with money or learn some tips to fine-tune what you’re doing. With a little bit of planning and (totally minimal) effort, you can make 2011 your smartest and most successful financial year ever. Think of it like this: if you’re not doing anything to save or think about your cash, small efforts will mean big an improvement. Even if you’re only saving a few dollars a month, it could be much more than you were doing last year. These smart spending and saving habits are good to acquire. Like any habit, once you get into it, it’s tough to break. Be Realistic Setting a goal like “I want to save a million dollars this year” just might not be realistic for you – I know it’s not for me. But saving $20/paycheque might be exactly what you need to get started with your savings. It could be as simple as being more conscious of where your money