Reading through your thread, all I could think about are this three words and that's 'Lack of planning'. It's as a result of lack of financial planning that we don't have emergency funds, investment funds and spend to the point that wr don't realize that we're over spending until you're done spending. A financially serious person is supposed to have had all this under control.

You can't see a millionaire slacking back in these things or they'll lose their wealth. The hardest thing to do isn't to make the money but to retain it as not many people are learnings that while hustling for the money. To avoid making this same mistakes this year, we have to plan our money before receiving the money.

When your salary gets into your account split it into different accounts for the different things you're doing. Send the part for investing into an investment account, the spending for a spending account and the same thing should be done for others like the grocery, daily expenses and so on. Planning makes you conscious of what you're using your money to do and when you're directing your money and not your money directing you, you won't fall a victim to what this thread is all about.