Living without a budget is like playing with fire. You may get away with it for an extended period of time, but it will likely come back to burn you at some point. With this in mind, it is best to have a budget in place at all times.

Here are five of the most common budgeting goals. Set these for yourself and your financial situation will soon improve:

1. Set up and follow a basic budget. This is the most common goal, and the one that you should focus on as you get started.

2. Track your income and expenses every month. This is what your budget is all about. In simple terms, make sure you are spending less than you earn. As long as this happens, you will never find yourself in too much trouble.

3. Make changes for the better. Can you pinpoint ways to save money? Are there any ways to earn more? These are the types of questions you should answer every month. Just because you have a budget doesn’t mean it should necessarily remain the same. Don’t shy away from making changes when you see the opportunity to improve.

4. Look towards the future. Maybe you want to save money for a summer vacation. Maybe you want to save for a big gift for that special person in your life. Whatever you want to accomplish in the future, if it is money related it should be worked into your budget.

5. Have fun. Many people shy away from creating a budget and setting goals because they think it is boring and stressful. This may be the case at times, but you can have fun along the way as well.

Let these five common budgeting goals drive you to make better financial decisions in 2015.