When I am in a hypomanic phase, I go on impulsive spending sprees that are often detrimental to my family's finances. It can take us months to recover. I am really good about setting up budgets, but because of my spending problems, keeping them can be tricky. I think that splitimage's suggestion of dropping credit cards is a very good one. They will only hurt you. Finding credit counseling is a great step, too. They can often teach you how to budget your money. Sometimes, community colleges will offer continuing education courses and may offer one on personal finance. I know that the one near me does. It's certainly worth looking into.