Clark's now been using Mint.com for several months and loves it. Here's how it works: You register all your accounts with them and they analyze your spending to tell you if you'll meet your financial goals.

After Clark's high praise for the free service, Christa finally checked out Mint and also loves it. She thinks it's even easier to use than Quicken or Microsoft Money.

In addition to tracking your spending, Mint will also send you simple reminders when your bills are due. One of Clark's credit card bills got lost in the mail, but Mint reminded him so he didn't have to get a late fee.

So the Internet just offers one more tool that can help you gain control over your spending. But don't overlook the old-fashioned envelope method or the notebook method of keeping track of your expenses.