and i really think, you know, for so many people they're woefully undersaved for both retirement and emergencies, and in an era where people aren't getting the pay raises, the money to do that's got to come from somewhere. getting a handle on your spending is as good a place as any to start. gerri: let's talk about debt for just a second here. i think, you know we just saw the higher levels of credit card debt, but americans have still even now after paying off a lot of debt still have a lot of it. what's the best way to go about attacking your debt? >> well, from a financial perspective, purely financial perspective, you'd prioritize from highest interest rate to lowest interest rate and pay off debt that way, first things like credit cards and personal loans and at the bottom of the scale would be things like your mortgage and federal student loans, for example. however, i think another way is look at your smallest debts first, knock those out initially, that gives you some sense of accomplishment, really reinforces the sacrifices you might be making for debt repayment. again, do w