Aaron Patzer of Mint.com states the “4 good habits that can make the difference between going broke or building up your net worth each month”:

1. Save money
2. Avoid debt
3. Invest
4. Don’t lose it

Though only 4, it takes a while to be in the practice of starting them. Upholding them is a different story. To do that, I think his recent write-up, 12 Steps to Financial Fitness, is a good guideline to help attain those 4 good habits in the long run.