If the roller coaster on the stock market has you taking a closer look at your finances --you may also want to review your credit card debt and your savings. Here are some tips on how to get your-self financially fit.

Do you ever feel like the statements and credit-card offers just keep coming? Cutting down on your credit cards is one of the simplest ways to streamline your financial life.

"Most people only need one or two credit cards," advises Amanda Walker of Consumer Reports.

If you carry a balance, www.moneytools.ca --a website of the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada can help you find a credit card with a lower interest rate. Then you can look into transferring your balance to another card. But there is a danger:

"If you transfer a balance to a card with a zero percent introductory rate, that zero percent probably only applies to the transferred amount, not to any new charges," warns Amanda.

Here's how that can add up:

When you make a payment it's all applied to the zero percent or low interest balance.

New purchases are charged a much higher interest rate. Over time, with all the payments going to the low interest debt, the high interest part grows and grows -- you may end up paying even more.

"So you want to put any new purchases on a different card," explains Amanda.

And when it comes to retail store credit cards, which typically have sky-high interest rates --dump them. Unless you use the perks they offer, such as free shipping for online purchasing and special savings for cardholders.

And to keep your credit cards' paperwork under control, shred your bills after one year. Unless you're using credit-card statements to support tax deductions, you don't need to save them. It may be the easiest few pounds you'll lose this New Year.

If your New Year's resolution is to build your savings it's important to set a goal . It's easier to save if you know what it's for then set up a separate high interest savings account with an automatic monthly transfer from your regular account.

Cut out an extra --such as one latte a week. Even that can really add up.

If you have any special event, such as a wedding or a big trip planned this year, it's important that you get an accurate budget developed early starting with how much money you can realistically afford to spend. Then you need to regularly set that money aside.

There is nothing worse than coming home to some big bills.