This is why people play the lottery or invest in "get rich quick" schemes. It is also why people listen to stock tips from the uncle ... who has a friend ... who knows a guy ... who is the father of a man ... who used to be a janitor at a firm that is about to be a billion-dollar organization.

Opportunities do come up and sometimes people make it big in a short period of time. However, most people still make money by working hard, saving, and living within their means.

For those who do not have that kind of patience, there is always the wonderful world of credit and all the joy that it can bring ...

No. 2: Overusing your credit cards

It starts out so innocently. People charge a little gasoline here and a few groceries there. Before long they charge movie tickets, home improvement items, clothes, restaurant meals, and weekend trips to "the card."

There are people who genuinely convince themselves that charging something to a credit card means that they don't have to eventually pay for it. Unfortunately, that bill comes every month and soon people are paying the minimum balance on a card that has a sizeable balance and a daunting annual percentage rate.

The credit card is convenient, but it can get people into serious financial trouble if they are not careful.

Of course, it could be worse. People could have no sense of what they are going to do in the future ...