[baselle]

Depends on what you mean about getting serious about my finances. I had several epiphanies.
1. When family pleas for "help" meant that I would be bankrupting myself. Not only did I have to get serious about my finances, I had to have the self-awareness to say no until my finances got stronger.
2. Got a PDA w/ checkbook program. When I did my first calculation, I found to my pleasant surprise that I had a positive net worth. Just that knowledge made me want to reconcile my checkbook.
3. When I paid off my student loan, I calculated my credit card debt. It was exactly the same. All I did was trade good debt for bad debt.