When your bank statement plops onto the mat, do you a) check it carefully, crossing off all transactions in red ink, then file it under 'B' for banking; b) have a stiff drink, skim through it, stuff it in the cat litter/under the floorboards/ behind the fridge or c) merrily file it in the kitchen drawer (unopened along with the last 10 years' worth). If you answered b or c, you could be one of the nine million Britons who are financially phobic.

Five steps to beat it:

Go shopping Break yourself In gently by investing in some gorgeous, colourful folders to store statements in. Now, with a glass of wine and a box of chocolates to hand (so the associations of dealing with it are positive), open your statement and go through it with a fine-toothed comb.

Spring dean your finances Now the worst bit is over: you can go through your statements, working out where you overspend and where you can cut back. This Is the first step to fitter finances. As Paul Lewis, presenter of BBC Radio 4's Money Box, says: 'Treat the bank statement as a way of finding a cure for the problem. The statement isn't the problem - spending too much is.'

Set up a good-news savings account Even if you have a whopping overdraft, this will help motivate you. Pay into it in installments by Direct Debit, just after you have been paid (so you won't miss it so much). This can be your 100 per cent positive statement - a nice foil to your (less than good news) current account statement.

Get a good deal See if your bank offers the service of sending you text messages of your balance so your monthly statement won't be such a shock. Force yourself to check your cash machine balance. It's not there to torture you, but to keep tabs on your expenditure. Check your account won't be penalised too heavily if you exceed your overdraft and, if your bank doesn't offer a free overdraft limit, change to one that does. Transfer your creditcard balance to a credit card which charges 0% for the first six months - then start paying off the capital, not just the interest, on your outstanding debt.

Don't give up Get into a routine.'Don't put It off till next month, says Paul.'Money problems never get better for being ignored. In six months, you could have a real crisis on your hands’