Embrace Cash Spending

If you're looking to get your spending under control in 2013, Rubin says that the key is to simply ditch the plastic. "Credit cards can feel like imaginary money, so if you want to get real with your spending, try using only cash when you're out and about." Spending money can be a thrill, but getting those bills at the end of the month are anything but fun — and that stress can majorly impact your happiness over time.

According to Rubin, paying attention as you go is the key for money happiness: "Handing over those bills makes you much more aware of the pain of spending money. This is why casinos use chips — to make people play on and not realize that real dollars are at stake." Hm. Maybe those rewards cards aren't really as rewarding as we thought...