When it comes to finances, there’s no shortage of tasks to dread and blow off. There’s the paperwork, paying taxes, piles of receipts, shelling out for insurance you hope you never have to use, and on and on. But ignoring the details is even worse than the drudgery of getting them done. There’s debt, denial, late fees, delayed retirement, and, again, on and on. Wipe that sour look right off your face and read on for the things we all hate about finances, along with ways to get them out of the way faster.

1. Paperwork When did account statements, stuffed with fliers for credit insurance and home equity loans, begin to rival magazines in their information to advertising ratio? Yet buried inside all this junk are notices of some pricey zingers. Pitch the fliers without reading them and you might overlook a new credit card payment date or your broker’s new quarterly maintenance fee. An eagle eyed read through as you pay your bills each month will catch these costly changes. If you can’t spare the extra two minutes, mark your calendar for a once a quarter 20 minute account autopsy where your sole task is to look for items padding your bank, credit card, and brokerage tabs.

2. Tracking every penny Account for every dollar I spend and save for a month? That’s what the money pros say to do if you want to get a sense of where your budget is gushing dollar bills. What a riveting way to spend my free time. Still, they have a point. Here’s a shortcut, just do it for three days. That’s right, write down every penny you spend for the next 72 hours. The truncated exercise is an eye opener (I speak from experience). Even more astounding is that, with a little ingenuity, just $20 a day can turn into a million bucks. Which leads me to …

3. The “B” word Stop making that face. A budget doesn’t have to be a bummer. What makes the task insufferable is if it’s only about denial and belt tightening. The truth is that not having a budget means you’re probably dropping wads of cash on stuff that doesn’t matter much to you.

4. The “B” word, Part II Directing your cash doesn’t have to be an ordeal. Enter the wonderful world of technology, where online banking and direct deposit make it easy to move your money. And thanks to the money whizzes behind Intuit’s Quicken and Microsoft’s Money, the math is a snap. That’s a lot more than you can say for Uncle Sam’s gabillion-page tax code. I personally have been using Quicken for the last 6 months and just the ease of being able to look at all my accounts on one screen has saved me from headaches.

5. Taxes Just when I think I understand it, the IRS changes all the rules. While it’s tempting to take the 1040 EZ shortcut, don’t do it blindly. The average taxpayer leaves more than $400 on the table by overlooking deductions and other opportunities to cut her tab. It’s a tough call… spending every waking moment pouring over receipts or spending afternoons outside? However, no trade-off is necessary when you consider how much money you can save.

6. Hidden fees We all turn a blind eye to bathroom yuck buildup particularly in the crevices where no one’s likely to look. Same goes for the occasional new cell phone tax or added cable TV fee leeching onto your bill. An extra $4.95 here and there can add up to thousands of dollars literally flushed down the toilet. Again, performing a 20 minute review of every other month of the basics, gym, cable, and utilities is akin to taking a brillo pad to noxious fees.

7. Uncomfortable phone moments If you want something from a financial services provider, just ask. That’s how people negotiate lower credit card rates or get fees waived. Sure, you risk getting trapped in the Phone Tree of Doom. But when one phone call can save you money, it’s worth a few squirmy moments. Start dialing.

8. Delayed gratification What? Have my employer take money out of my paycheck right now? Money I can’t touch until I’ve given up trying to cover my gray? Waiting for a tax refund when I can get one instantly? Impatience will cost you a bundle.

9. Daily stock market gyrations Trading in response to every ticker move is a sure way to minimize your profits. The good news is that lazy investing really pays off. The key is to investing in businesses which don’t require a lot of babysitting. It’s nice to know that lazy can pay off.

10. Complexity Staying on top of your finances can feel like a full time job. And most of us already have one of those. While it may be tempting to hire outside help, you know deep in your heart that the best person to manage your money is you. But that doesn’t mean you’ve got to do it all alone.