December is a time for reflection, especially when it comes to your finances. The expensive holiday season -- think gifts, party outfits, and festive drinks -- means you're probably thinking about how to stick to a budget and keep costs down in 2014. It's also a time to reflect on mistakes, which is why I've rounded up the top personal finance fails of 2014. The purchases that made me cringe, the examples of internet over-sharing that made me wonder how someone's identity wasn't stolen sooner. All so you can avoid their mistakes in 2015.

People in the Victorian Era, including the Queen herself, lived lives of remarkable frugality and resourcefulness. They made do with what they had and worked hard to get it. Consolidated Credit has looked at the way people lived 150-200 years ago in England and found some things we could learn.