| Lots of people struggle when they have to pay their | | | | funds in the account it is linked to. It is not likely |
| way through college, but there are so many creative | | | | these days that your debit card will be declined due |
| ways that you can save money every month that | | | | to insufficient funds. Why? Well, because that is how |
| you should be able to ease up your financial burden | | | | banks make money: your forgetfulness. Most debit |
| at least a little bit. | | | | cards nowadays will continue to work even if you |
| Make sure you have both a free checking and | | | | are already overdrawn and this is a bad, bad thing. |
| savings account. There are lots of ways that the | | | | When you are not sure how much money you have |
| banks will nickel and dime you to death, like using the | | | | in an account, use cash instead. |
| ATM too much, a monthly account fee (which can be | | | | One thing that you can do to determine just how |
| anywhere from $3 to $12 or more every month), | | | | much money you waste every month is to save all |
| overdraft fees, and etcetera. Try to find a checking | | | | of your receipts. This is a great way to figure out |
| account that has a non-existent monthly fee and | | | | just what you are wasting money on, since most of |
| whose other fees are reasonably low. | | | | the time when someone gets the bill for something |
| You should also have a checking account with a bank | | | | at the end of the month, they blink at just how |
| that will give you free checks. Get as many of them | | | | much they spent. Hindsight is definitely 20/20 and if |
| as they allow at one time and since most people are | | | | you can learn what you really waste money on, you |
| using online bill payments these days, the number of | | | | can learn to cut it out the next time around. |
| checks you actually need on a day to day basis is | | | | If you have a lot of spare change rolling around in |
| going to be low, anyway. | | | | your purse or laying around different places in your |
| Do your best to keep track of your checking | | | | house, you should roll it up yourself and make sure |
| account and credit card purchases. Going over your | | | | you avoid using coin counting and rolling machines at |
| credit limit on your credit card or overdrawing your | | | | grocery stores. Some of these will charge as much |
| checking account will cost you a lot in late fees and | | | | as 9% of the amount you put in it to count and roll |
| overdraft charges if you do it very often. Beware | | | | them for you. |
| using your debit card if you know you are low on | | | | |