You work to earn your money. My philosophy is your money should work for you. I don’t know about you but I am not able or willing to work 24/7….but your money can. Basically you want every penny you have to be earning interest for you. How can it do that?

“Without frugality none can be rich, and with it very few would be poor.” – Samuel Johnson

You probably already know you need to save for a rainy day. Problem is, there doesn’t seem to be enough money to put aside for that rainy day. All of your money seems to be going for today’s needs – and you’ll just have to worry about the future when you get there.

I really don’t like to wear the same thing every week. I love to change things up a bit not only with different tops and bottoms but also different accessories. But I am on a strict budget. I very rarely can afford to buy something from the mall. Recently I stopped into my local Goodwill store and boy was I surprised!

I want to recommend two books for you to read.

What if you’re having trouble finding money to put aside for a rainy day? Here are some ideas to help you think of new ways to bring in some cash for an emergency fund:

In my early 20’s, I made a bucket list, and one of my goals was to own a home by my 25th birthday. Never mind that I had no savings, earned a meager salary after college, and no one else was going to help me accumulate that money (i.e. no husband on the horizon)!

If you own a debit card, your bank has been legally required to ask your permission to extend their “courtesy overdraft protection” for your card. Do you remember what answer you gave them? If you said yes or otherwise don’t remember, read on!

Free checking is getting harder to find, but some banks still offer it.  It all depends on your existing relationship with the bank.  If they are making money some other way from you they may offer free checking.  For example, if you have a mortgage, keep a large minimum balance, etc.  If any of those conditions apply to you then free checking is probably in your future. If those conditions do not apply to you then I would suggest looking into joining a credit union. Many have loosened their membership requirements.  Click the ncua.gov website to find one in your area.

One of the best ways to save money on necessities is to buy secondhand. Clothes, housewares, tools, furniture, cars…the possibilities are endless. Here’s a quick guide to making it worth your time and effort.