We suggest starting small. First, look at your after-tax income. Don’t include income you can’t be sure to receive, such as periodic bonuses or tax refunds. Second, track your expenses for two months. The easiest way is to download your statements from your bank’s online banking program, being sure to include checking account, savings account and credit card accounts. Then assign all expenses to simple categories such as groceries, insurance, clothing, childcare, etc. Include cash transactions in your list of expenses.
Once you see where your money is going every month, it’s easier to find areas to cut back on spending. Set a goal to reduce your spending to less than 90% of your income and put the rest into a savings plan.
To stick to your budget, it’s important to continue tracking your spending and make adjustments if needed. Did you get a raise? Consider splitting it and put half into your savings or use it to pay down a car or home loan.
Did you know?Our online banking includes a great feature called My Spending. It can automatically categorize transactions, help you set up goals and limits for your spending. It will even send you alerts when you get close to your limit.
Learn more about online bankingLearn about managing money and building a financial future for you, your family and even your business.
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