Checking accounts

checking accounts need attention at least monthly. Balancing an account each month will keep up with deposits , withdrawals, and any fees. But you already knew this!!!
keeping all receipts from your checking accounts is one of the most important rules of the monthly habit of keeping up with your account. Suggest you get one of those spindles at any store and place it near your entrance of your home or in your car and stick the receipt on it as you get it.
collecting the information to do your monthly check-up means all the receipts and the checking account info you get from the bank. Boring but in these times needs to become a bad habit!!!
POINT TO THINK ABOUT AT THIS TIME: Income Debit
Pay-in Pay-out
+ -

never less never more
= balance
income should always be the key in maintaining what can be spent. A simple rule ; you never spend more than you get and never count on what you should get tomorrow to dictate spending!
keep it simple but ask for help either from your bank or a trusted family member. I strongly reject asking a friend for help. Usually they need just as much help!
making entries in your check book for everything you do is good, but lets face it, times just aren't always there for this to be done. And if you're like me, the old noggin easily forgets since I probably have slept since that event. This is where the spindle helps. If you can save every action done on your account, this would help save steps to know where your account stands. And you have the RIGHT to know this information!
saving money can be an easy task by automatic deduction of say $5.00 a month( or what you can afford) into a savings account. Know it doesn't sound like a lot, but hey isn't it five more than you had yesterday? Banks now offer over-draft just for emergencies with savings account.
emergencies happen when a car breaks down and there goes the balance otherwise known as the budget. Any emergency can upset the budget, but the savings account can help.
Sometimes a budget has to be adjusted to help, but make calls to the people you have to put off for the next week. If you have an income, they tend to be very liberal in order to save the cost and time of collections.
budgets are easy to make; income (pay) debit (expenses) never to be more than the income! x amount of dollars = x amount of expenses. less the $5.00 you transfer to savings.
Sure you want that I pod yesterday, but restrain yourself and you might get it on sale when you can afford it. All good things come to those who wait.