YOUR MONEY Budget Your Way To Success (NAPS)—It may pay, experts say, to allocate time for setting up a budget. Budgeting will help you makedecisions about what, where and how you spend your money— which may help you save some of it. Establishing and sticking to a budget can be very rewarding, if you plan carefully and set clear goals. Here are a few hints on how: Develop a Game Plan.Before you begin setting up a budget, determine why you need one. For instance, are you not managing your moneyefficiently? Are you YOUR BUDGET AND YOUR BANK.Togetherthey can help you saving for a rainy day or for next help yourself to more money. clearly define your goals will help you stick to the budget. Manage Your Money. There are many products and services yourself of about ten percent of to help you track your finances. For example, debit cards can be year’s vacation? Your ability to Pay Yourself First. Make sure your budget includes a paymentto your income as savings. Paying yourself first is not a free pass to neglect your other financial obliga- available at your community bank great for eliminating the need to carry cash and they provide a Set up an automatic deduction detailed record of your purchases. Because debit card transactions are deducted directly from your checking account, you avoid pay- savings account or ask your bank online banking services offer tions and responsibilities. Establish a Savings Account. with your employer, if you can, that gets deposited directly to your to set up a similar deduction from your checking account to a savings account. Set aside an amount small enough to allow you to meet your other financial obligations, but large enough that you can see your account balance grow and motivate you to continue saving. ing interest as you would with a credit card. What’s more, most money managementsoftware that lets you record transactions, bal- ance your checkbookandpaybills. Your bank can help you reach your financial goals. To find a nearby community bank, visit www.icba.org or call, toll-free, 1-888-500-5538.
