by Laurie Childree

Created on: April 03, 2009   Last Updated: June 10, 2009

Saving and putting yourself first is sometimes easier said than done. In order to be financially secure and prepared for the future there has to be savings but it can feel like the bills never allow for it. This is where budgeting comes into play; the budget must be situated in such a way that savings comes out first. A percentage or a set amount of money each week will make it easier. You must remember to put yourself first each payday after all you're the one that worked so hard for your paycheck not someone else.

You have to be sure that you pay yourself first or you could regret it in the long run. When you don't save you can end up in a bind when unexpected bills come up or the economy takes a turn for the worse. Living below your means before you absolutely have no other choice will help the efforts to save money and put yourself first. At the same time the panic that comes with a sudden decrease in income is avoided. Charging everything isn't the answer to not spending all of your income and then some; charging is the way you get into debt that is nearly impossible to dig yourself out of.

If you have credit card debt and you're income begins decreasing stop using the credit cards immediately. Then begin to pay the minimum amount due each month until you have achieved your savings goals. If you don't use credit cards don't start; instead put some money aside for wanted or needed items that aren't urgent. This will enable you to pay cash for them which avoid interest charges and possible late fees. Credit card companies are great at creating the illusion of money and at faithfully charging interest that can quickly put you into a large amount of debt.

Reducing expenses will make savings a lot easier. If you have your utilities included in your rent then chances are lowering them won't do much good but for those that don't they can be reduced drastically. Taking a look at the monthly utility expenses can often allow you to find at least $20 a month you could be saving. Changing the light bulbs in your home to the new energy efficient models really will save you some money in the long run and the difference in the bill is obvious the first full month you have them in your home. Unplugging all of the chargers and items with clocks (except for the alarm clock) in the home will reduce the light bill even further.

Making sure that you aren't paying for things you don't need such as two phone lines will make the savings effort much easier. If you have

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