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Whether or not to save money is an unnecessary question. More important is how to save it. Your goal can be as small as making sure you have enough money to pay next month's bills or as large as retiring at a tender age and living in luxury for many years. The more methods you use to save money, the more you can save. It also gives you some room for error and for unforeseen circumstances. Even the Energizer bunny's batteries need to be replaced every once in awhile.

The rainy day fund everyone ought to have can be wiped out when an unexpected medical or repair bill needs to be paid, or an emergency trip needs to be made. That's all the more reason to have it in the first place. It's a good reason to start a new one as soon as possible, too. Even if it seems like a savings plan is taking two steps back for every one step forward, it will be worth the effort put into it.

A negative savings rate, or spending money you don't have, is a recipe for disaster. Loans for homes and cars are a necessity for most people. Borrowing money from a credit card to purchase things you won't even remember owning by the time you've finished paying for them is not.

There is a list of savings tips at www.americasaves.org that includes some of the basics, such as shopping around for insurance, and some that don't occur to John Q. Public, like using only ATMs that don't charge withdrawal fees.

America Saves is a campaign to encourage saving. It has a "personal wealth estimator" to help figure out current and future net worth. It is not one of those, "BECOME A MILLIONAIRE!" pieces of junk. It is a coalition of non-profit, government and corporate groups working to help people live comfortably while building security.

Another place to find savings tips is at www.choosetosave.org , which has lists designed for preschoolers, retirees, and practically everyone else. It has different calculators to help you come up with ballpark estimates on things like autos, homes, college and credit cards. The program also does public service announcements to raise awareness about the need to save and give advice on becoming financially secure.

The local newspaper might have a section devoted to how to save money. Some have columns about investing, health care savings, product recalls and other such things. There are magazines and books with facts and figures and answers to many questions. The question there is no need to ask is whether or not to save.

Learn more about this author, Alicia Suenaga.
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