If you want to win with money, you have to change your behavior with money. The first step is making a budget. The second step is sticking to that budget. 

Ah, there’s the hard part! So, what’s the best way to do that? Track. Your. Transactions.

Seriously. It’s one of the most important budgeting tips we can give you. And here are five reasons why it’s so important to track your transactions:
 

It’s time to destroy a common money myth: Being a natural saver is the only way to be successful with money. Why is this myth hurtful? For one, it can make natural spenders feel like they don’t have a chance to get ahead with money. The truth is, both spenders and savers have their own strengths and challenges. Neither one is better.

Still, when you come together as a couple to start hitting goals and building budgets together, those challenges might feel impossible to get past. They aren’t! No matter if you’re two spenders, two savers, or one of each, you can budget together (and do it well)! Let’s talk about how to make that happen.

Some days, it may feel like your spending is out of control. You look at your bank account or empty wallet and wonder, Where did all my money go? But how do you stop spending money when the temptation to spend is all around?

Maybe you’ve asked yourself that same question. If you’ve ever gotten near the end of the month and thought, Welp—that paycheck didn’t last as long as I needed it to, here are 25 ways to stop spending money on food, clothes, household goods, and all those nonessentials that feel pretty essential in the moment. 

You’ve started budgeting. Three cheers for you! This is a huge step—and the most important—in making those money goals a reality.

Maybe it’s going well. Maybe it’s hard. Maybe it’s somewhere in between. Wherever you are on the comfort-and-ease-of-budgeting scale, we’re always here for you. And we’ve got 12 solid tips at the ready to help the process run even smoother and the results get even better.  

Autumn has arrived, and it’s brought cooler temperatures and changing leaves along with it. It’s the perfect time to be outside—which means there are a lot of free activities everywhere you look!

If you’re working toward a big money goal or hoping to get a head start on Christmas savings, now is the perfect time to take advantage of all the budget-friendly fall activities.

To give you some ideas, we’ve created an EveryDollar fall bucket list. How many of these activities can you and your family cross off before winter?