Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/1066061
AACREDITUNION.ORG | 9 possible dings to your credit. In addition, if you automate your savings, you may not even notice the difference in your paycheck. STOP DEPRIVING YOURSELF. Being too restrictive with your budget can cause you to overspend. "When you're putting your budget together, include a little money every month to spend as you please," Fatheree said. KEEP CHECKING IN. Consistency is key to keeping your budget under control. Even if you get off track, get back to it. "Reviewing your budget regularly — every week, bi-weekly or once a month — should help," Fatheree said. These check-ins allow you to see what is and isn't working and to make any needed adjustments. daily latte at the coffee shop, have one a week and brew your own on the other days. KEEP SAVING. Pay yourself fi rst by tucking away a certain amount with each paycheck. "Treat savings like one of your bills and pay yourself fi rst," Fatheree said. "Ideally, you want to save 10 percent of your income. However, if that's not possible, save as much as you can and increase the amount gradually." START WORKING ON AUTOPILOT. Put your money on autopilot, whether that means scheduling automatic bill pay or automatically transferring a specifi c amount from your pay- check to your savings. You'll avoid late fees and American Airlines Credit Union Our new Financial Wellness program off ers a number of tools designed to assist you on your journey to fi nancial freedome. Get started today at Financial Wellness.AA CreditUnion.org. Federally insured by NCUA. Budget smart with these three apps Mint Manage all your fi nances in one place, across multiple platforms. Mint sends alerts when bills are due, allows you to track cash transactions and lets you try out what-if scenarios to see how your choices would impact your budget. Free You Need a Budget (YNAB) Build your budget based on your income and then give every dollar a job. YNAB helps you fi nd wasted money in your fi nancial plan, pay off debt and set and track goals. $7/month Wally Keep track of your income and the details of your spending: where, when, what, why and how much. Wally is simple and convenient for people who are looking to cut down on excess spending. It even allows you to take a picture of receipts. Free