By Meg Favreau, Senior Editor of personal finance blog Wise Bread.

Money is like a cake. When you get that delicious dessert, it can be tempting to eat it all at once. But if you do, you’ll end up with a stomachache, that sugarcoated feeling on your teeth, and perhaps most importantly – no cake for later.

Similarly, if you spend all of your money, you’ll probably end up regretting your splurges – and wishing you had some funds sitting in the bank.

Often, savings strategies are obvious – you set a big piece of cake aside, and it’s there waiting for you. But sometimes, it’s the little things that make that cake disappear. I’m reminded of the time my childhood friend Mike held a cake on his lap while we were driving home. He took fingerful after fingerful of frosting – and when we got home, Mike discovered that he had completely defrosted the cake without realizing it. Read more…

POSTED: February 26, 2013 | BY: Leslie Rasimas | TAGS: America Saves Week, Budget, Credit Cards, personal finance, Saving, Student Loans

By Katie Bryan, America Saves Communications Manager.
The theme for America Saves Week 2013 is more than just a theme; it’s is the essence of a sound approach to savings, designed to help individuals take financial action. Set a Goal. Make a Plan. Save Automatically. Knowing what you want to save for, how to achieve it, and then making the savings process automatic will allow you to reach your savings goal.

Set a Goal

You can save more by having a goal in mind. Visualizing what you want to save for gives your savings a purpose. You may be tempted to withdraw from your savings if it has no purpose. But once you have a goal in place, you know that taking money out of your savings is taking away from that ultimate goal. So what are you saving for? An emergency fund, a home, retirement, a car? Read more…

POSTED: February 25, 2013 | BY: Leslie Rasimas | TAGS: America Saves Week, Credit Cards, Financial Literacy, partners, personal finance, Saving

By Katie Bryan, America Saves Communications Manager.

America Saves Week February 25 – March 2, 2013 is chance for individuals to assess their own saving status and take financial action. Studies reveal that having a savings plan with specific goals can have beneficial financial effects, even for lower-income families.

Here are 5 easy ways to get involved in America Saves Week:

Take the America Saves Pledge Read more…

POSTED: February 18, 2013 | BY: Leslie Rasimas | TAGS: America Saves Week, Financial Literacy, partners, personal finance, Saving