How to Stop Giving Money to Your Bank

So you've opened a checking account. That's a positive step, right?
After all, this is the first step to helping you save your money. However, there are some ways that a checking account can actually become a trash can for your money. Here are the tips you need to follow to stop giving your money away to the bank.

1) Use your ATM card only at ATMs owned by your bank. Every time you use some other ATM, you can count on being charged a fee of anywhere from $1 to $3 --just to get your money out of the bank! In fact, sometimes, if you're not careful, you'll be charged a couple dollars by the bank which owns the ATM as well as a dollar or two from your own bank.

2) When you take money out, take out enough to do you for several days, rather than going to the ATM ever time you go out. This also will save you on the above-mentioned fees.

3) Keep your own record of how much money is in your account. Do NOT reply on the balance that your bank's website says is available, since some transactions might take a few days to post. And if your bank goes in the negative, you can expect to pay a hefty $30 or $30 NSF fee.