Spending Wisely

For more information or to speak with a Financial Education Specialist, please contact us at FinancialEducationAFB@afbank.com.

Need help spending funds more wisely? Do this before and while you go shopping or make other purchases.

Before Shopping

Check your account balance through Digital Banking (online and mobile), at the bank, or using your physical account register. Mobile carrier fees may apply.
Make a note of any upcoming scheduled payments, such as utility bills, and deduct what you think the estimated amount will be from your account balance.
Also, deduct from your balance any amounts you may owe to others, such as lunch money.
Always subtract a little extra from your mental account balance if an unexpected expense arises.
These practices will allow you to know how much you have available to spend before you head out the door on your shopping trip.

With your budget in mind, do periodic estimates of how much the items in your shopping cart might total.
Once the cashier rings everything up, carefully look at the total amount.
If it’s more than what you have available to spend, try to put back a few things you don’t need.
Once your purchase total aligns with your available-to-spend balance, you can confidently finalize the transaction, knowing it won’t result in an overdrawn bank account.

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