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Plan for expenses, set goals, and keep your finances on track.

How good are your budgeting skills?

Try these tips to manage your money.

• Build an emergency fund. A good rule of thumb is to have a fund that will cover 3 months of your expenses.
• Live within your means. Avoid the temptation of using credit cards. You will pay interest on the balance you don’t payoff.
• Pay yourself first just like a bill. You can have an amount automatically deducted from your paycheck to a designated account.
• Take advantage of discounts, coupons and discount stores to reduce costs.
• Avoid impulse purchases. Wait 24 hours or more and revisit whether or not you need the item.
• Limit how many times you go out to eat.
• Track each item you spend money on in a month. What can you eliminate?

Get your credit score and review your credit report regularly. Good credit will payoff throughout your lifetime.

• — Learn information about credit reports and get your FREE credit report from the nationwide consumer credit reporting companies: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.

Students or parents may qualify for educational tax benefits.

• - Learn directly from the Internal Revenue Service about higher education tax advantages in the form of credits and deductions.

These resources offer a wealth of information for your personal financial wellness.

• — Having debt can be scary. Use this assessment tool and information to develop a personal debt payoff plan. These tips will teach you about different strategies and techniques to manage your debt and how to pay it off.
• — Learn from financial experts about money management, student loans, resume critiques and job searches. You even have an option to sign up for a personal tailored, recommendation of courses and videos. Visit often to read current articles, play games, and use the calculators and budget tracker to manage your personal finances.
• — Gain a better understanding on the importance of good credit. This site provides extensive practical information about FICO scores and credit reports, and how they have a major impact on your life. You can request a free estimate to get a range of your FICO score.
• — A federal government website that provides comprehensive tools to help manage your personal finances during life events when you need to make smart decisions. Topics include buying a home, securing a loan, planning for retirement, balancing a checkbook and budgeting.
• — Pick from over a dozen financial topics that interest you. Your education about money is creatively posted on napkins, and through short videos and articles. Complex financial topics are broken down into simple, easy, bite-sized lessons.