by Harrine Freeman

1. Direct deposit: Cashing checks at a check-cashing store costs on average anywhere from 1% to 5% of the amount of the check. Use direct deposit for free.

2. Education. Go back to school or take training classes to expand your skills at your current job to get a promotion or salary increase. Then create a savings account, plan for retirement, pay down debts and/or pay for necessary expenses.

3. Budget. If you are in debt, stop using your credit cards and pay with cash. Create a budget for yourself to determine your total monthly expenses and your total monthly income. Reevaluate your spending habits, reduce your expenses and plans or cancel them (cable, phone, cell phone, Internet, etc.). Shop at discount stores or outlets, use coupons, carpool, etc.

4. Savings. You should have enough saved to cover 3 to 6 months of your bill payments. Try opening a high interest online savings account such as http://www.emigrantdirect.com/ or http://www.ing.com/, which earns you on average 4% to 5% interest.

5. Seek Help. Go to the library or do research online for various ways to reduce expenses, gain new skills, and shop on a budget. Some great websites are www.budgetdial.com and www.stretcher.com.

Harrine Freeman is the CEO of H.E. Freeman Enterprises, a credit repair and personal finance services company. She is a member of the American Association of Daily Money Managers, a credit repair expert and the author of, “How to Get Out of Debt: Get an ‘A’ Credit Rating for Free Using the System I’ve Used Successfully with Thousands of Clients.” For more information visit http://www.hefreemanenterprises.com/.