I could write a whole post about the importance and the benefits of having a savings account (in fact, I did). Having a safety net, money for a rainy day, or even money that one day you can even invest is key. 

The earlier you start working on your savings, the better it will be for you and your future. 

TIP: Any bonuses, taxes, overtime pay or extra income put it aside on your savings account. Don't see this money as an extra income to spend right away, put it towards the rainy day fund.

You Should Also Read: How To Save $1K In A Month

As tedious as this might sound, this is so necessary and so helpful. Knowing where every penny goes will show you where you spend the most money on and what should be eliminated or controlled to help you achieve your financial goals. 

It is also helpful to keep track of your income as well. This will help you identify what money should be spent on bills and what money can go directly to your savings account. 

TIP: Download your bank apps and check it constantly, keep tabs on every transaction that comes in and leaves your bank account. 

Apps like Mint and Personal Capital will keep track of your card's transactions, and can also help you create a monthly budget. 

Being organized is key and it will make your life 10x easier and more stress-free. 

One thing that will help you stay on top of your finances is knowing when everything is due, this also comes in hand with advice #2- keeping track of your money. 

Just like you plan your monthly goals, weekly to-dos, and so on, spend some time organizing your finances and your bill dates. This will help avoid missing payments and late fees, as well as a negative balance in your accounts. 

If you plan your bills ahead of time and around your paychecks, you will be able to know where all of your money should be going even before you receive it. 

TIP: Print out a list with all of the dates of your paycheck (for the whole year) and mark your calendar with them, figure out when all of your monthly bills are due, and mark your calendar with them. This will give you a better understanding of how much money you will have left after bills are pay per paycheck. 

Download your bank's app, your student loan app, and any other card app that will help you see your monthly transactions and expenses.

I get it, sometimes life throws us balls that make it almost impossible to even pay our bills on time, but when possible try to pay more than the minimum on payments like student loans, credit card bills (is better to pay your credit card balance in full), car payments, and everything that has an interest- especially those with high interest. 

Remember- the faster you pay off these bills, the less you will end up paying on interests. 

If there is no money, learn to say no. Learn to say no to everything you want but don't need it. Learn to say no to friends and family when they want to go out but you shouldn't be spending money. 

Saying No will eliminate unnecessary spending and will get you closer to your financial goals. 

If there is one thing you want to utilize and take advantage of from your current employer is their benefit. 

From vacation time to 401k- take advantage of everything. 

Take advantage of health insurance, dental insurance, life insurance, health savings accounts, disability, 401ks, and everything else that can benefit you and your financial goals. As long as the benefits are good and will give you a head start for retirement- take advantage of them!

TIP: Contribute as much as you can on your 401k even more than what your employer contributes. 

You Should Also Read: Financial Mistakes To Avoid During Your 20s

Your family is everything, but one thing I have learned with time is that money can make any relationship sticky. 

I'm not saying to not be the helping hand in need when your family needs you, but understand this; there's a 50% chance (or even more) that any money you lend to family/friends will not make it back your way ever again.  

This goes back to point #5, learn to say NO. There are situations where your help is needed, but there are also situations where you will better off by simply saying no. 

Reaching goals requires sacrifices and hard work, the same goes when it comes to your financial goals. To be able to reach your goals you will have to first put yourself in the right mindset and understand that at times even when you want to say yes- you will need to say no.

Say no to the trips, no to the clubs, no shopping, no to friends, and eating out. No to anything that will require unnecessary spending.

TIP: Count the money you want to save each month as an expense after bills are paid, you have put money aside then if there is some money left, you can reward yourself a bit. 

Is never too late to start planning towards retirement, whoever said it was- lied. In fact, the earlier you start the earlier you will meet your goal and the better it will be for you, both in the future and in the present. 

How can you plan towards retirement? 

• Invest money
• Save
• 401ks, Roth IRA
• Have a plan

Last but not least, enjoy life. Save, pay your bills but don't forget to enjoy life and use some of the money you work so hard for. 

There's one thing you don't want to do; you don't want to look back 10-15 years from now and wished you could have done just a bit more of living and traveling. Yes, money is good, and having a safety net is even better but, remember to reward yourself with lifetime memories and some of the good things this life has to offer. 

TIP: Create a vacation fund/savings aside from your personal savings account, knowing your savings will not get affected while you enjoy life will make spending the money and enjoying your vacation better.

Let's recap...

1. Have A Savings Account
2. Keep Track Of Every Money You Spend
3. Get Organized 
4. Pay More Than The Minimum Amount
5. Learn To Say No
6. Take Advantage Of Your Job Benefits
7. Avoid Doing Business With Family/Friends
8. Understand When Sacrifices are Made
9. Plan For Retirement
10. Enjoy Life

The "Take control of your Finances & Reach Your Financial goals" tracker has been designed to help you get organized, define your saving goal, and keep track of your money- ALL IN ONE WORKBOOK.

What's inside?

• 3 different tabs with 3 different purposes
• An overview of your Budget Summary
• Equations to help you determine the best savings plan for you.
• A full budget detail tracker
• A full overview of your savings plan.