Get Financially Fit! | Self-Care

Recharging your batteries is an important piece to achieving work-life balance. But some of the ways to recharge can be quite spendy—upwards of a couple hundred dollars! Can't afford pricey spa treatments or yoga retreats? Susan Johnston Taylor, contributor to U.S. News & World Report shares with us how to recharge for less—6 Ways to Treat Yourself on a Budget.

American consumers justify a myriad of expenditures under the guise of personal care, from massages and spa treatments to meditation retreats, yoga and adult coloring books. The massage therapy industry alone raked in an estimated $8 billion to $10 billion in the U.S. in 2013, according to the American Massage Therapy Association.

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Get Financially Fit! | Save Time or Money?

In today's society, time has become a rare commodity. It seems we are often looking for ways to free up our time such as convenience foods, online shopping, etc. But saving time can come with a hefty price tag! Hitha Herzog, Chief Research Officer of H Squared Research, lecturer at Parsons School of Design and author of “Black Market Billions,” shares with us the 5 Traps Consumers Fall Into When Trying to Save Time.

Time. These days it's a commodity more precious than gold. Most of us could use more of it, and find that when an extra hour or two does come our way, it's devoured like a crave-worthy dessert.

Retailers have devised ways to "help us out" by providing shortcuts to shopping, cooking and bill-paying. The problem is, these shortcuts end up costing big bucks. To help suss out what drains your wallet faster than you can say "please charge that," here are five money wasting habits consumers get duped by, while trying to save time:

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Get Financially Fit! | Reduce Spending

WESTconsin Credit Union partners with Accel Members Financial Counseling to provide members with access to financial education and counseling services. These services are free of charge to all WESTconsin members. Accel, a financial counseling program, has been helping individuals for more than 40 years. Accel offers a variety of resources and tools such as the "How Americans Overspend" infographic below.

The first rule of personal finance is to spend less than you earn.  Pretty simple, right?  Unfortunately, this basic rule can be difficult to follow.  It takes discipline.  Here are some tips to help you reduce spending.  Day after day, these small savings can add up to big savings.

GUEST POST | Breaking Down Spooky Halloween Spending

INFOGRAPHIC: Breaking Down Spooky Halloween Spending
by Quinn Buchanan

It may not get as much press as Christmas, but Americans spends serious cash on Halloween. To keep the festivities from making your finances frightful come November, we break it down for you.

(Click here to enlarge.)

GOBankingRates | 5 Signs You Have a Spending Problem

5 Signs You Have a Spending Problem

By Cameron Huddleston

July 31, 2015

One in five Americans spent more than what they earned in the last 12 months, according to a Federal Reserve Board survey released in May. Some might be relying on credit or dipping into savings to cover their spending because they are having trouble making ends meet. And, some might be simply living beyond their means.

Regardless of the reason your spending exceeds your income, “overspending is harmful because it could be a sign you’re out of control with your finances,” said Leslie H. Tayne, an attorney who concentrates in debt resolution solutions and author of “Life & Debt.” Your overspending might be making it hard to pay bills, have money for emergencies and save for the future. It could also lead to serious consequences, such as bankruptcy.

Here are five warning signs that indicate you are spending too much, how your overspending can hurt you and how to get your spending under control: