Money, is it necessary to survive? Your answer will depend on your definition of surviving. No matter the amount we all need it or could use it towards something. When we have the almighty greenbacks in our possession, how do we use it?

Few of us start off with the amounts of money to purchase homes and cars. There has to be a progression, of money knowledge and credit.

When in doubt, plan! The main way to get money is to work! While working plan for a better job and ways to save and pay bills. The two main keys to being financially successful is to plan and not make managing your money complicated. There is no need for three types of saving accounts. Also, paying for items as you work will send you in an immediate downward spiral. There are infinite methods and strategies to save. There is more to it than just “putting money away”. The book: Don’t Break the Bank by Petersen’s (group of author’s with the same last name), is great for anyone starting to save. Dave Ramsey is a financial author, with countless books for any stage of money management. Most people begin with the snowball method. Once one bill is payed off, use that money to pay off the next bill faster. There will be more than double going to the second bill. Then the money can be saved each month, because it was not being used in the first place. There is always a way for your money to grow.

This brings us to the banks; interest in a variety of different ways is the best they offer. Interests through, cd’s, money market investments, and IRA’S. Each money saving avenue serves a different purpose. Ira’s, cd’s, and money markets funds, have a maturity dates. The stock market is a fraction of a percentage ownership in a company. Many jobs offer stock options to employees.

Now as your knowledge develops of saving and working, it is easy to decide what works for you. With the plan that you created, put the effort (and money) into what is useful. More than often, while paying bills, the money saved will not be obvious, until the bills are paid off. Personal financial growth should continue, always save and find ways to help yourself. It may be time to stop paying rent, invest in a hobby, get saving bonds for nieces and nephews, or even purchase land. The stock market will pay dividends on quarterly basis. The money paid out can be used to pay a car note, tuition, mortgage, etc. The purchase of certain items requires credit. Having good credit is not always only paying a bill on time. It is paying off bills in a certain amount of time and also how many bills you have. The website credit.about.com can offer other information to help with credit score. Do not just sit on a savings plan. Work for your money and make it work for you!