These ads are based on your specific account relationships with us. In addition, financial advisors/Client Managers may continue to use information collected online to provide product and service information in accordance with account agreements.Īlso, if you opt out of online behavioral advertising, you may still see ads when you sign in to your account, for example through Online Banking or MyMerrill.

If you opt out, though, you may still receive generic advertising. If you prefer that we do not use this information, you may opt out of online behavioral advertising. This information may be used to deliver advertising on our Sites and offline (for example, by phone, email and direct mail) that's customized to meet specific interests you may have. Here's how it works: We gather information about your online activities, such as the searches you conduct on our Sites and the pages you visit. Relationship-based ads and online behavioral advertising help us do that. We strive to provide you with information about products and services you might find interesting and useful. You might be surprised at how much extra money you accumulate by making one minor adjustment at a time. Tip: Small savings can add up to a lot of money, so don’t overlook the little stuff. Doing so will be much more difficult and require greater discipline, but on close inspection a “need” may just be a “hard to part with.” Such decisions come with big trade-offs, so make sure you carefully weigh your options.

Lastly, if the numbers still aren’t adding up, you can look at adjusting your fixed expenses. You may need internet at home, but do you need the fastest available? If you’ve already adjusted your spending on wants, evaluate your spending on needs. Can you skip movie night in favor of a movie at home? Try adjusting the numbers you’ve tracked to see how much money that frees up.

Want-to-have expenses are the first area to look for spending cuts. Having documented your income and spending, you can start to see where you have money left over or where you can cut back so that you have money to put toward your goals. Once you’ve done all this, you have what you need to complete your budget.

Home budget spreadsheet numbers