Budgeting & Savings Tips

Learn how to track and manage expenses, create a budget and save for your financial goals.

Browse the Blog
Browse the BlogClose

How To Maximize Your Charitable Donations

A BECU employee speaking with another person, with food donations in the background.

Get tips for making the most of your donation dollars and time.

11 Ways To Save Money This Holiday Season

A father and daughter are smiling as they look into a window. The image suggests they are window shopping. The man is wearing glasses, a black winter jacket, and a beanie. The young child is wearing a winter jacket and scarf. In the window are holiday lights.

Enjoy a budget-friendly season with our holiday spending and savings tips.

12 FAQs About Repaying Your Student Loans

Two young college-aged students sitting at a table inside located in front of large windows. Trees are in the background outside. The two students are looking together at the screen of a laptop that's in front of one of the students, who is typing on the laptop keyboard. The other student not in front of the laptop is holding a pen in one hand and has a book in their other hand resting on the table, open to a page.

​​We share options and information about repaying your federal student loans.​

Personal Finance Tips for New College Grads

Three college students laugh as they walk away from a building on campus together.

Learn how to navigate your financial life after college.

Back-to-School Savings Tips

Young girl sporting a light blue backpack smiles as she stands in front of her smiling mother, who has placed her left hand on the young girl's shoulder, a showing of support as the young girl readies to leave through the front door of their home to go back to school.

Use these simple tips to budget for back-to-school shopping and save money.

How To Budget for a Vacation

A man holds a child standing up on driftwood at a Washington beach. They're wearing sweatshirts and the sky is cloudy. Ocean mist drifts across the evergreen trees in the background.

Get tips for planning and saving for your next vacation.

How To Budget as a Couple

A couple smiling, taking a selfie. A pair of bicycles are on a car-mounted bike rack in the background.

Learn about budgeting methods, tools and common spending patterns for couples.

New Baby Budget: Costs for the First Year

Mother and father sitting on the floor in front of a baby crib holding and looking at their newborn baby, with a black- and white-colored dog as well as a brown- and grey-colored dog laying down on the floor next to them. Friendly depictions of a raccoon, bear, and forest are painted on the walls of the room. "Miranda Jade Photography" photo credit is displayed in text in bottom left hand corner of image.

Prepare for costs in the first year of your baby's life.
Load More

Emergency Funds: Your Financial Safety Net

Emergency Funds - Your Financial Bestie

Learn what an emergency fund is, why you need one and how much you should save.

9 Steps To Include Fun in Your Budget

Two people kayaking in orange boats with orange paddles on a sunny day. A woman in the foreground is smiling, looking in the direction that the man in the boat behind her is pointing. The sun is shining on the calm water.

Learn how to loosen up spending limits to avoid splurges.

How To Budget for Inflation

A woman sits at her kitchen table reading a receipt she is holding in one hand. She is holding an apple in the other hand. A paper bag of groceries is on the table next to her.

Get tips on how to adapt your budget when prices are high.

5 Banking Tips for Kids and Parents

A mother and her teen daughter stand together in their kitchen facing the camera for a photo. The mom has her arm around the teen and is resting her cheek against her daughter's head.

Get tips to help kids start banking and building good financial habits.

30 Tips To Get Financially Fit

Illustration of a man wearing a blue headband and blue athletic shorts holding a dumbbell. On his left is a yellow bicycle and on his right is a wall calendar and a potted plant.

Get a month's worth of daily tips to build your money-managing muscles.

CDs vs. Savings Accounts: Which Is Better for You?

Three people on a kayak in a lake. A man wearing a red life vest in the back, a boy wearing a red life vest in the middle and a boy wearing a yellow life vest in the front. They are holding paddles and smiling at the camera.

Learn which type of account might be a good financial fit for you.

Estate Planning: Tasks and Tips To Get Started

Man and woman and sitting close together across from another woman. The man is reading a sheet of paper and the woman on the left is smiling at the woman on the right.

Get tips on wills, power of attorney, executors and more.

How Do Couples Split Bills?

Two women sit close together on couch, holding hands. Woman on the left is holding phone up to take a selfie.

Romance is great, but have you found a fair way to split shared bills?
Load More

Grocery Inflation: Items That Cost More

A person pushes a grocery cart down the dairy aisle of the grocery store. The cart contains lots of fresh vegetables and other items. The person's hands and lower body are visible.

Learn which grocery prices have increased and get money-saving tips.

Consider Costs Before Getting a Pet

A woman dressed in warm clothes sits on a Pacific Northwest beach with two dogs

Learn how much you’ll need to budget to care for a new furry friend.

Achieve Your Budgeting Goals During the Pandemic

Illustration of woman walking and carrying groceries with a dollar-sign callout over the grocery bag and on the phone poking out of her pocket. Car in background with a dollar-sign callout over it.

Learn budgeting tips that can help even during tough times.

A Wedding During COVID-19? Learn from Two Couples

A man smiles at the camera while a woman wearing a flower wreath on her head hugs him from behind

Couples share how COVID-19 affected their big day and their budget.

How to Manage Finances Like a CFO

Portrait of BECU CFO Melba Bartels

BECU CFO says to plan ahead, lead with compassion.

Set Sights on Smaller Resolutions for 2021

Illustration of the start of a New Year's resolution list surrounded by six pictures in circles: an apple with a milk carton, a person walking outside, a person riding a bike, a book, a small picture of a piggy bank, and a small picture of a dumbbell.

After a tough 2020, it’s ok to set smaller goals for the new year.

Save Money by Starting a Victory Garden

Various vegetables

Even if you don’t have much space or a yard, you can grow your own food.

Four Tips for Finding Some Extra Money for Summer

Container full of coins

It's more than checking the couch cushions.
Load More

Saving Through Streaming

Yellow, white, and red cables

"Cutting the cord" with cable providers can benefit your bank account.

A Wake-Up Call From the Shutdown

Sign that says Sorry We're Closed

We look at options for possibly missing a paycheck.