Just 46% of Americans have a rainy-day fund.

While we hope that your life is always sunshine and roses, chances are that at some point, you will encounter a rainy day. Job loss, illness, financial downturns and other unexpected expenses happen, so we need to be prepared for them. By having a rainy-day fund, you can have money set aside for the occasional sprinkle or downpour preventing you from accumulating credit card debt just to survive. By opening a MACU savings account or a Kasasa® Cash above- I market interest rate checking account, you can begin to build your rainy-day fund and easily access it should you need it. Adding an automatic transfer every month can help keep you on track.

Two-thirds of Americans wouldn’t be able to come up with $1,000 to cover an emergency expense.

The fact is, expenses are going to arise. Not the “may” or “may not” expenses you are protecting yourself from with a rainy-day fund. We are talking about the absolutely-going-to-happen/how-are-you-going-to-pay-for-it kind of expense like a car payment, a new roof, a broken water heater, etc. This list is full of the “not if, but when” expenses that we all encounter but tend to not proactively save for. This can often lead to credit card debt. If you don’t already have an emergency fund, today is great day to start. Look at your budget for things you can do without. That Starbucks® drink you get every day on the way to work can add up to $80 in savings monthly. Skip one family dinner out a month, and save $30 to $100. Before you know it, you will be on your way to an emergency fund and peace-of-mind.

You can save $112,000 over a lifetime by bringing your lunch to work.

If this statistic doesn’t make you break out the peanut butter and jelly, what will? Convenience certainly comes at a price, and by taking the time to pack your lunch every day, you can make a huge leap in your savings goals. By keeping a small stock of staple items in your office (think cans of soup, etc.), you can skip the drive thru even on those days you just couldn’t get yourself to pack.

61% of Americans live paycheck-to-paycheck, with 20% of them earning over $100,000 per year.

Americans definitely have a spending problem, and, on some level, most of us probably fall into that category. By following some of our tips above and by creating and sticking to a household budget, you don’t have to be a statistic.

Sources: FINRA's National Financial Capability Study, The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, Economy Watch