If you need help keeping to a monthly budget, the answer may not be in flashy software or a convoluted spreadsheet; rather, it can be in the straightforward bank account you use.

You may use your bank account to do more than keep your money; you can also put it to work to manage your finances and achieve other financial goals, such as putting necessary bills first or breaking a habit of ordering takeout. Try your hand at these strategies.

Keep Checking Balance Low On Purpose

Taking your money out of your line of sight is a straightforward solution to the problem of excessive spending. According to Anand Talwar, keeping a low balance in your checking account "keeps temptations at bay and makes it more likely that you'll stay to the plan." This was said in an email. If you have access to the right amount of money, you can cover what you need without going over your budget limit or using funds that might be put toward savings. If you choose to retain a low balance in your checking account, select a checking account that does not charge overdraft fees and provides straightforward options to avoid paying such penalties if you spend more than you intended to.

Your Money Should Be Divided Across Two Different Checking Accounts

Keep your account balance low by dividing it into smaller amounts. Pamela Capalad suggests keeping a balance in two different accounts. One account is designated for reoccurring costs, while another serves as a safety net for variable outlays, such as those for electricity or natural gas. The second category is "discretionary expenditure," which refers to items that aren't strictly necessary but are still significant or helpful. Capalad recommends keeping track of how much of your discretionary budget is left over at the end of each month in this manner.

Make Use Of Automated Transfers To Protect Money For Necessary Expenses

If maintaining two checking accounts is too much of a headache, one way to put money aside for essential expenses like rent and utilities is to set up automatic transfers from your checking account to a savings account. After that, you should establish a second automated transfer to return the money to your bank account in plenty of time for you to make payments. Check to see how many withdrawals you are allowed from your savings account each month without being charged a fee before you use it in this manner. There may be a cap, although at the moment, some accounts, like high-yield savings accounts, let customers make unlimited withdrawals each month.

Keep Your Money At A Different Financial Bank Than Where You Keep Your Checking Account

Capalad warns that people might get into trouble by considering the combined balance of their checking and savings accounts to be their spending budget. You can better control your spending and avoid spending more than you expected if you have your accounts at different banks and only check the balance of your checking account. If you are inclined to spend more money, this strategy will make it more difficult to move money from your savings immediately.

Turn On Balance Alerts

Some banks will notify you when your balance is becoming low so that you will know when to refrain from making purchases that might put you over your budget limit or possibly lead you to overdraw your account. Typically, you will be given the option to receive these notifications in the form of a text message, an email, or a notice via the bank's mobile app. Your account also has access to more specific notifications. You may create budgets using the Heads Up and Spend Setter features offered by Huntington Bank. These tools allow you to manage spending by category and get updates on your status. If you set a monthly eating budget of $100, for example, the bank will notify you when your spending at restaurants approaches that level.

Try Restrictive Features To Curb Spending

Find a bank account that will allow you to be more disciplined to avoid going over your budget. For instance, the Card Controls feature offered by Ally Bank enables you to establish spending restrictions for certain transaction amounts or merchant categories. If you have a bank account with Discover, you can temporarily freeze your debit card as a more severe measure to restrict spending. While certain transactions may still be processed, you won't be able to make any new acquisitions while the freeze is in effect.