Reduce ATM fees

Editor's note: This is a transcript of the audio file.

As banks continue to raise fees, many Americans are looking for ways to avoid or lower the cost of banking. Here's how to get a few extra dollars out of your ATM usage. I'm Lucas Wysocki with your bankrate.com personal finance minute.

When using ATMs, consumers are hit with a double charge, usually, it's two dollars or more from the owner of the ATM and 2 or more from their bank for going outside of the network. If you find yourself suffering these fees, some simple changes to your banking habits can give you relief.

Probably the simplest way to avoid the ATM fees is to avoid ATMs. Plan out the cash you need and withdraw it when you deposit your paycheck, or add cash back to your next drug-store or grocery purchase.

If you can't break your ATM habit, then consider shopping around for a bank that has a wider network of ATMs or one that will reimburse the fees for going outside of their network. Credit unions and online banks tend to be very generous in that regard.

You can compare banks and fees using the free search engine at bankrate.com. For Bankrate.com I'm Lucas Wysocki.