Make your savings beefy

Building a strong savings account takes the same dedication as building the perfect physique. I’m Kristin Arnold with your Bankrate.com Personal Finance Minute.

Just like you might need a fitness expert's guidance to get you into shape physically, you also need help to get your savings in shape.

Begin by putting your savings on autopilot. Routinely paying yourself first with automatic deposits cuts out the opportunity to spend it. Greg McBride is senior financial analyst with Bankrate.com.

"Make savings a priority. Nothing helps you sleep better at night than knowing you have money tucked away for unplanned expenses."

Another success strategy - establish a budget by tracking your monthly expenses and see where you can cut back.

Avoid pitfalls like excessive withdrawal fees that can wipe out many months’ worth of interest earnings and stay away from overdraft fees.

"Your lowest cost line of defense against costly overdraft fees is to specifically request a link between your checking account and savings account."

To learn more about saving and money management, visit the Checking & Savings tab on the main page at Bankrate.com. I'm Kristin Arnold.