Handling money responsibly is a skill that should be taught to young children. Don’t cling to what knowledge you missed in the past, look to the future. You can turn your personal finance education up to 11 right now. Following is some essential personal finance advice.

Do not waste your money on projects that claim to make you rich overnight. A lot of Internet marketers get deceived by this trap. Learn how to make money the old fashioned way, earning it through hard work and patience.

Consider eating local foods to try to save money when visiting a foreign country. Restaurants in popular tourist areas and hotels will overcharge you, so look into where the locals go out to eat. The food in local restaurants will taste better and cost less too.

Have a little envelope with you at all times. Put store receipts and things like business cards in it. It’s important to keep these things for future reference. You may need them to compare to your credit card statements in the small chance that you are double charged.

Most electronics that have defects will show them within the manufacturer’s warranty for the product. Extended warranties make someone a lot of money, but it isn’t you.

Your car, as well as your home, are the two biggest purchases that you will make. Paying the interest on these things often eats up a lot of money each month. You can save thousands of dollars over the life of these loans by making one additional payment on an annual basis.

Rather than using a credit card that is close to being maxed out, use two or more credit cards. The payments on two smaller balances can be lower than trying to pay off a card that has reached its limit. This can help you build your score and not hurt it if you manage your credit lines the right way.

When you think about a mature adult, one of the first things that comes to mind is an individual who is smart with their money. This characteristic can describe you with just a little work. Anyone can improve and develop their financial skills with little effort. Use the above advice to get a solid handle on your finances, and your economic situation is sure to improve.

There are tremendous opportunities for small businesses and social entrepreneurs to support their communities through community foundations, donor advised funds and other means of giving back. Find the neighborhoods in Kings County , New York where you can make the most impact on improving your community.