If you've been 'saving for a rainy day' you know it's not as easy, or as popular, as it used to be. Decades ago, rainy-day saving meant creating a fund that would allow a family to meet their financial obligations in case of an emergency. If the breadwinner incurred a sudden illness and lost his/her job, those savings were available to pay the bills. Back then, families recognized the need to plan for the 'bumps in the road' and avoid the horrors of massive credit card debt.

Today, with ever-increasing economic and employment woes, families find it difficult, if not impossible, to put away some extra funds, despite the fact that many families have dual wage-earners. Nowadays, if someone loses his/her job, or if a family faces some type of disaster, they look to the government for relief. Although it is comforting to know that assistance is readily available when needed, entitlements breed dependence, not independence. Autonomy and self-endurance have taken a back seat to Uncle Sam, who has become, to some, a very rich uncle.

In many instances the art of saving money is learned early in life. If parents are wise stewards, the children will also learn to be good stewards. Providing a weekly allowance to your child for his/her accomplishment of chores may help advance positive stewardship. Then again, there are some who never learn the basics of successful financial management. If you are serious about budgeting and saving money, you might check into a book entitled All Your Worth: The Ultimate Lifetime Money Plan. The book was written by a mother-daughter team (Elizabeth Warren and Amelia Warren Tyagi), and highlights a formula for balanced budgeting which allows you to pay your bills, buy the things you want, and have enough money left to save for that rainy day!