If living paycheck to paycheck has made having a savings account seem impossible, find out how you can put your best financial foot forward in 2010 with Apprentice winner and money expert Bill Rancic's tips!

Form a budget and stick to it. "You have to say, 'I'm going to save (let's just say) 5 percent of my weekly salary,' then you work backward and look at all your expenses. You'll see where all your money is going and when you do that you're able to see what you need and what you don't need." Bill recommends Mint.com, a free website that can help you get started on creating a budget. "All you have to do is plug in what you're spending and it does all the work for you."

Shop around for the best deals. "Call your car insurance company and get different quotes. It takes 10 or 15 minutes and you could save hundreds of dollars a year. The economy is tough and these businesses are going to fight to keep you as a customer." Bill also suggests lowering another usually high monthly expense, your cell phone. "I went online and in ten minutes I found two different companies [with cheaper rates], and one plan in particular was $50 a month unlimited cell phone calls and texting."

Try to avoid using credit cards. "Credit card debt is so easy to accumulate, but boy is it hard to get rid of. It's almost like legalized loan sharking - you don't even know it and your rate went from 7 percent to 30 percent." Bill advises to use a credit card only in cases of emergency and pay them off at the end of each month. And if you're inclined to impulse buying, Bill says to freeze your card. "Literally put it in water and put it in the freezer. If you get that urge where you really need to buy something you have to let it thaw so it gives you time to think about the purchase."

Save, save, save! "Saving just a little bit each week can add up to a lot. If you put away $15 dollars a week at 2% interest, over the course of five years that's going to be $4,100!" As Bill's dad always told him, "It's not how much you earn, it's how much you save."

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Bill Rancic

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Mint.com