We put three Ozarkers through budget counseling sessions. All they had to do was track their monthly expenses and CCCS experts found easy places that they could cut back.

Jerrod McCully, a KY3 News photographer, is a married father of two. His wife is a stay-at-home mom. He makes a decent living but has one big problem: he has no savings account.

“On paper, it seems like we shouldn't have problems but, at the end of two weeks, we're down to nothing again,” said McCully.

McCully knows his family could save by eating out less but would to prefer to save in other ways.

“Drink water instead of soda; soda is where they make money,” said counselor Mike Cherry.

Cherry says, if they must eat out, they should eat where kids eat free or look for other specials.

“Buy one, get one can be huge if you eat out several nights a week,” said Cherry.

He also suggests buying in bulk and more generic items at the grocery store.

“It's same quality you get anywhere else and savings are considerable,” he said.

Finally, Cherry found a place to save by looking at McCully's auto and homeowner's insurance costs.

“A way to save money is on the size of the deductible,” said Cherry.

So, by cutting the drinks while eating, McCully can save $48 a month, choosing restaurants where kids eat free would save $96 per month, buying more generic food items would save $80 per month, and increasing his car insurance deductible to $500 would save $6 per month.

In all, McCully can save a staggering $230 per month, more than enough to start a savings account.

Up next is Kristy Schiebel, who works in the KY3 production department. Beginning in June, she'll have to find a way to start repaying more than $45,000 in student loans. She's already having trouble making ends meet.

“I'm stretched to the limit, so I keep going over on my US Bank card,” said Schiebel.

Overlimit and late payment credit card fees are sending her further into the red. Plus, since she's forced to charge many items, she's paying their costs plus interest. So gas for example is costing her $4.20 per gallon, instead of $3.50, when you factor in 30-percent interest.

“We need to start paying for this as you buy it,” said Cherry.

Cherry suggests getting Schiebel into a debt management program. Consumer Credit Counseling will consolidate her credit card bills at a lower interest rate and get her on a payment plan. That alone will save her $100 per month.

“Every little bit at this point helps,” she said.

And, since she uses only about a third of her cellular telephone minutes every month, reducing her plan would save her $20 a month. If she stops charging gas, she’ll save $24 per month, and other personal items, $21 per month.

Once she stops doing that, she can cut out the $39 per month overlimit fee. All this adds up to a total savings of $204 per month.

“That's great because I need to start paying my student loans back,” she said.

Finally, Leah Cagle and her husband, Travis, a teacher, live comfortably with their infant daughter but want a change. They want to upgrade to a bigger house.

They need some extra cash to do it. By bundling their phone, cable and Internet, they can save $17 a month. And those aren't the only expenses she can bundle.

“Sit down with your agent and see how much you could save by bundling insurances together,” said counselor Landy Dixon.

Getting their car, home and life insurance from the same company would reduce insurance costs by $20 a month. Canceling an unused online music subscription saves another $14.

Since the Cagles could benefit more from a monthly increase rather than a large return, Dixon recommends increasing their paycheck withholding for dependents from 0 to 1.

“Which would mean you would have more money coming in each month,” said Dixon.

That would provide about $90 more per month.

These changes could reduce their monthly expenses by a total of $141.

Counselors at Consumer Credit Counseling Service will help you with your budget for free.