In your 30s… Build an eight-month emergency cash fund
Set up a savings account into which money is automatically transferred from your checking account each month. Once you have saved the minimum required—often $500—move your savings into a higher-interest money market account.
Save for a down payment on a home
Don't go for a mortgage that doesn't require a down payment—if you don't have the necessary 5 percent or so, you're not ready to own. Set up a housing savings account with an automatic transfer from your checking account.
By Suze Orman
http://www.oprah.com/omagazine/
