You’ve probably heard “money doesn’t grow on trees,” but there are ways to stretch your dollar. Here, Susan Magnuson, financial adviser with Ameriprise Financial in Rockford since 2000, gives her top 10 ways to get more bang for your buck during this tough economy.

Sometimes it’s just tough getting up and going to work in the morning, but even tougher is deciding to go back to work and paying for rising day care costs after having a child or staying at home and living on one income.

But instead of dreading the task, financial experts recommend approaching a budget like you would a set of goals.

It’s unclear whether men or women are better at maintaining financial stability. But women have more than enough reasons to fall into debt unexpectedly and unknowingly. These could range from unemployment or foreclosure to helping out a family member or friend.

Nobody likes forking out money to the government, but women might take a broader view of taxes than men do.

About nine years ago, Bev Scheider hit a turning point. Her company downsized, and she was laid off from an upper-management position.

Women and men think differently about money, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. We talk to Maritina Viglietta, a financial services representative with MetLife, 4053 N. Perryville Road in Loves Park, about how women can make the most of investing.

What are common investment mistakes women make?

Maybe you wear all the hats as a small-business owner, from salesperson to accountant to publicist. But maybe you have expertise in just a few of those areas and could use some help perfecting your overall business operation.

If divorce looms, getting your financial house in order before the split makes sense.

Amy Barrett, 47, a certified divorce financial analyst for Savant Capital Management Inc., says that you must understand how the division of assets will affect your lifestyle post divorce.

She says that there are five main financial issues to consider before a divorce.

Credit cards can be our friends if we’re smart using them.

Tammy Alger, 45, vice president/regional sales management for AMCORE Bank, says a credit card is a useful tool.