With banks crashing left and right thanks to making bad financial decisions, there aren't many “professionals” left to trust with your money – and in this economy, you need to be really smart with every last dollar. Without a professional to help, you're left to do all that digging on your own – but where to start?

Look no further - here are 9 fabulous financial tools you can use to shave a few bucks off your monthly budget.

If your cell phone is burning a hole in your pocket, search for a better deal at BillShrink.com. Just answer five simple questions about your usage, or upload your latest bill to search plans and add-ons from all providers, including call quality and cost to switch.

Keep track of your TransUnion credit score and simulate the effect of future decisions on your credit with CreditKarma.com, absolutely free.

Compare thousands of financial accounts – from credit cards and checking accounts to CDs and 529 college savings plans – at FiLife.com.

Mint.com works with just about any bank to help you get a grip on all your household finances. Keep track of everything, from your 401(k) to that daily double latte.

Let banks compete for your savings account – MoneyAisle.com helps you get the best rates by pitting banks against each other in a real-time auction that takes just a few minutes.

QuickenOnline.com has finally dropped that ugly monthly fee, so now you can get a snapshot of all your accounts, with forecasts and text messages when you overspend for absolutely nothing.

Stop calling brokers to find the best mortgage rates. SmartHippo.com just needs a zip code to tell you who is offering what in the area, and more.

Bulk up your financial muscles with JustThrive.com, a new budgeting and money management site made to help you get better at reaching your financial goals.

If Quicken, Thrive, or Mint don't work that well for you, give Wesabe.com a try. The site works in a very similar fashion, but with an added community learning style.

You can find out more about Patricia Mayo and her other projects at Mayobrains.com or ComHacker.org.