To begin with, I will mention the fact that after making such an effort to earn the salary, the fact of being charged $12 per a so-called “maintenance fee” by the bank really is absurd and makes you feel like being cheated and taxed by a machine which does not even say thank you. It is hard enough to earn your living receiving an entry-level salary and having to pay for the fuel for the CEO’s private jet.
The first step that should be made in order to avoid unnecessary fees is finding a bank account which is free of any monthly maintenance fee. Chase and Bank of America are notorious for their service fees when the balance goes below certain threshold. In this case, it would be better to look into Capital One 360 and Ally Bank accounts. There will be no monthly fees and some interest rates provided instead.
However, while overdraft protection seems convenient, one needs to understand that it is a high-interest loan of some money to cover the costs of buying a chocolate bar. This feature should be turned off, because if there is no money, let it decline. Yes, it might sound humiliating, but at least this way one will not be charged $35 for some meaningless service fee.
One needs to find a bank which is free of ATM fees, as it can cost much more than expected. For instance, Schwab Bank will refund every fee one may receive for using an ATM at the end of each month. Great! Stop using those bodega ATMs which were installed back in 1998!
Automate your account and arrange a text notification when the balance is low. If you notice any fees taken from the balance, call the bank and ask them to waive it. The bank is always willing to help you.