Banks make millions off of bank overdraft charges. One or two bank overdraft charges can add up to over a hundred dollars for a purchase as small as a soda or two. Fees make banks a lot of money, and that's why you want to watch it – those suits make enough as it is. There are alternatives to overdraft charges, like payday loans. A payday loan, or a cash advance, is simply an unsecured loan, for a small amount that you pay back quickly, typically your next payday. The financing charge is usually less than what one overdraft charge will cost you. So instead of taking bank overdraft charges on the chin, next time you could look into payday loans.