It's easy to use a debit card to pay for just about anything, but that can also make it difficult to keep track of how much you’re spending. A lot of banks offer overdraft protection programs, which sometimes come with hefty fees. Now comes new regulations that are aimed at these programs.

Grant Triplett enjoys morning walks with his dog Penguin, but back in October, his mornings were anything but carefree. Grant found himself learning a tough lesson on finances. "I got 14 overdraft charges in a period of four to five days."

Grant made several purchases using his debit card, each under $15. But tack on a $37.50 fee and it adds up. He went to Subway and ordered a $5 foot-long, which ended up costing him more than $40.

That wasn't the only fee Grant was charged. He was enrolled in a bank overdraft protection program that was charging him $8 a day, every day he had a negative balance. Currently, banks are allowed to automatically enroll you in overdraft coverage, but that's about to change.

New federal regulations starting this summer will require banks to get your permission before signing you up. Those regulations will apply to new accounts as of July 1st and existing accounts as of August 15th.

Grant’s lesson on overdrafts was an expensive one. "I had 14 at $37.50, it's around $500." After Six On Your Side contacted Grant's bank, it did agree to reimburse him almost $300 because those transactions fell on a holiday weekend and his balance wasn't up-to-date.

Consumer Reports says some banks are pushing hard to keep consumers enrolled in these programs, sending out brochures warning consumers their debit cards may not work the same way or they may lose flexibility without them. Keep in mind banks made almost $20 billion in overdraft fees last year alone.