No matter how much money you make, the first step to saving more money is to create a budget. Budgets are easy to make- all you do is list out your expenses for the month- rent/mortgage, utility bills, insurance, car payment,gas, food- all the essentials- as well as things that you like to spend a little extra on- clothes, makeup, entertainment, video games, etc. It’s important to have fun built into your budget, so you don’t go crazy and splurge without planning! Then, you examine your expenses against your income. Any you have left over will go into your savings. (If you don’t have any left over, you need to go over your expenses and see where you can cut.)
Now, this is all good in theory. However, while I think I’m good at making budgets, I’m definitely not good at sticking to them. I’ll follow it for a month, or maybe two, and then just go back into my old ways of overspending. That’s why I was interested to read this article by Caroline at CarolineVencil.com. She has a lot of great tips on actually staying under your budget! If you have the same problem as me, check it out:
-Cutting down without actually changing your spending patterns will never work.
-Keep your budget high, but try to spend less than you need to.
-For example, if your grocery budget is $500/month for your family of five, but you only end up spending $350, that’s $150 more that can go into your savings…which adds up to $1,800 extra a year!
-Any time you stay UNDER budget on a certain expense, divert the extra to your savings!
When you’re pre-qualified or pre-approved for a certain amount on a mortgage, that doesn’t mean that you should spend that full amount on the actual home price. It’s best to scale down your budget by a few thousand (ask your Realtor how much) to allow some wiggle room. The home cost is not just the value of the home. You’ll need to have money for closing costs, repairs, moving expenses, mortgage insurance, and property taxes, to say the least. Check out this post by 
One of the first things you learn when you move out on your own is how ~expensive~ food can be. If you’re used to dining out a few times a week, and always buying brand name groceries, that first grocery receipt can be quite a shock. Of course, you can always save money by buying cheap staple foods (like rice, pasta, chicken broth, and beans) in bulk, using coupons, and buying store brand. I only have one exception- I only buy brand name American cheese (not store brand “cheese product”), and brand name ravioli- only because of bad experiences I’ve had, haha. That being said, if you are trying to cut back on your food budget a bit, read this post by 
Living paycheck to paycheck is extremely stressful. What if your expenses outweigh your income? What if your check is late? What if your hours are cut? There are so many unknowns you juggle, and that amount of stress can be crushing. Plus, you can end up “up a creek without a paddle” if a vehicular or medical emergency occurs. So, stop doing it! Sure, it’s easier to say than it is to do, but there is a way to get out of the constant struggle. This article by 
Creating a budget is hard enough, but sticking to one can seem impossible at times. Even once you run the numbers, and find out how much you should be spending/saving each month, it takes a huge amount of will power not to spend any extra money on impulse buys. For tips on keeping your good habit and sticking to your budget, check out this post
Becoming financially stable is hard work- especially if you have low income. It can seem impossible to get ahead when you are struggling to make ends meet each month, and living paycheck to paycheck. To stop the vicious spending cycle, check out this post by