Can You Save At Least $100 A Month?

If you can't, you might be living beyond your means. Want to know how to live beneath your means and still be comfortable?

Almost everyone knows what it means to live beyond their means, but unfortunately the majority of people in the United States do live beyond their means each and every day and so, typically have more debt than they do assets. The best thing that you can do for your financial situation whether you are first starting out or in the middle of a debt crisis is to live as far under your means as you can live comfortably.

This means making sure that you have a decent amount of money left over after you pay your bills every month. If you can, try to stay with a relative rent free (parents are a good option, if you're just out of high school) so you can get on your feet financially before going out into the world on your own.

The key is to not live at such a level that you are spending almost all of your check every week. I know this sounds easier than it actually is, but most people spend a lot more money on things they do not really need than they realize. Once they understand that they do not need to go to Starbucks every day ($3 a day can cost you $90 a month!) or that their World of Warcraft subscription can be simply suspended for a few months if they do not have time to play (and you won't lose your characters, I promise!), they will be much more likely to do away with these expenses until they are sure they can afford them.

Try to dine out less than you normally do and learn that your freezer is your friend when it comes to saving money on groceries. If it is left over after a meal and you won't eat it in the next couple of days, freeze it! Learn the glory of plastic storage bags and you will save much. Want to keep your chips from going stale? Take them out of their original package and put them in a plastic storage bag instead. Your snack foods will stay fresh much longer than they would in their original packages, if the original packaging has no way for you to reseal it.

Save electricity by turning off the lights when you're not using them. Save water by making sure you use as little as possible, like taking showers instead of baths.

Nobody wants to have to be a penny pincher, but let's face it: rich people did not get that way by living expensive lifestyles.

About the author: Dror Klar is a writer in the field of finances and is currently assisting those in need of cash advances and payday loans, particularly in the state of California.