Yeah! these are troublesome times.

I lost my job and had very hard time find another job. Moreover I am also working part time at a restaurant for some extra income. I hope I don't have to work this way for very long time!

I am very organized when it comes to my bills. I keep track of all my spending and what I make, right online. It helps to know where the money is going and what is getting paid. I work an extra job, so it really helps alot.

I do not track my income or expenses but I make sure to pay all my bills when they are due. I hate to be late with my credit card payments, and I am trying to make my credit score higher.

I'm so absent minded I have to put all my bills on autopay with my bank, or I'll just forget about them all! I set up an overdraft credit line, so if my checking account ever gets overdrawn, it'll just take out a credit on the credit line automatically, so I don't get overdraft fees, I'd just pay interest on the credit amount. The interest you pay for that happening is no where close to how much overdraft fees are. On the plus side, doing that really helps the credit score because all your bills always get paid on time every month without fail.

it can certainly be tough in these economic times, but i think a key strategy is to keep things (especially expenses) as simple as possible. for example, i bet many people that pay for broadband internet and TV are watching more and more videos via the internet (thanks to things like Youtube and Hulu). really, they could probably just drop the cable or satellite tv bill and just stick with internet.

there are also a lot of little ways you can save money at the grocery store, and those little savings can add up over time...

I am terrible at budgeting No matter how much i try i can never stick to it, and there is always that unexpected something that pops up Good on you to everyon else that can stick to it.

Also if anyone has any good tips ??? Would love to hear them, maybe its not to late for me yet. lol

This was my system for quite a while when I had really low income:

I calculated my total income on a per day basis, so for example I divided my total income per month by 30 days, then I'd add up all of my reoccurring expenses like rent, electricity, phone, etc, and also divide that by 30 days. Then I'd take my per-day income, subtract my per-day expenses, and what was left was my free money that I could spend per day.

A simple example:

Total Income: $1000 per month/30 days = $33 per day
Total Expenses: $500 per month/30 days = $16 per day

$33 - $16 = $17 spendable cash per day.

Anything you don't spend out of your allotted $17 goes into a jar at the end of the day, and the next day you get a fresh $17 to do what you want with. If you want to save up for something that costs more than $17, you know how many days it will take to save up for it, and how many days you have to go without spending anything before you break even again.

That system allowed me to live on $10,000/yr, technically below the poverty level, and always be able to pay my bills.

Thanks for the tips, day by day sounds like a great idea. I think i might just have to give it a try.

I am another that really isnt very good at budgeting maybe as i do a bit to much of this . And many other expensive hobbies. Good Luck to everyone elses budgets working i will just keep plodding along minus the budget

Budgeting is key to financial freedom. Unless you budget in right manner you shall find yourself always in stretched condition. There are loads of articles online that help you budget. So take advantage.

I'm rubbish at budgeting every penny i get is spent on crap ASAP

I don't see the point in budgeting, if I limit my cash output I buy cheaper things that don't work as good as the more costly one.

I think ai m a good shopper. I find all the good deals and I am able to save alot of money that way.

I work an extra job and it helps alot. I have paid all my credit card debt that way, so it is very nice. I try to save and cut back on going out when I need to pay some bills off.

I clip coupons, and I always buy on sale. I like buying from wholesale places also, because they tend to have better prices.