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Give yourself a savings goal, something to strive for instead of spending money. Try to live in a lower-cost area or city. Cut down on addictive and needless habits like smoking, coffee, and sweets. Use credit cards very sparingly, making sure you can pay off in full each month. Take cash out from the bank, separating it into envelopes for each expense if you struggle to budget. Ensure you have 3-6 months living expenses saved at all times.
Why are you living on $20,000 or less, and how do you want to change things? Maybe you want to go on vacation, buy a car, move to a new city, save for school, etc. If you have a tangible reason to save money, it will be much easier not to blow it on a new video game. Give yourself an exciting financial goal and saving will be much more doable no matter what your budget is. Living off of $20,000 a year or less is very hard in NYC or San Francisco, though not impossible. Your dollars go a lot further in smaller towns, rural areas, and inland cities. While your salary or income might not be changing, you can change its relative value by moving to a city where everything costs less. Search online for "Cost of Living Comparisons," which provide up-to-date information on prices across the country. Aim for rent to be no higher than $600, and much less when possible. This is a good financial cap for a $20,000 a year job. Spending just $3 on coffee every day quickly adds up to $90 a month, or at least 5% of your total yearly income. Cigarettes will get even more expensive. At the end of the day, saving money and budgeting requires sacrifices -- you should find a way to cut out these needless expenses. Even cutting these habits in half can make a big difference and is a great starting point. Find alternative, cheaper habits whenever possible. Whenever you get an urge (smoking), fill in your new habit (taking a walk around the block) as a replacement. Credit cards aren't free-- they come with interest rates that will gouge your paycheck if you let them run rampant. Managing your money wisely means using your credit cards wisely-- as extensions of your well-planned budget. Some things to remember: Know your rates and how they can change. If confused, call your bank and make sure you understand your terms and interest. Pay more than the monthly minimum whenever possible, as this decreases later interest payments. Stay within 30-40% of your credit card limit. You never want to be reaching your limit, as the interest will become exponentially worse. Staying at our below 20% is a good benchmark for cautious spenders. A debit card can be dangerous -- you keep spending without seeing the money leave. If you struggle to hit a budget, take all the expense money out at the beginning of the month and put it into envelopes -- food, gas, rent, utilities, fun, etc. This ensures you only spend the money where it was meant to be spent. Many financial advisers even suggest going further, saving for at least 9-12 months, but 3 is the bare minimum. You need to be financially prepared in case of emergencies. Remember, also, that this money should only be spent in emergencies. Multiply your monthly essential & fixed expenses by 3 or 6 months to get a good number for savings.