In today’s economic climate it is getting harder and harder to ‘live within your means’…or in other words to live day to day without going into debt. The rocketing price of food, petrol, utility bills and interest rates has meant that most of us turn to some form of credit before the end of the month. But is it really necessary? Can we find alternative ways of living within our means? Experts say that the way to do it is to earn more or spend less and while this is a very obvious statement it is also a good place to start.

Ways to Earn More
There are plenty of ways to earn a bit of extra cash if you put your mind to it. For example selling unwanted stuff on eBay or at a car boot sale can always generate a few extra pounds in the months that you’re really close to the line and in fact thousands of people make a very good second income from selling on eBay. If you can find a niche that is popular but not too expensive for buyers you can easily make enough per month to avoid using your credit cards.

For a more permanent solution you can use the skills you have to your advantage. Everyone is good at something so you just need to use that to make money. For example, if you like knitting or jewellery making or another type of craft then you can sell your products at car boot sales or on the internet. There are plenty of craft sites that accept adverts and of course you can always open an eBay store. Alternatively, you can look for a part time job that you’re going to enjoy doing. This isn’t as easy to do but you never know until you try.

Ways to Spend Less
Again, there are plenty of ways to spend less throughout the month but you have to be committed to succeed. For the best food deals you can use comparison websites like mysupermarket.co.uk. This site allows you to compare the prices of the things you want at the top supermarkets so you can see where they’re cheapest. It may take longer to visit two or three supermarkets instead of one but you can save tens of pounds over the month.

Clothes can be bought from places like TKMaxx or the large outlet stores. These types of shops sell brand and designer names at discounted prices so you still get the fashion but you save money in the process. Alternatively you can shop around the charity shops in your area. Here you can often find some great bargains in the clothing department plus household items, books and even kids toys.

Utility bills are a bit harder to save on in the short term however long term you can easily save money. Try to limit your boiler usage to a set number of hours a day and if you’re cold in between then wear a jumper or wrap up in a duvet. Alternatively turn your boiler thermostat down by a degree or two – you probably won’t notice the difference but it will knock pounds off your fuel bill. You can also swap your regular light bulbs for energy saving bulbs. These bulbs are really quite cheap and they can start to save you money quickly – as does turning off the lights when not in use.

Obviously these are just a few of the ways that can help you to live within your means and when used in conjunction with each other they can save you a good chunk of cash each month…and that is the aim of the game at the end of the day.