How to Live Within Your Means
Start by creating a budget and sticking to it. Here's how.
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Want to add more newsletters?
Delivered daily
Kiplinger Today
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more delivered daily. Smart money moves start here.
Sent five days a week
Kiplinger A Step Ahead
Get practical help to make better financial decisions in your everyday life, from spending to savings on top deals.
Delivered daily
Kiplinger Closing Bell
Get today's biggest financial and investing headlines delivered to your inbox every day the U.S. stock market is open.
Sent twice a week
Kiplinger Adviser Intel
Financial pros across the country share best practices and fresh tactics to preserve and grow your wealth.
Delivered weekly
Kiplinger Tax Tips
Trim your federal and state tax bills with practical tax-planning and tax-cutting strategies.
Sent twice a week
Kiplinger Retirement Tips
Your twice-a-week guide to planning and enjoying a financially secure and richly rewarding retirement
Sent bimonthly.
Kiplinger Adviser Angle
Insights for advisers, wealth managers and other financial professionals.
Sent twice a week
Kiplinger Investing Weekly
Your twice-a-week roundup of promising stocks, funds, companies and industries you should consider, ones you should avoid, and why.
Sent weekly for six weeks
Kiplinger Invest for Retirement
Your step-by-step six-part series on how to invest for retirement, from devising a successful strategy to exactly which investments to choose.
My 6-year-old daughter was listening this morning as my husband told me about a nearly $600 million school that was built in Los Angeles. He had read about it in the New York Times and was shocked by the cost, in large part, because Los Angeles has serious budget troubles. He then asked my daughter, "Would you buy something if you didn't have the money to pay for it?" She answered no and said she knew that as early as age 2.
Okay, so she exaggerated a little. But we have been trying to teach her the importance of living within our means. It seems like a simple lesson even a child can grasp, yet sometimes adults need a refresher course. So I've pooled several great resources from Kiplinger.com to help you create a budget and avoid spending more then you have.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special Issues
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Get on top of your expenses so you're not living paycheck to paycheck.
Here are the basics of money management to help you take inventory of your finances and set goals.
TOOL: Household Budget Worksheet
Get on top of your monthly living costs by projecting expenditures in various categories, and then comparing those projections to what you actually spend.
Here are eight common problems that plague would-be budgeters.
