It is often extremely difficult and challenging to live from paycheck to paycheck. One might wonder what this entails and means, but a simple explanation for this could be that you only have enough money for that particular week or month, that you get through your paycheck and do not have any residual money, including savings or any type of disposable income to take you through the rest of the weeks.

What is the problem with living from paycheck to paycheck? 

One of the biggest issues with living from paycheck to paycheck is how you do not have any emergency savings of your own. In a scenario where you lose your job, or where you are physically incapacitated, sick or unable to attend to your profession, you have no savings or money to fall back on. This forms an extremely dangerous situation where you have no safety net ready. The importance of having an emergency fund or a savings fund cannot be overstated.

However it is not challenging to stop living from paycheck to paycheck, and it is completely possible to educate oneself on how to stop living paycheck to paycheck.

What are some strategies one can adopt to stop living from paycheck to paycheck? 

• Setting a budget: one of the most important things to ensure that you save your income is knowing whether your income is going. Without having a grasp on your expenses, it is hard to control them. It is therefore extremely important for anybody who is looking to save money to have a properly set out budget which not only includes expenses but also provides detailed information on where the money is being spent and how one can control it. In a way, your budget is your bird’s eye view of your overall spending patterns. 
• Cut down on non-essential expenditure: we all have things that we wish to buy that we really do not need. In a scenario where one is living from paycheck to paycheck, it might be best to avoid such non-essential expenses and ensure that the money is going to expenses which are critical and which are required. 
• Stay prepared for the unexpected: A lot of times what happens is, we do not realise that they may be expenses which spring out of nowhere, and we do not make room in our budget for such unexpected expenses. It is important to ensure that you stay prepared for such unexpected expenses, and leave room for such expenses within your budgets. 

How to save with limited income 

Those who are living with an extremely limited income may find it challenging to save money or maintain an emergency fund. However, saving is extremely important as it is the factor that can change whether one lives from paycheck to paycheck or lives with financial security. Savings with limited income can be achieved by ensuring that a proper budget is prepared, sticking to the budget, and eliminating of unnecessary and superfluous expenses. With these steps, it is unlikely to be difficult to save even with a limited income.