These days a lot of us need to save money. I figure as an unemployed new college grad, I pretty much wrote the manual on how to get by on next to nothing. First off, rule number one for people short on money: You ready for this? If you don't need it, don't buy it. Say it with me, "If I don't need it, I will not buy it."

Things that fall under the category of Things You Don't Need: Cable. Wii Fit. Time Shares. Anything sold by that yelling guy on TV. Anything for your dog that isn't food, a leash, collar, or chew toy. Anything endorsed by a celebrity. An expensive book telling you how to save money. A nice car. A big TV. Anything sold at the mall.

Actually, it's easier to list the Things You Do Need:

Constant Costs: House payment, rent, savings, whatever. These always happen at specific predictable intervals, and the costs are constant. Make sure you get in the habit of thinking in terms of these costs as gone before you even get your paycheck, if you get one.

What I mean by this is you should think "money I have" = income - constant costs. Clear?

After that, you get to things you really need, but whose costs vary. You can save a lot of money at this step. In this class you'll find utilities (gas, water, and electricity) along with food and health costs.