13 Days on $100.17

Want to know what it's like to check your online bank statement and realize you have $100.17 dollars left and 13 days to make it last...

This was the situation I found myself in during the 2nd semester of my sophomore year in college. The first thing I did was sit down and write out a list of the absolute bare necessity purchases I was going to need to make.

I ended up going to the grocery store and picking up a GIANT sack of potatoes, some lettuce, and carrots. I survived the week, barely. Did you know there are like a million ways to cook a potato?. It took me 6 months before I could eat another one.

A few things to keep in mind when you are extremely strapped for cash:

• Organize yourself, plan to purchase only the bare necessities


• Don't be shy to ask around at the grocery store for deals on overstock food, etc


• Take public transportation when possible (seen gas prices lately?)


• Keep yourself busy doing something you've been meaning to do for awhile (read a favorite book, do some much needed yard work, organize the junk in your attic or basement)


• Celebrate when your next paycheck comes in (cost effectively of course!)


• Learn from your mistake, keep a better eye on your finances and control unnecessary expenses in the future

Also check out this article: Retirement Concerns

Spend Less, Earn More

The single most important thing you can do to build wealth is save money. My first piece of advice is to become aware of how much you spend and what you spend it on. People who know what they spend money on are less likely to thro money around on the latest gadget. While budgeting your money is a great way to cut costs (if you actually stick to your budget), I first recommend writing down your expenses (http://www.buxfer.com/).

The key to building wealth is not spending more than you make. Without cash in the bank you have no chance to invest and grow you money, and no buffer in case of an unexpected expense.