Budgeting for myself is a major key to keep my bills paid & live . Every month I write down what I have to pay for & how much money I have til the next week. I always make sure the bills are paid and I have enough gas money for the week. I don't care about anything else . I have food in the cupboard & fridge from coupons . So when I absolutely can't spend a penny for the week I have a stockpile to live off of . If you have a big family you could consider meal planning too.