How to Live Within Your Means

Start by creating a budget and sticking to it. Here's how.

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.

Subscribe to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance

Be a smarter, better informed investor.

Save up to 74%
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hwgJ7osrMtUWhk5koeVme7-200-80.png

Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-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.

Sign up

To continue reading this article
please register for free

This is different from signing in to your print subscription


Why am I seeing this? Find out more here

Cameron Huddleston
Former Online Editor, Kiplinger.com

Award-winning journalist, speaker, family finance expert, and author of Mom and Dad, We Need to Talk.

Cameron Huddleston wrote the daily "Kip Tips" column for Kiplinger.com. She joined Kiplinger in 2001 after graduating from American University with an MA in economic journalism.