One of the most common complaints heard from people these hard times is, "How can I survive with such a low salary?"

But having a low salary is not the problem. Budgeting and saving, through proper planning is the key.

Planning where your earnings are spent is not a foolproof guarantee of immediate financial success, but statistics show that unless a household has some kind of a budget plan it is definitely going to fail financially.

There are many ways to cut down household expenses to a minimum and save your payday cash for more important things, or when the proverbial rainy day comes.

However, the first thing to do is make a simple list of income and expenses. Collect and save all receipts for a month, so you get an idea of where your money is going. You want to aim to have enough Payday loan calculator: cash til payday and then some. Set yourself targets each week to see just how much you can keep in your bank account when the following payday arrives.

Another way to do it is to itemize the household spending on a monthly basis and see how much of the family’s salary goes to each item. The list could include housing or rental fees, utilities, food, education, transportation or petrol expense, clothing, health, insurances, taxes, entertainment and leisure, and even personal care.

This exercise will show a comprehensive picture of a household’s expenditures. In turn, it will help the family members make a good budget plan fit for their financial goals and lifestyle.

Also, avoid impulse buying. Buying and acquiring things for the house can get out of control. Unused things will only leave clutter in the house and unnecessary things can wreck the carefully planned household budget. Many stores and big shopping malls use the word "sale" since it automatically attracts customers, especially the so-called bargain hunters. A sale item may sometimes be worth the price it’s selling for but watch out, it may not have been the price the store people say it used to sell for. It is best to anticipate the needs of the household so the special sales, such as clearance or annual sales, can be worked to an advantage. Family members or friends can pool together their purchases to buy wholesale or have the prices and costs reduced significantly.

Another household money saving tip is to pay on time. Return movies from the video shop on time so overdue fees will not pile up. Avoid high payment penalties by paying utility bills on time. Credit cards paid on time don’t incur interest charges. Fees from late payments are always considered unnecessary expenses and it can even be cheaper to get a payday advances where you can’t negotiate an alternative payment plan to avoid high late charges from bills.