There are lots of financial tips online designed to help you pay for the things you want when you want them, but the reality is you can't afford everything all the time unless you're Elon Musk. You can, however, learn to budget, plan, save, and spend wisely so you can live comfortably and not check to check. If you go to AlloyWealth.com you’ll find Budget, Debt, and Financial Assessment worksheets to download. 

You can’t simply guess how much money you spend each month, you need to track exactly what’s coming in versus what’s going out. These worksheets are designed to give you a clear picture of your current financial situation so you can create an accurate spending plan and begin to save and invest towards your short and long-term goals. 

With each paycheck you’ll want to pay yourself first and put that amount into your savings. The amount you put away each month will be determined by the results of your budget and debt worksheets. Your remaining income should go towards basic monthly expenses and outstanding debt, with a little set aside towards entertainment. If you’re a socially active person who thrives on going out regularly, yet your current income doesn’t support your desired lifestyle, you’ll need to find ways to grow your income. 

The easiest way to increase your monthly income is to turn your hobby into a part-time job. For example, if you love playing pickleball, you can teach others how to play the game. If you don’t have a specific hobby, look around your house, garage, or driveway and think of what you could sell. If you have two cars yet only drive one, sell the other. If you own jewelry that you never wear, sell it. With current gold prices, a medium weight gold chain could be worth close to $4500. You can put that money into a high yield savings account and spend the interest that you earn.