I know many couples who have lived from one paycheck to another for the first few years after their marriage. Even I too underwent the same turbulence.
At certain point of time, we started doing overtime but even then, extra earning was not enough. Things became worse when my husband was out of job with an injury and we had packs of credit cards as well as mortgage payment. We had to struggle a lot to meet both ends together but survived.
The most important lesson I learned while living between the paycheck to paycheck cycle was how to pull out of it. I have won my own financial battle and hope, you too can do it.
Go with low-cost housing
The first thing that we felt most important to cut our expenses on was housing. We did not shift to a low-cost house or rent, instead dared to go with an unconventional option. We borrowed a four-year loan worth of $10,000, with specified payment of $226 every month. I know we would have ended up paying more (double or triple) if we would have rented or purchased a house.
Be prepared to sacrifice your comfort and start sniffing for cheap housing. Give a damn care to what others say, it’s your life and you have every right to live it on your own term. When you will have more money, you can go for better housing.
Trim your grocery expenses
Your grocery bill takes up a good portion of your earning. So cut down the expenses. Let’s suppose you are currently spending $300 per month. Reduce the size to $200/month. Use the saving to buy non-perishable necessities when their prices are at their lowest. You have to live a frugal life, I admit but after the month, you will have a good stock of staples.
Find ways to make money
We worked for extra time. If you earn extra, it will benefit you during your hard days. Apart from regular work, I also did content writing and started my own blogs. Initially, I did not earn a lot but after one year, there was a good flow of money. I am not saying that it was raining heavily (in terms of money) and we started living in luxury but yes, it provided us good support.
There are plenty of works that you can do even from your home. Use your creative flair and there are almost unlimited options for you.
Last but not the least, I will ask you to wear a positive attitude. If you are pessimistic, you will always live in misery. Ups and downs are a part of life, we need to overcome it. And we can do it only if we stay positive.