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but you can change the way you eat. Going vegetarian is a healthy way to save MAJOR money; considering that chicken and cattle eat corn, and that the price of corn is skyrocketing, is it any wonder that meat is so expensive? Many of the things you can do to save money are also "green", so you can feel good twice over.

Once you've come up with realistic numbers for your utilities and other needs, then you can start tackling things like entertainment and junk food. But here, once again, you have to be realistic: unless you truly have zero wiggle room, you should budget a little money for fun. It may mean waiting to rent "I am Legend" from NetFlix or Blockbuster instead of seeing it in the movie theater, but there are lots of ways to have lots of fun that are free, or almost free. It's a matter or relying on your own insight into what you want, rather than just going along with what some corporate honcho in LA wants you to want. The point is not to cut out the fun in your life, but to bring it under control - your control.

I strongly recommend doing your shopping with cash. It is physically and psychologically easier to maintain control over your spending if you just use cash. You may look like a fool, carrying $200 to pay for a DVD player, but on the other hand, you most likely won't want to spend the extra $20 for the latest Spiderman DVD after you've bought the player. Being reminded of how light your wallet is (literally) makes it a lot easier to keep some money in it.

And get the rest of your family on board with the plan. It helps a lot to have some goal to save up for (a day at Six Flags). Actually, what you'll find with most kids is that they're not really interested in that new toy (or, if they are, it lasts as long as the ride home). Spending time with your family instead is far more worthwhile than spending (lots of) money. Odds are, they've already intuited that money is an issue, anyway. It's just a question of getting them to work with you. Having a plan doesn't work if it's being undercut (even unintentionally) by the rest of the people in the house.

Learn more about this author, Judy Lin.
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