by Susan Klatz Beal

Created on: March 25, 2010   Last Updated: April 26, 2010

The very unfortunate reality that more and more people are having to live on a low income. Unemployment, increasingly lower wages and a host of other factors are contributing to this. For those who are having to alter their lifestyle to live on a lower income, the adjustment may be hard. For those for whom it is the everyday reality, it never hurts to be well informed of ways to make the most of the situation.

For most people, it is necessary to LEARN how to live on a low income. It can be hard to adjust to a live without luxuries and one in which it becomes necessary to pay attention to every cent that is spent.

Here are some suggestions that can help you learn to live on a low income.

*Create a budget -

The budget is essential for everyone, but for people who are forced to live on a low income, it is even more important. When you are limited in your financial resources, you have to be mindful of exactly what you owe, what you can spend and how you can save money, or ways by which you can cut your expenses.

*Prioritize -

When you are living on a low income, you have to make sacrifices. One way to do that is to prioritize. You can't have or do everything, so you choose what you'd rather do. You can't go to a movie and eat out too. You may not be able to have the deluxe cable or satellite package and still afford to have Internet service. You probably won't be able to afford a cell phone with all of the high end services, so you will have to go with the basic cell phone, if you have one at all.

*Take advantage of available resources -

Just because you are living on a low income, that doesn't mean that you have to make sacrifices that force you to do without things when there are ways by which you can make use of resources in your town. Go to the library and use the library as a resource for movies, books and magazines. Consider going to the community recreation center to use their facilities for exercise. If you live in a town that has a community orchestra, attend free concerts.

*Grow your own vegetables -

Cut down on the cost of food by growing your own vegetables. Even if you are stuck in an apartment, as long as you have a small amount of outdoor space, you can still grow vegetables in containers. By growing your own vegetables, you can potentially save yourself thousands of dollars on your yearly food bill. Learn to freeze, can and preserve the surplus and you'll be able to keep yourself in food all winter as well. You can make pasta sauce that you can can as

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