A budget is a very successful tool in conquering debt.  Some of us think that a budget is as simple as looking at your checkbook to determine how much money you have available or not available  to spend for a certain period of time.  In Reality that is not a budget, a  budget  is knowing how much income you will have, how much money you will spend, and how much money, if any, will be left over.  Creating a budget and sticking to it are probably two of the hardest jobs, but will keep us on our toes financially.

I sit down every pay-day and work out how much I got and how much in bills I have to pay and how much I can put into savings. Then I make sure I pay everything THAT day - even if it's only a portion of the amount due, I still pay something every week.

The rest is my 'entertainment' fund - which is usually only enough for one DVD hire per week. It's hard, but it's best for me in the long run as I'm cutting my debts

I watch every cent I spend. I don't have an entertainment fund at all. I have to save money to buy shoes. I barely get my bills paid but I do manage. Otherwise all I do is worry about the next bill and how it will be paid. All I do is budget.