Tired of being broke — how do I break the cycle of financial struggle? The step-by-step guide to escaping the paycheck-to-paycheck trap

Create a budget — and stick to it

Budgeting may not be the most exciting activity you'll do in your lifetime, but it could be one of the more valuable ones.

A budget can help you track your monthly expenses and see exactly where your money goes on a regular basis. That could, in turn, help you identify expenses you can cut to build some savings and stop counting down the days to that next paycheck.

A 2019 CFP Board survey found that 40% of Americans have never had a budget and 59% are not tracking their spending.

If you’re new to budgeting, one easy way to go about it is to sign up for a budgeting app. YNAB (You Need a Budget) or PocketGuard are a couple of options to check out. If you're part of a couple, consider Honeydue.

You can also go old school and write down your budget on paper, or create a spreadsheet on your laptop. It doesn’t matter how you budget as long as you find a method that works for you and that you can commit to updating.

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Build an emergency fund

The Federal Reserve's most recent findings highlight an alarming trend in the context of savings: A good 37% of U.S. adults don't have the cash reserves to cover an unplanned $400 expense.

If you’re in a similar situation, you should know that the only way to break the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle is to build up some savings. That way, you won’t necessarily be reliant on your upcoming paycheck to cover your near-term bills.

Once you get yourself onto a budget, you can identify costs to potentially cut back on such as subscriptions you don’t need or streaming services you don’t use. But unless you’re willing to make more drastic changes, like downsizing your home or giving up a car, your emergency fund (which should, ideally, cover three to six months of living expenses) may be slow going.

So instead of just relying on reduced spending to build savings, consider getting a side hustle. Side Hustle Nation says that 39% of working Americans report having a side hustle. Among millennials, that figure rises to 50%.

Eliminate your debt

It’s hard to stop living paycheck to paycheck when you have debt hanging over your head, monopolizing your income. The average U.S. household with credit card debt has a balance of around $6,065, reports the Federal Reserve. But if you have a similar level of debt, you may be throwing money away on interest regularly.

Once you’re able to reduce your spending and boost your income with a side job, work on paying down debt after completing your emergency fund or getting it to a good place. One option is to tackle your credit card balance with the highest interest rate first — known as the avalanche method — and then work your way down.

You could also look at consolidating your credit card debt into a personal loan, which could mean paying less interest. Or, consider a balance transfer to a 0% introductory rate credit card if you qualify for a good offer and the fees aren’t too high.

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Start planning for a secure future

A 2020 report by the National Institute on Retirement Security found that 40% of older Americans have only Social Security for retirement income. But if you think it stinks to live paycheck to paycheck during your working years, imagine having to live Social Security check to Social Security check when you’re much older.

To avoid that fate, start planning for a more secure future once your near-term finances get to a better place — meaning, you have a fully loaded emergency fund and your debt (other than long-term debt, like a mortgage) is whittled down. You can begin by allocating a small amount of money to an employer 401(k) or IRA.

If you’re going to do the IRA, you may want to choose one that allows for automatic transfers (which many do). That way, you can set up a recurring monthly contribution to your retirement account without having to worry about moving funds over on a regular basis.

With this combination of strategies, and a willingness to make some changes, you should be on your way to break out of the paycheck-to-paycheck trap.