OK. So as you know, in general the answer is spend less, earn more or a combination of both! There may be some areas of your finances you can look at specifically, but without knowing the full details of your financial situation let me give you a few easy tips that might help.

Reality check your lifestyle

One thing that tends to happen when our income goes up is our spending goes up with it. So while you say you now rarely go out and buy things, I would suggest that there might be a chance that there is still wiggle room in your budget – you may just be used to the old lifestyle and potentially ‘wants’ have maybe become ‘needs’.

Take a close look at your budget and add up how much you spend on dining out, takeaways, clothes, TV subscriptions, or gym memberships, and be really honest with yourself about the must-haves vs the nice-to-haves. Read some more of my lifestyle on a budget tips here.

If you want to get in the clear financially, lifestyle changes are necessary. (Image: iStock)

Ditch the plastic

When it comes to debt, the first thing you need to do is stop the bleeding – which means you need to get used to not using your credit card. The rule is: if it has to go on the credit card, you can’t afford it! Then you can focus on cutting your spending down further to make room to save.

Research your rate