No one likes to cut back, but reducing expenses is a really fast way to have more money left over at the end of every month.

• Look at all the things you're spending money on that you don't really need. Do you eat out frequently? Do you have cable television? How many cars do you own?
• Really take some time and think about what you could do without. Maybe moving to a smaller house or apartment would make sense right now. After all, once you have some emergency money set aside, you can always move back to a bigger place.

What are your current expenses? What can you cut out?

You could do a lot of things to earn extra money.

• Consider asking for a raise. It might seem like a bad time to ask your boss for more money, but good employees are always critical to a company's success. Don't underestimate your value.
• A part-time job is another option and, in some situations, this can be a good plan. Maybe you can find some work to do at home in the evenings.
• Even walking the neighbor's dogs, babysitting, mowing lawns or shoveling snow for your elderly neighbors could bring in some extra income on a regular basis.

How can you increase your income?

Although your current situation may very well be someone else's fault, blaming others isn't helpful. Even if your predicament isn't your fault, solving your financial challenges is still your responsibility. After all, who else is going to fix the situation for you?

• Responsibility isn't about fixating on the past or blaming yourself. Instead, it means taking back control of yourself and your situation. And while you can't have power over every little circumstance that pops up, you can always choose to respond effectively.

Who's fault is it?

Circumstances rarely change without a decision being made first. Commit to having a better financial life, whatever it takes.

• At the end of the day, most people earn what they believe they deserve to earn. Almost undoubtedly, there are many people out there with less intelligence and fewer skills than you who are earning more money than you are. Why is this? Primarily because they believe they deserve to earn more.
• You wouldn't take a job that paid half as much as you're making now, because you believe you deserve to earn more. What if you thought in your heart that you deserved to earn another $25,000 a year? You can be pretty sure that you'd be out there finding a way to get it and you wouldn't stop until you did.

What do you really want for you & your family?