From hardship to safety net We have to spend smarter and make sure that we are living within our own means. It dawned on me some time ago, when I had a huge annual deficit and had accumulated significant debit due to the country’s economic recession. On that occasion I saw my earnings shrink as the prices (of everything) skyrocket. In part I was guilty of my hardship because I insisted in maintaining my spending like nothing was happening. I putted me in an unsustainable situation, with not only accumulated debt, but without no perspective to rise my earnings. I faced a critical time, when I had to make some decisions on how could I bring down the debt in the short term, and how could I bring down de debt over the long term. To cut a long story short, I cutted my expenditures in $$$$ over next twelve months, believing that through this reduction in spending I could balance my financial life. I was aware that, like almost every other people, I was wasting. I realized that there were things that I would like to do, that are fun to do, but I just could not afford them those days. These cuts I made adjusted my spendings to my earnings, balanced my budget and provided me some relieve. Maybe it's time to think about new sources of income and investments, or, at least, on making a financial safety net.