
A new Careerbuilder survey shows that
47 percent of Americans live paycheck to paycheck; those results are right in line
with the 49 percent of you who admitted you're living in anticipation of your next check.
Perhaps more surprising is the discovery that 21 percent of those making $100,000 or more annually are also living paycheck to paycheck. Here are some other interesting findings from the study.
- 25 percent of workers never save any of their paychecks.
- 34 percent of those who do save put away less than $100 a month and 18 percent save $50 or less.
- One third of workers don't contribute to retirement savings.
Forty-two percent of workers surveyed said they would need up to $500 more per paycheck to live comfortably; how much extra would you need per paycheck?
Source

I'll get this off my chest:
Expedia is offering up to 50 percent off on minimum four-night stays at more than 125 hotels. You must book by Sept. 2 for travel by Sept.

When I was a fresh college graduate earning my first real paychecks, I quickly saw how living in a city like San Francisco isn't made for entry-level salaries. Exploring the city and all of its nighttime gems were certainly priorities, but the biggest priority was to keep myself out of debt while not depriving myself of enjoying my new surroundings.
I struck a balance by forming the valuable habit of paying all of my bills on pay day. That practice, coupled with automatic 401(k) savings and automatic transfers to a high-interest savings account, can allow for a relatively low-stress financial life.

The Farhat family
relied on nine credit cards, until Good Morning America challenged them to go credit card-free for one month in a test to find out if cash-only spending means spending less overall. They snipped eight of their nine cards to pieces and
kept one card in their freezer in case of emergencies.
The family's 30-day challenge has come to an end, and
the 24 percent savings they achieved compared to the month before is enough for them to consider permanently switching to cash.