<prompt> Human: this may be a post for frugal, but i like the way folks on PF approach things its not always about pinching every penny... theres value in living life too. quick backstory: im 28 years old and have a pretty solid income of 120kyear. i live in NYC area and am constantly finding myself coming up short at the end of each paycheck. case in point, today i have 15 in my checking account and dont get paid until tomorrow. so my question is, how do other folks in high rentcost of living areas keep expenses relatively low? my rent is pretty much on par with other comparable apartments in the area, so i dont think theres an opportunity to save there i live with my so who is in grad school, so im covering rent until she graduates and can contribute. what other areas can i save? here is a picture of my finances in case it is helpful to see my spend buckets: curious to hear from others in similar situations...  <response>: So youre making 120Kyear and actually spending 3Kmonth I added 600 for food. You shouldnt be struggling at all. 