<prompt> Human: Im a 30 year old single mom with a 9-year old daughter. I have a modest income and I can pay my bills but I need a safety net and I dont know where to begin saving. My paychecks are spent before I get them and I keep falling further and further behind. My daughter is well taken care of but every so often she will make a comment along the lines of, were so poor. Its always an off-hand silly comment but it still kills me. Pardon the sob story but I am so sick of telling her I cant afford her reasonable requests for new clothes or art supplies etc. I just want to be financially stable and I dont have any idea how to obtain it. I work full-time and I do not receive any government benefits. Thank you in advance.  <response>: Do you have a budget? Can you post it here? 