We have heard the old advice of your grandparents.
Cut down expenses.
Avoid debt.
Save money.
Invest the money.
Retire and enjoy life.
It seems like a clear cut formula for success.
Isn't it? It is.
But the difficult part is really execution.
In fact, there are many personal finance and investing sites that tells preaches this.
I can tell you.
It's not easy as writing it down.
You can do a lot post-it notes on every corners of your room reminding you to save and invest your money in the long run.
It won't happen unless you start doing it.
But the main problem is our expenses.
Expenses are fixed.
We can't really do anything about it.
Telephone expenses are fixed.
Cable television is fixed.
The monthly mortgage can't be skipped.
I must be crazy if I would advise you to cut them down.
Yes, these expenses are fixed.
And there's little we can do it about it.
Here are ways on how we can save money even though there's no room for it:

1. Question expenses.
   Do I really need this? Do I need an expensive maintenance car? How about monthly cable television? When we were young, these things are even optional.
   We don't have a car.
   We don't have cable television.
   We don't have phone bills.
   It seems that growing old means increasing our expenses.
   A good suggestion is to list down you monthly bills and found out which of them can be optional.
   You'd be surprised that most of these expenses are optional.
   
2. Find a gig.
   Ok, not everyone would agree with me to cut down expenses.
   Instead of finding things to reduce, look for ways to earn.
   You can go to your closet and find the clothes that you no longer use.
   Are there any books or shoes that need to be disposed? There are people who would buy these stuffs.
   The effect is clutter free room and fat wallet.
   Also there are different gigs online.
   There are good outsourcing sites that give you earnings on the side.
   I have been earning steadily from these sites and used the earnings to pay my monthly bills.
   
3. Start small.
   Again you have to review the little expenses.
   It could be going to a cheaper diner for breakfast.
   It could be commuting (or telecommuting if your employer agrees with it) rather than brining your car.
   Look at the small expenses.
   If you skip one of them, it could probably bring you savings on a longer term.
   
4. Miscellaneous one-time winnings or gains.
   Once in a while you will get bonuses from your employer.
   Or maybe you have won some lottery.
   These are one-time winnings that can be deposited into your savings account.
   Since you don't expect these, these are not included in your budget.
   
5. Automate your savings.
   If you have a bank that does this, please do this.
   The good thing about automation is that it doesn't require you to think.
   You don't need to think as everything is done for you.
   

When you start doing this, there are possibilities that you will develop savings habit.
The good thing is that you'll notice an increase in your bank account without really putting so much effort on it.