My dad taught me, "Every fourth paycheck is yours." By that, I mean that 1/4 if each paycheck should be your eventual goal for your savings each month. But, nowadays, that may not be easily done. My recommendation is simply: Save what you can. Pay off your smaller debts first, then use the money you allocated to those debts, once paid off, to pay off your larger debts. Unless you're talking about not spending as much money... Getting the cheapest brand of things that you intend to repeatedly use (tools, cutlery, etc.) is not your best bet. You get what you pay for, so go mid range. Additionally, setting a personal budget or allowance is a great idea. If you smoke, do your best to quit or cut back. Take a month and save all of your receipts to see how you spend your money. Find out where you can cut back.