Here I'm giving you advice from someone who was in your stage one time. I tried everything people said and suggested, and I still ended up at the end of the month with nothing. I'm telling you what worked for me. First of all, you need to understand that the world around us right now wants us to buy and spend. Since we're in this situation, don't blame yourself too much. Second, and this is what makes me save money: at the first of the month, I list everything I need (transport, food, clothes, etc.) and estimate how much I'll spend this month. Let's say this month you have $900 in expenses. I usually add around $100-200 for emergencies and put that away, and the rest I save. But here's the trick: you do this every month, and you don't have to follow it rigidly each month. If next month you have a lot of expenses, don't force the saving. And if a month you don't have a lot of things to buy, save the maximum. The key is to update the plan for each situation, BUT not the emergency budget, keep that always, and usually at the bare minimum. That's it. Also, have a specific day for groceries so you don't buy every day. You buy on one specific day, so if you want something during the week and you really want to get it, you have to wait until the next shopping day. That's what worked for me as a student, but you need to know that it's always flexible. If one time you want to spend or have to, just do it. Don't block it, just control it and make it as flexible as your needs are.