Living on a Shoestring

MSN Money recently had an interesting article about a woman living on $12,000 a year:

My 2007 "income," the money I can actually count on, will be $12,084. I know this because it consists of alimony and a portion of a school grant. (I went back to college last year; the grant covers tuition and books with a little left over.) I already know my big-ticket annual costs, too: rent of $6,300 and $1,200 for car insurance. Subtract these from my income and I'm left with $382 a month for food, utilities, clothes, medical deductibles and co-pays, gasoline, renter's and life insurance and any help I give my daughter, who lives on even less than I do.

It's a good read to get a few tips about how to save some extra cash, if a little extreme. I think the article shows how important saving the money you do have is, compared to simply making more money. I constantly look for ways to increase my income, but saving a few dollars here and there really adds up quick.