Do you ever feel like you have more month than money? That sinking feeling in you gut that your paycheck is not enough to cover your monthly expenses. Being financially successful boils down to one simple equation -- Income minus Expenses equals Lifestyle. If the "Lifestyle" number is negative you probably have a lot of financial stress in your life, which not only affects you, but your family and possibly your work. Who wants a dark cloud hanging over them every time you sit down to pay the bills? So let's attack this simple, yet sometimes scary, equation to figure out how to turn your "negative" lifestyle into a "positive and sunny" lifestyle that many will envy.

I have always heard from the "financial gurus" that reducing expenses seems like the easiest solution. But is it really the "best" way for me or for you? Ok, so let's eliminate those fun work lunches out, cut back on our beloved Starbucks latte treat, cancel the cable...good bye (ESPN Sports Center or romantic comedies & Matthew McConaughey), and tell your kids "sorry, we can't buy that cool toy. Mommy and Daddy don't have any money. But wait -- is this really improving my lifestyle or am I taking away the things I enjoy most? Sure the "lifestyle" number at the end of the equation finally turns positive, but at what cost?

Sometimes I felt like throwing the book at these financial gurus that keep telling you to eliminate all the pleasures of life. Every sentence starts with the words cut this and eliminate that. If I cut and eliminated everything they recommended, I would be living in a cave, growing my own food, sewing my own clothes -- well you get the idea.

Hey guess what! Everyone with a large positive lifestyle number on the right side of the equation enjoys life to the fullest. They don't cut back on the things they love. What they do is increase their income -- the other component in the equation! Don't cringe if you are already working overtime or you feel like you don't have enough hours in a day to dedicate toward your loved ones -- just keep reading.

When I narrow it down, there are four main ways to increase your income if you are pretty much tapped out at your job. First, you can try getting more overtime, but with the economy slowing down most companies will not approve overtime or worse yet, you are exempt from overtime which means it doesn't matter how many extra hours you work, you get paid the same. When you are on salary, somehow you always get picked for that special,

time-consuming project -- don't you just hate that. Well, that was exactly where I was at.

Next, you can get a second job. There are two problems with a second job. They are basically part-time so they pay is very low. Also, talk about not having any time for your family and you still need to sleep and eat. A second job will not only sap your time, but also your energy to give.

Third, you can make more money by investing. Unfortunately, this is tough to do given our current investment climate. It either takes more money and who has an extra $10,000 or so lying around the house or your need to improve your return. Since the market is yo-yoing up and down who really knows how to win at the investment game. Have you ever lost money on an investment? I certainly have. Ask any seasoned investor, it's very tough to make enough money investing to where you can comfortable extract money to expand your lifestyle.

The last vehicle to generate more money is to own your own business. Hold on -- that's a pretty scary thought. Yes, it's true that many believe starting your own business requires money ("Big Bucks"), time (the one thing I don't have), knowledge (I don't know any sales tips), and risk (I'm already tapped out. I can't risk anymore).

But not all businesses require a large amount of capital or a lot of time to be dedicated. I have found that a home-based online business can solve the problem of not enough money to last out the month. Find yourself a top notch home-based online business and turn your lifestyle positive!