Well, there are ONLY two directions you can work on when dealing with lack v. surplus.
Income and Outgo.
You know "bathtub economics" theory? Two things to work with. The filler and the drain. If you want a full bathtub (i.e., money in the bank, etc.) you can EITHER:
Have more coming in (turn on the water -- increase income) OR
Less going out (close the drain -- reduce spending) OR
BOTH . . . but doing neither will get you nothing.
Might have heard some variation of this?
(From Charles Dickens, "David Copperfield)
Wilkins Micawber - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
the Micawber Principle, based upon his observation:
"Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen pounds nineteen and six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds nought and six, result misery."
It really is [y]our choice.