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A payday loan is usually an expensive loan, and is often difficult to pay off. Payday loans should be considered emergency loans only, as you get instant access to a limited amount of cash. But its much better for you to avoid the need for this type of loan in the first place. You can do a number of things which will help you to avoid the need for this kind of loan.

First, its a good idea to honestly review your spending habits. How do they compare to your income? Do you spend more than you make? Do you spend almost everything you make? Are you able to save any money? Even if you have high limits on your credit cards, you dont want to spend more money than you are earning.

Next, evaluate your purchases themselves. Do you go out to lunch everyday at work? Bringing your own lunch can save you a lot of money over the course of a year. Simply, if you buy lunch for $5/day and work 22 days/month, youre spending $110 a month. You bring a homemade sandwich, salad, and piece of fruit everyday for a very small fraction of that cost.

Are you an impulse shopper? Do you often find yourself buying yourself a treat, or just picking up something because it strikes your fancy? Keep track of these expenses, youll probably be shocked by how much money youre throwing away. Try to only buy what youve planned on purchasing before entering the store. If you still want the item later on, look at your finances and plan to allocate some money towards that purchase.

If you find yourself in a position of needing cash immediately, look at your unused or unwanted possessions. Consider having a garage sale. Or if you have items of some value, you may want to bring them to the local consignment shop or sell them on eBay. Youll generally get more money for your items in a consignment shop or on eBay than you will at a garage sale, but the garage sale can bring in more cash overall as youre likely to sell more items. Selling stuff has the added advantage of freeing up some space in your home.

Consider using coupons. Restaurants and businesses often send coupons through the mail. Look through the value pack and your Sunday newspaper. Clip coupons for groceries. You can also find coupons for everything from plumbing repair, to haircuts, to half off dinner at a local restaurant. Dont feel embarrassed to use these coupons. It doesnt mean youre cheap or poor, it means youre a smart consumer. Why pay more for the same item?

Look at the services you pay for in your home. Do you really need the super platinum plus cable package? Or can you live with the basic package? Do you really need unlimited calls and text messages, or can you live with a more basic cel phone plan?

You also want to avoid the I deserve it trap. You deserve to live a life free of debt collectors hounding you. Just because a television commercial tells you that you need to have the latest, greatest, newest (insert product here) doesnt mean you really do. If your cel phone is still working, why do you need to get a new one? Often, you can get a free phone when re-upping your contract with the cellular service provider.

One of the areas people tend to cut out when theyre looking to cut costs is basic maintenance. But that can be more expensive in the long run. Dont skip out on oil changes for your car, or dental cleaning for yourself. These things can keep you from having more expensive repair work done later on.

A fun experiment to try is to promise yourself to buy only staples for a month. By doing this, youll be able to see how much money you throw away on frivolous things. You may feel a little deprived at first, but after a short time, you will be able to weed out what you really want from want you think you need.

One of the more important habits you can get into is to pay yourself first. If you have a regular job, you can probably set up direct deposit at work. This means your check is deposited automatically into your checking account. What many people dont realize is you can often set up two or three direct deposit accounts. Set up a savings account at the same bank where you have your checking account. Then ask your Human Resources person how to go about having whatever amount of money you can, even if its as little as $10 a week, into the savings account. You wont even notice a difference in your paycheck, but over time, the money in that savings account will grow. Its a good idea to have between 3 and 6 months salary saved up in case of emergency.

Finally, the best thing you can do is to be a smart consumer. If you really want to have something, save up for it, or buy it if you have the cash. If you cant afford something, save up for it. Dont go into debt for the sake of a new big screen plasma TV or this years hot phone. Your financial health is more important. Developing good savings habits, and being smart about your spending will prevent you from needing to get a costly payday loan.