Save money

Why is it when i was earning rm1.8k a month, i could survive, now i'm earning more than double than that amount, i could survive yet with no $$ left over at the end of the moment?

it seemed like the higher i earned, the higher my standards of living became. i used to rent a room, now i rent a house (blame in on the hermit in me), i used to drive a used car, i drive a new car which depreciated to half its value (blame it on me folks who never taught me financial wisdom), i used to be content with 1 desktop that lasted 3 years, now i have 2 desktops and 1 notebook.

all i can do now, is try to save up the odds and ends, while living in the city where the price of everything goes up except my salary (unless i chg jobs)

HOW?

• eat at home. i cook pasta for 2 servings and have 1 for dinner, and the other to be microwaved for breakfast. keyword: cook in bulk :D
• once a week, i cook my dog's meal too. its healthier and dog food dont come cheap
  
• look for alternative toll-free routes to get to work
• freelance online, adsense etc
• sell off my junk that i've not touched for years (monitor, hdd, memory cards)
  
• no more mags, read everything online
• refrain frm buying pirated games cd and dvds. search for alternatives online. (u know what i mean...rrent)
• cancel that gym membership, jog in the park burns the same calories
• schedule and restrict grocery shopping to only fortnightly and after meals

KIAM SIAP hor...but then beggars cant be choosers. how do you scrimp and save?