Most people look forward to payday. But some paydays can feel like time is moving in slow motion, especially if you are short on funds, have an unexpected financial surprise, or simply because of rising costs from food to gas to rent. Here are some ideas that could help you manage costs while waiting for your payday.

Prioritize the Essentials

What are the most important things you need to live each day? Food, water, and shelter, right? For a lot of people, prioritizing essentials looks like paying rent, creating a grocery budget, and making sure they can keep their utilities on. Must-haves can extend to gas and other transportation costs to be able to get to work. Keep these basic needs at the top of your spending list while waiting for your next paycheck.

Keep Non-Urgent Items Off the List

If you don’t need it, then just don’t buy it. At least, not until after payday. It’s always a good idea to know how much you can spend on fun stuff like going out to eat, seeing a movie, shopping for non-essentials, and other forms of entertainment. Even if it isn’t a “fun” item, but you can live without it for a while, it’s better to wait. You don’t have to banish joy-filled purchases from your life forever; you just need to delay them until your budget and finances are in sync.

Search for the Savings

Are there money-saving opportunities sitting just under your nose? Take a look at your monthly bills and account transactions. Maybe there’s a debit for a streaming subscription that hardly anyone uses, transactions for a service you forgot to cancel, or other purchases you can pause for a month or two so you can save up for things you really want. Even going through your regular grocery items to find less expensive options or cutting items out altogether can help close the gap until payday.

Get to Know Your Service Providers

If it looks like money is going to be very tight, reach out to your service providers to chat about your financial situation. They may have options that will work for you and them. You can discuss if they’re willing to give you a payment extension on your bill or create a payment arrangement so you can have more time to work with the finances you have right now. It’s better to reach out to them and keep them in the know than to just not make your payments.

You Can Get Back on Track

Financial hurdles can make you feel down in the dumps about your money situation, but remember, payday is on its way. This is a temporary money hiccup that is quite common. So set your eyes and your wallet on realistic actions that can help you avoid issues like this in the future.