If I could stop spending it on random crap , I would . Why can ' t you ? But it really isn ' t that easy to save money when I could just as easily spend it . It ' s exactly that easy . You look at the $ 300 you have left over and say , Should I blow this on random crap , or should I save some or part of it ? If you think blowing it on random crap is more beneficial than saving it for an emergency fund , then that ' s your decision . What ' s a 403 b ? It ' s pretty much a 401 k for teachers . What ' s an IRA ? Individual Retirement Account . How do I save $ 1000 just like that ? Stop spending $ 300 month on random crap and start putting some away in a savings account . How do I go about attacking my credit card debt ? After your $ 1 , 000 Emergency Fund is saved up , continue to refrain from spending $ 300 on random crap , and put it toward your credit card debt .