It's difficult not to focus solely on making ends meet when your money seems to evaporate every month. Most people feel they are doing well if they pay their bills on time and steer clear of the overdraft.

But if you are genuinely living from month to month, you are in a financially precarious position that calls for a serious change in strategy. One Family Money reader Ms H has asked for money management tips to protect against running out of money altogether.

She says she earns a reasonable salary and is able to deal with the usual outgoings but finds that unexpected expenses like car trouble and dental treatment ruin everything and set her back for months.

Financial advisers generally recommend that everyone should have an emergency fund of at least three months' living expenses in an account that's easy to access. This money will literally save you if you are unable to earn due to illness or some other life crisis.

Ideally the self-employed should have even more money put aside, as it may take them longer to get back on track. It's essential to have the safety net in place before you embark on investing.

The money you set aside is not only to protect against life's disasters but could also help you in the event of a major life opportunity.

If the idea of saving that amount of money seems an impossible task it's time to conduct your own financial review and take a long hard look at your spending habits.

You have to start by paying off loans, and of course credit card debt causes the most damage. Going for the minimum payment option is all very well if you are also clearing what you owe regularly. But if you were relying on minimum payments alone it would take four years to bring a debt of £1,000 down to £175 at an APR of 17 per cent.

So reduce that debt as quickly as possible by as much as you can afford and in the meantime leave the card at home. Even though it's boring, you need to introduce reality into your finances by setting out a budget. When you see on paper what you can actually afford to spend on a daily or weekly basis then it's time to get ruthless and see where the cuts will have to come.

Different people have different weaknesses when it comes to wasteful spending. If buying clothes is your drug then you could set yourself a rule that you cannot buy any more items until everything in your wardrobe is paid for.

The same rule can be applied to home-decorating addicts, CD junkies or serial restaurant-goers.

Have a look at your direct debits, there might be something in there that you really don't need. Many people sign up for gym membership and then never darken the door of the club again. There are other ways to get fit that don't cost anything.

Household bills can be reduced considerably with energy-efficient practices and also by switching to other providers, particularly in the telecoms market where there's lots of competition.

If you do expect to spend money regularly on visits to the dentist or GP or health therapies you could save a lot of money by paying a small weekly premium to the Hospital Saturday Fund or HSA Healthcare and claiming the costs. Unlike BUPA and VHI, the cover offered by these cash plans has no excess.

One of the biggest expenses of the year is a holiday so do yourself a favour, don't make yourself miserable for 50 weeks for the sake of two weeks in paradise.

Do your homework before you make any big purchase. There are co-buying websites like www.letsbuyit.com that can provide excellent deals on a wide range of goods.

But it shouldn't all be penny-pinching and self-denial. It's very important to treat yourself as you go along, especially when you have reached savings goals.