Meghana's problem: "I recently had a baby and compromising on his nutrition is out of question. Since the food prices are going up, I need to balance it out somewhere else in the budget."

How she works it out: "I have curbed all my luxury spending. Whenever I feel like shopping for no reason, I question myself. So far, this strategy has worked."

Meghana's tips:

i. Instead of listing what you need, check what you can do without - for example, exotic sauces that you use only once in a while, or too many sandwich spreads 'for variety'.

ii. Plan your luxury spendings - if you went out for dinner and a movie, postpone your weekend getaway to next month. Impulse buys can be very dangerous, especially when regular needs are getting expensive.

iii. Try walking wherewher possible, instead of taking your vehicle. Apart from petrol money you save, you will also reduce your carbon footprints!