Mark Carson's has a secret weapon in his battle with balancing his tight finances and skyrocketing food prices, he is growing his own produce. Carson says you could definitely supplement it to where you are not paying $4 for five tomatoes. Carson has always grown fresh food, but nowadays it's helping him stick to his ever tighter budget. He says the raising gas are devastating his bottom line.

Personal Financial Expert Jules Bills says "You need to take the painful first step."

Bills says first look at how much you take in and spending month to see where you are wasting money. She also says to use an envelope to store your receipts. After you have looked at it item by item and you can then see where you can start cutting expenses. Bills recommends looking at items in your budget you may not have considered like maybe refinancing your home at a lower interest rate can save you money. You should also consider switching car insurance companies, or raising your deductible for a lower monthly payment. Saving is another step that Bills says is a step in the right direction. Ideally she says you should save 20 % of your income and don't expect a hugh nest egg right at the beginning it takes time to build up that egg. Need more tips on budgeting you can contact Jules Bills at West Virginia State Extension at 304-720-140.