1. Reduced Income, Same Expenses
When you have a gap in your average income, you need to control your expenses more than ever. It is necessary to keep the same ratio to allow for the cost of living between your income and expenses. If your income decreases, so should your expenses. Whether you have to cut-out expenses entirely, or minimalize them, you must control the expenses so they don't outweigh your income. The same is true for the same income, but increased expenses. If you receive the same income, but have more expenses now (due to hospital bills, medications, etc.), you need to maintain the ratio of spending that allows your income to match your expenses. A lot of unnecessary expenses must be minimalized or cut entirely, sacrifices must be made to maintain at least an equal income to expenses ratio, or higher, for your income to earn savings.

2. Poor Money Management
This is self-explanatory. Compulsive spending habits, uncontrolled spending, overuse of credit cards, or lack of communication of monetary funds between a spouse, family member, etc., lead to improper money management. Once you dig yourself into a hole, which doesn't take a lot of time or effort, it's much harder to get yourself out. Balance your accounts regularly, talk with your spouse or other who you share finances with, and make sure you aren't spending money you don't have that may have already been spent. Most importantly, don't just spend money because you have it.

3. Underemployment/Unemployment
This may be out of your control. At the same time, it may not be. If you aren't getting enough hours at a job that you need, or if you don't have a job, it is your responsibility to either get more hours, or to find another job [in addition]. We are all capable of working many hours in a week. If you are only working ten hours a week, you obviously will not be earning enough for living wages. Although your hours at a job, or even if you have a job, may not be entirely up to you, it is up to you to get more hours or more jobs to help find that extra income to support yourself and your family.

4. Medical Expenses
We all know that today's medical expenses are ridiculous. Search different insurance policies/carriers for the best prices and coverage plans. You will have to do some work to find better deals. If you're going to be paying such high insurance premiums, you may as well get the most out of your money and plan. Talk with your doctor(s) about the use of generic drugs, which are cheaper. Research different pharmacies for prescription prices, for there really is a huge difference in prices for the same drugs depending on the store(s) you buy them at. You may not be able to control the high prices, in general, of prescriptions and health care, but you have the ability to do your research for the best prices and plans.

5. Improper Saving Habits - Too Little or None at All
For many people who have little or no savings, they live off of check to check. This makes it difficult to acquire savings, or the habits to save money. If you have an extra five dollars at the end of paying bills after you receive a check, you may say it's only five dollars. Why not treat yourself to a cup of coffee or to a few drinks? Well, that is five dollars that you don't need to spend and that you can put into a savings account, or into some private fund to save. Five dollars each check will build up over time. Another issue with savings accounts is that people use them like checking accounts. Savings accounts should be kept alone. Place money into them without the ability to take out every other week. Leave that money for checking accounts. Place money into a savings fund and honor it by not touching it for a long time. Let it be, use it for when you need it most and let it build with time.