You need to make sure that your monthly costs and expenses are less than your income, which is the amount you earn after taxes have been taken out. If you can live within your means, then you'll be able to stay out of debt and save.
A good way to establish if you are living within your means, is to keep a daily record of where your money goes during a typical month.
According to an OECD report into adult financial literacy competencies in G20 countries, 40% of respondents in China reported that their income did not always cover their living costs, and 28% borrow to make ends meet (% of all respondents).
