"Your overall wealth really starts with behavior and your budget," Howard says. But 29-year-old Alexis Howard has been doing it for over 10 months, ever since she challenged herself to limit her non-essential spending to $50 each month. Essentials like rent, utilities, groceries and medical costs aren't included in Howard's $50 limit. "What I've really tried to stress on this challenge is that just because you have a tight budget doesn't mean you can't engage with your loved ones, doesn't mean you can't go to free events, doesn't mean you can't substitute quality time with people that matter to you," she says. But she's still spending considerably less than she would in a normal month living in the Bay Area, where she estimates her non-essential spending used to total around $400 to $500.

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Persons: Howard, spender, Alexis Howard, Lyft, Howard's, she's, It's, there's, I've Organizations: CNBC Locations: Bay, San Francisco