On paper, it looks like you’ve made it. You’ve hit that dream six-figure salary. But these days it may not be enough.

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The old benchmark $100,000 salary that once placed Americans into the category of “rich” is coming up short, according to a new report by PYMNTS and LendingClub.

As of November, 62% of all U.S. consumers were living paycheck to paycheck, with 20% struggling to pay their bills every month, the report says. It found that even high-income Americans aren't immune to budget crunches, with 45% of those making over $100,000 also living paycheck to paycheck.

If feeling wealthy seems far away — here’s what you can do to claw back some of your buying power without having to negotiate for a raise.

Make a budget

The first thing every home needs is a budget. Then, you need to stick to that budget.

Maybe you count yourself among the 85% of savvy spenders who told Debt.com they use a budget. But with rising costs, if you haven’t updated it lately, it’s likely your budget needs an overhaul.

Start off by tallying your essential monthly expenses like your mortgage or rent, insurance, food and utilities. Then, compare what you have left over in your budget with what you actually spend. If you need to trim some fat, break up your expenses into two categories: must have like coffee and nice to have like alcohol (or maybe that’s coffee for you, personally.)

Part of your budget should also include putting cash aside to pay down debt. If you’re paying interest on credit cards or student loans, that’s cash being thrown away. So the sooner you pay it down, the better.

Read more: Owning real estate for passive income is one of the biggest myths in investing — but here's how you can actually make it work

Learn to save on fun

A little bit of research also goes a long way when it comes to saving on purchases.

And it doesn’t have to be a pain — there are so many apps out there that can help you save money by browsing around for deals. Think renting a home instead of a hotel room. Or maybe a cheap airline ticket when you need to travel.

And these days, there are sites and apps that can help you find coupons for event tickets, salons looking for new clients or even a whole closet of high-end secondhand clothes.

Take the time to shop around before making a big purchase and you’ll often find you can find a way better deal.

Use your credit card (wisely)

If you’re looking for a quick way to get something back from the purchases you do need to make, you might want to consider getting a new credit card.

You can usually find a special offer on a rewards card — complete with no fees for the first year, and perhaps even offer a bonus of credit card rewards. And those rewards can then be used to either help pay off your credit card, buy products you need, or save toward flights.

Every time you swipe or tap your card — whether at the grocery store or gas station — you’ll accumulate points you can use to help fund all your discretionary purchases. Before too long, maybe you’ll have a little extra breathing room in your budget. Just don’t get caught up buying items for the sake of points. Purchase what you need.

Remember, paying off your credit card down to zero should always be your priority. And opening and closing credit accounts often can impact your credit score, so you’ll want to be intentional and strategic about this.

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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.