MAXIMIZE INCOME. I just got a much overdue promotion. More income helps. I'm going to try for a second one soon. This can be difficult because if your skills are not very marketable it may mean giving up more of your time...which sucks. Move up where you are and when you can't do that any more move over to somewhere else with more headroom.
BE WISE. Be fiscally conservative. I think you need a decent income for this, if you're barely scraping by then you don't have this luxury. Have the recommended months of savings, avoid unnecessary expenses, save for retirement, buy instead of rent, avoid borrowing, etc. All that stuff financial advisors and personal finance classes teach.
MINIMIZE EXPENSES. Do you need a brand new car or can you get by on a 5 year old car? My vehicle is about 15 years old. Vehicles are almost always a liability. Can you take public transportation instead of owning a vehicle? Buying groceries at Whole Foods? Stop that, go to Aldi and Costco. Burning incandescent bulbs? Get LEDs. Can you live with a roommate? Etc.
Some things I'm considering:
BITCH ABOUT IT. Write your representatives and tell them to get off their FUCKING ASSES and DO SOMETHING.
Downsize my living situation.
Rent my current house and buy a duplex. Let someone else pay for the duplex with the other half's rent.
It's very funny how effectively you can turn "a statistically average person" into some ominous sounding elite other by just dressing it up in class language.