If you’re super stressed about your money situation, which, according to CNBC is pretty common, you’ve got two options:

Option 1: tighten your budget and stick to it at all costs. This option is not a lot of fun, but it’s still very important. The basic principle of personal finances is to live within your means. This means that if you don’t have money for something, you don’t purchase it, instead, you save some money over time until you can afford it. It’s common sense, but it’s not commonly practiced. SNL is an authority on the topic: Don’t Buy Stuff You Cannot Afford. Though this definitely isn’t the fun option, it might be the more important option. Sticking to a good budget and living within your means teaches you to think differently about money. If you’re a subscriber to the ‘I want it and my credit card isn’t maxed out yet’ line of thinking, this budget thing won’t be easy, but it will change your life.

Option 2: make more money. This is much more fun. Instead of holding back, you’re increasing. You can be creative, start a side-hustle, work towards a promotion. The options aren’t exactly endless, but they’re pretty broad. Do something that is exciting, something that you love, or something with a loved one! The only rule is that your idea has to make some money (and also stay within the bounds of federal law).

Here’s the twist, you don’t have to pick just one option. Ideally, you’ll work on both simultaneously. If you only tightened the budget, you would confine yourself to a workable, but boring financial existence. If you only earned more money, you would spend it as soon as you earn it since you would never have learned the discipline and benefits of saving. Neither option, by itself, is likely to get you where you’re hoping to go. But together, these two strategies can create a real and lasting fix to your finances.