American households together have built up a total of $11.3 trillion in debt.  It's hard to even understand how much money that really is. But what we do know is a lot of Americans are drowning in these overwhelming bills, without a clue of how they'll get out.

If payday never seems to come soon enough for you, you're not alone. A lot of us feel the pinch in those final days before the check clears. But it doesn't have to be that way.

Danny Kofke is a special education teacher at a public school near Atlanta, who's found a way to support his family of four on his salary alone. In the U.S. you rarely find "teacher's salary" as a synonym for "big bucks". Nationwide, the average teacher brings in just more than $50,000 a year, which is decent. However, when you add in a wife and two kids, the expenses start to add up.

But you can make it. Danny says, all it takes a simple budget and a little discipline. He shares his story and his secrets to sticking to a budget with Making It in America.

For more on budgeting and getting your finances back on track, check out Danny's book: How to Survive (and Perhaps Thrive) on a Teacher's Salary.