Being a landlord is not easy, especially you will come to find out the tenants have so many rights than you can possibly imagine; If you have a daytime job and try to manage one or two units on the side, it is still manageable. It will take effort and the key is screening (especially if you are living with them in the same property) and lease terms.
Going back to the saving topic. I save on stuff that I need and I spend on stuff that I want. I set a weekly grocery budget of no mare than $30, that includes lunches. If you are creative, you will be amazed how much stuff you can actually get for $30.
Pay up all the auto/bike insurance to avoid installment fees. I pay everything with cc’s to keep track of my spending and for points for gas cards. Try to make an effort to save on gas, combine trips and drive slow (ZERO speeding tickets). I make an effort to use no more than a tank of gas per month.
Rent movies/games instead of buying, use cc points for movie ticket coupons.