First of all, selecting the right place for your seat is important! You should be able to depress the clutch all the way to the floor, because that is where it belongs when changing gears. If not you will wear out the clutch sooner then need be. Now maybe you can afford 500 dollars on a regular basis, I can't.
The problem maybe that the clutch reservoir is low and air has gotten into the lines. The smaller one under the hood is the one for the clutch, the larger one is for the brakes. Make sure it is full. To some degree the clutch system will bleed its self.
If that helps, put a new clutch slave cylinder on the shopping list and some time during the next year have it replaced.
