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How to Live on Less and Love It Print
Wednesday, 19th March 2008 (by J.D.)This article is about Frugality
Charlotte forwarded a great article from Mother Earth News. (When did they go online? It seems so antithetical to their nature!) In “Live on Less and Love It!”, Craig Idlebrook describes 75 ways that his family enjoys life while spending and consuming less. And he should know. He’s a practitioner of extreme personal finance:
On paper, my wife and I are poor. How poor? In 2005 we made $4,303.84 combined; in 2004 we made half that. We’re in such a low tax bracket that I have trouble convincing the government of our tax return’s accuracy; they simply can’t believe Americans can live on that kind of money.
[...]
We’ve arrived where we are now through a decade of daily financial decisions. Because we didn’t want to spend our time earning money at jobs we didn’t like, we instead focused on how to stretch our money. We found that by controlling our day-to-day expenses, we could save a lot of money without sacrificing our quality of life. Neither my wife nor I will ever be confused for financial wizards; there’s nothing we’ve done that you can’t do if you’re serious about saving money.
The 75 tips are grouped into categories such as “good cheap food”, “how to avoid rent”, “creative transportation”, and “when you can’t avoid shopping”. Many of these suggestions will be familiar to veteran cheapskates, but there are some gems that even I hadn’t considered before. Become a caretaker? Hmmm…
Here are some of my favorites:
- “Buy raw ingredients instead of prepackaged foods. If you don’t know how to cook, learn. You’ll save on food bills, and your body will thank you for it in the long run.”
- “For long-term stays, become a caretaker. A good place to find such caretaking jobs is The Caretaker Gazette.”
- “Salvage materials for your new home. There are lots of possible sources: Look for someone who’s renovating a house and might let you cart away old materials; check the yellow pages for used building materials; or look for online groups, such as Freecycle, where people trade all kinds of unwanted items.”
- “Switch off your water heater when you’re not going to use it for extended periods of time.”
- “Ask if your city has a carshare program or start one with people you trust.”
- “Don’t go into stores unless you need something. Always carry a shopping list. Remember, stores are designed to get you to buy things you didn’t know you needed.”
- “Buy clothing used whenever possible. You may have good luck finding clothes at garage sales, or find a wider selection at thrift stores, consignment shops and on eBay.”
- “Rediscover the radical notion of the library. Imagine Internet access and thousands of books, CDs and DVDs for free!”
- “Trade your home with friends around the country and enjoy free lodging in a new location.”
My father loved Mother Earth News. He was a dyed-in-the-wool conservative, but he embraced the magazine’s do-it-yourself ethic, despite all the “liberal hippie” talk of recycling and sustainability. Me? I like it because it’s all about making the most of what you have, and about removing yourself from consumer culture. (And I like the articles on recycling and sustainability!)
[Mother Earth News: Live on Less and Love It!]
March 19th, 2008 at 5:36 am
Some of the ideas are good, but some of it just rubs me the wrong way. Campaign for a National Health Care system? Go to free clinics? Go to instate schools with cheaper tuition? The reason these things are cheap/free is usually because of tax money. These recommendations from someone who doesn’t pay taxes just reek of freeloading to me. I appreciate that he wants to work 20 hours a week, but why should my taxes be paying for his health care because he doesn’t WANT to work me? Clearly this guy has the ability to do so and has just chosen to be cheap . . . .
Not to mention “Ask about distressed traveler rates” especially if you’re distressed? Why especially? Why not ONLY? It seems like he’s recommending that you lie and claim to be distressed for a cheaper rate.
I’d also point out that milling your own lumber might be cheaper than buying it, but you are going to need a facility to let it dry out for a year or two before you can build anything with it. If you build with it before it appropriately dry, prepare for massive warping.
Dont get me wrong, he’s got a bunch of great ideas, but when you try to make a list of 75 you’re going to have some spectacular duds, and this list is no exception
March 19th, 2008 at 5:58 am
These ideas really resonate with me. I try to buy used cloths whenever possible and I always visit the library to read a book that is recommended to me and if it’s a really good resource I’ll buy it.
It’s the only way a person who works for a non-profit and his wife, who is a teacher, can actually save money. We still don’t have a flat screen TV, even though I would love one.
Great post!
March 19th, 2008 at 6:03 am
“(When did they go online? It seems so antithetical to their nature!)”
Seems perfectly reasonable to me that a magazine promoting greenness would stop killing trees to distribute their content.
March 19th, 2008 at 6:15 am
While I favor a netional health care system, I find the article’s author’s attitude to be offensive. He offers nothing to the nation but expects us to support his family. Who are be raised to offer nothing to the nation…
On a different track, I might be the only one, but I find the notion of buy USED clothing unsettling and unattractive. Doesn’t matter that they have been laundered…Just ugh.
March 19th, 2008 at 6:25 am
Seems perfectly reasonable to me that a magazine promoting greenness would stop killing trees to distribute their content.
Good point!
March 19th, 2008 at 6:26 am
“Used clothing” is an UGH? Why? Does something touching someone else’s body contaminate it or something? Does this writer use towels in a hotel, or sleep on hospital sheets? Laundry really works, you know. Good old soap and water.
Buying used clothing not only is a great way to get good deals (half the stuff that turns up in thrift shops gets there because somebody didn’t like it or it didn’t fit, and a lot of it has barely been worn) but cuts down on the need to grow more cotton (very pesticide intensive) or use more petroleum products, not to mention sweatshops, transportation, advertising, and everything that ends up in the landfill.
Nobody has to do any of these things if they choose not to, but I find the writers’ tone offensive.
March 19th, 2008 at 6:27 am
I don’t know, this level of frugality wouldn’t be sustainable to me. I might be able to commit to a year or two but my motivation would be to save more money, or to pay down something that I already had bought. So my reason for the frugality would be for materialistic reasons, thus defeating the spirit of the movement.
Ben @ Trees Full of Money
March 19th, 2008 at 6:31 am
There are so many items in our culture that people consider staples. The forefront of which is cable TV. If most of the people who have cable got rid of it, I’m sure they wouldn’t miss it.
Daniel @ Young and Frugal
March 19th, 2008 at 6:51 am
I’d love to get rid of my cable tv . . . .
as soon as espn goes broadcast
March 19th, 2008 at 6:53 am
Libraries + raw ingredients for food work very well. You can get new recepies including the nutritional values. The books have nice pictures to muse on and spend less time watching the TV and becoming more aware of food and nutrition.
March 19th, 2008 at 7:05 am
I’m not personally willing to make that much of a sacrifice, but I do think there are some great ideas which I can learn from. I had actually read that article a few months ago, and have now decided that it is a great page to bookmark for periodic review.
March 19th, 2008 at 7:08 am
Thanks for this post. It’s a great starting point for research into a more frugal lifestyle. As with anything else, I treat the list as a buffet. I sample what I enjoy and leave the rest for others who may like it better than me.
@ The other comments:
It’s unrealistic to believe that you’ll agree with someone else’s entire philosophy. Take what you can use and ignore the rest. Being offended by what some stranger wrote on the internet or in a magazine is a waste of perfectly good energy.
March 19th, 2008 at 7:08 am
I read a lot of MEN growing up, my parents subscribed. Looking back, I remember a lot of the things they were proponents of were things I read on blogs like this all the time. Things like being self sufficient, making your own stuff to save money, doing things that are free. It’s true they’ve kind of jumped on the global warming bandwagon, and I don’t agree with much of their subtle political remarks, like the national healthcare system.
March 19th, 2008 at 7:20 am
“Being offended by what some stranger wrote… is a waste of perfectly good energy.”
HA– you got me there, Momma! You are so right!
March 19th, 2008 at 7:24 am
Being offended by it? I guess thats a waste. Still, I feel that pointing out the vaguely unethical nature of leeching off the government when you don’t contribute has some validity.
There was a story here a few months back about the dude somewhere in the southwest who, in protest against the government, makes less than the income tax requirement. I had no problem with it, because he wasn’t advocating taking more free government handouts. Its people who say “Universal Health Care is something we all deserve!” but then don’t want to pay for it that piss me off.
But you’re right, I shouldn’t really worry about people writing articles in magazines that advocate wasting my tax money. Its not like anyone listens to that anyway.
March 19th, 2008 at 7:27 am
One topic I never see covered is “extreme finances” or even simple frugality in relationship to being single.
I’m not talking about being a cheapskate during dinner, but maintaining a low powered lifestyle while seeking a mate.
Like it or not first impressions count and first impressions are often based on superficialities…even by nice and otherwise deep people.
Yes, there is always the rare hippy chick out there that will not care if you drive an old car or live in a cheap apartment, but those people are rare and they may not be what everyone is looking for.
Other people don’t see old cars and cheap apartments as choices for a well thought out philosophy, but as indicators that someone does not have his life together.
Is frugality beyond a certain point for married people only?
March 19th, 2008 at 7:34 am
I love the idea of a magazine going online…they gain access to a wider base of readers and use less paper…plus, it’s free! What’s not to love about that?
A couple other thoughts…what is the difference between wearing used clothes and using a public restroom? Resting your head on an airplane seat could give you lice. Purchasing used clothes is one of the most effective way to save money as well as save the environment.
I’m getting ready to pull the plug on my cable. The only thing I ever watch is Scrubs reruns on Comedy Central. That’s what I’m paying $50 a month for??? I can spend $5 at Blockbuster and get an entire season on DVD, or request the series at my local library! Cutting that alone will save me $600 a year.
No one arrives at a completely frugal lifestyle overnight. It is a process which takes time and involves serious internal reflection to determine what is of value in your life. For someone, cable might be indespensible; another person might not give a hoot about cable but can’t live without the internet. One family might never care to go to a restaurant again; for my husband and I, eating out on occasion is a valued way to celebrate, socialize and re-connect with one another or family and friends.
I think it’s important to remember that frugality is not a one-size-fits-all lifestyle. It will look different for everyone!
March 19th, 2008 at 7:53 am
Some of these are good suggestions. I Am in favour of these ones that attack the spend, spend and spend more consumer society we live in. Thrift stores and garage sales are great. I got 4 pairs of jeans, almost new, great condiction for $1.00 each at a sale last year, as one example. If you shop at stores, you WILL end up paying Value Added Tax on everything you buy, sodon’t go unless you need to.
Libraries are a great idea, either that or used book stores. Not only do you get books at reduced prices, but the one nearus anyway, will take back the book once you’ve read it for half of what you paid.
I like the comment about your father being a dyed in the wool conservative and enjoying some of the ideas in it. Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh don’t have a patent on the definition of the word conservative, so I dismiss them anyway. I consider myself a conservative in the sense that I want to live within my means, I despise waste, and believe in responsible stewardship of what we share in common as a society.
As far as health care is concerned, Coulter and limbaugh notwithstanding, national health care is conservative in the sense that each of us contributes according to our means to a common fund which should be there for our fellow man in the event that serious illness takes him down. My experience with private insurers is that generally they will wiggle out any way they can, and only want to take on zero risk cases. Health is something (smokers, and those who practice risky behaviour aside) over which we have no control, illness can strike anyone and wipe a family out financially. I know of caees in he US where people have taken their lives rather than burden their family with care during terminal illness.
March 19th, 2008 at 8:19 am
How did they live on $2150 one year if they own property and have kids to feed? I understand bartering and all that, but bartering can’t pay your property taxes and utilities, and probably doesn’t put a lot of food on the table.
Anyway, despite that nagging question, I liked the list. I think it’s worth thinking about how to reduce expenses to enjoy a better quality of life.
March 19th, 2008 at 8:22 am
One of my best friends spent years as a “caretaker,” mainly doing long-term housesitting gigs for rich people who had left the country for six months or more or who wanted someone to look after their second home. For nearly 10 years he never paid a dollar in rent, and he got to live in some truly amazing houses. I was his “sub-housesitter,” so whenever he wanted to go away I got to stay in those places myself.
Another of my best friends buys nearly all her clothes from the thrift store and she is impeccably dressed. You can find some incredible clothing at those places; I’ve never gotten into the habit of buying at thrift stores myself, but I really should. She took a mutual friend of ours to a thrift store near Seattle where they found a very high-quality British made Harris tweed blazer that fit my friend perfectly; he’d been looking for one like that for years. She’s even seen bespoke suits (which sell for thousands of dollars new) in the thrift stores; those are fitted to a specific person but if your body type is close enough they’ll fit nicely.
March 19th, 2008 at 9:32 am
For those of you offended by people who want universal health care and free public education but don’t want to pay taxes: I suggest you reserve your offense for a government that misspends taxpayer money on a war that has been going on for 5 years with no end in sight. The cost of universal health care, education and all the other public services is a drop in the bucket compared to what we taxpayers pay to fund the Iraq War - not even to mention the cost of human life and limb.
March 19th, 2008 at 9:45 am
Jeff(9), if you get rid of ESPN, I doubt you will miss it. ESPN still has a website, don’t they? Or, there are plenty of other ways to get your sports news on the web. And go to a bar to watch the games.
March 19th, 2008 at 9:56 am
Thanks so much for highlighting this article. It’s great advise that I brought from my childhood, when I am amazed on how little money my parents had growing up. They truly did their best. My mother is a phenomenal cook — cooking everything from non-prepared foods, and we received the extended family’s hand-me-downs - clothing and furniture.
I’ve carried this into my adulthood as I have been a public servant for the last decade. I also have found some great clothing in used clothing stores and utitlized Freecycle, pass-me-downs from friends and 2nd hand stores to furnish half of my apt.
A comment on Craig Idelbrook’s point
“or look for online groups, such as Freecycle, where people trade all kinds of unwanted items.”
and to those who plan on using Freecyle - one of the tenets of which is as follows:
“NO TRADING PLEASE. Go to your local trading organization for this. It can be quite fun. With Freecycle, though, there are no strings attached, just give it away now.” (from freeycle.org web site)
Possibly “trading” was an unintentional mention, but actual trades never happen between people - at least not inadvertently - your local admin monitors that and will let you know that it is prohibited. Transactions happen on an “offered and wanted basis” only. I am saying this because people should not feel, if they want to get involved, that they would have to necessarily have something someone wants in order to get what they need.
I’ve given things away to some people and received things from others. (Sometimes there are stories involved - and I bet someone could write a book on those!) The recipient is responsible for pick up and transport - so a trade would complicate things.
The admins also use this system to track how much has been saved from going into landfills! How cool is that?
March 19th, 2008 at 10:23 am
I’m glad to see that MEN has improved their website. The last time I checked, it wasn’t all that useful.
As far as the list goes I found it fairly interesting. However, I was surprised that they didn’t mention one of the most important tools to frugality. A price book! Ours is essential to really driving down the food costs for our brood.
If you’re interested in setting one up, I just put up a post about it over at our site.
March 19th, 2008 at 10:25 am
Steve- I met my husband while living in a converted garage at a friend’s house. We both are still driving the old beater cars we had then even though we both make more money now. Neither of us are “hippies”. I admired my husband’s ability to not buy the latest things and the fact that he wasn’t in debt. It meant he had more money to spend on dates (which we always split anyway)
Frankly, I’d be wary of any man or woman who puts all the emphasis on what car you drive or how big your house is. Is that person interested in dating you? or just your image? Being frugal doesn’t mean you can’t be educated, funny, well groomed, and able to give affection. Those are the things that really matter.
March 19th, 2008 at 10:42 am
>> dyed-in-the-wool conservative, … “liberal hippie”
maybe not so far apart, sometimes looking alike.
March 19th, 2008 at 10:49 am
I enjoyed many of the tips, but they left out part of the fresh food one - grow it yourself.
Because, my spouse, two months ago, was prescribed a most everything fresh food diet through a nutritionist for some issues he’s had, and it has killed our grocery budget. Like, major damage. Which is fine for the benefit but it is no way cheaper to buy fresh vs prepackaged (and we weren’t even buying the majority prepackaged, just some and a much higher % of frozen than now).
It is still too cold here to garden but hopefully soon. I’ve got a few tomato plants to plant.
March 19th, 2008 at 11:05 am
““Switch off your water heater when you’re not going to use it for extended periods of time.””
As a bonus, this is a good way to grow Legionella bacteria in the tank. So not only are you saving money by not heating your water, you might be getting some free pneumonia as well when you do finally take a shower! Nothing beats free pneumonia!
March 19th, 2008 at 11:28 am
Steve:
Oddly enough, the more I’ve gotten involved with PF and Sustainability groups, the more dates I’ve gone on. Maybe it’s because I’m out meeting people who think a girl riding a bus to work and a bike to the grocery store is hot.
March 19th, 2008 at 11:45 am
I liked this article mostly for the motivation of living on less - less money and less waste. I don’t agree with everything he said either but, as in all articles, you take it with a grain of salt. Pick up what you like and leave what you don’t. The idea of spending less and being environmentally friendly is great!
March 19th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
I haven’t had cable in 7 years, and I haven’t missed it at all. I do have Netflix, which at $18 for 3 DVDs at a time (unlimited per month) is considerably cheaper than cable and keeps me entertained in addition to my books, etc., from the library. My library doesn’t have much of a DVD collection to speak of so that isn’t really an option. And used clothes are the BEST. I’ve shopped at thrift stores since I was a teenager (long before I was trying to live frugrally–I just thought they were cool), and you will be amazed at what you find there. Fantastic $10 winter coats, beautiful vintage blouses, last week’s trends. Something for everyone. The quality of clothes made 30, 40, 50, etc. years ago is SO much better than the clothes of today.
March 19th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
Quite frankly his health care ideas were enough to turn me off of the entire thing. He’s a freeloader plain and simple. I grew up in lower middle class and I despise people that choose to live cheap - but do so by using others. Thats exactly what that is, using others generosity and tax money made by others. Disgusting.
March 19th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
@Ben: Being materialistic isn’t necessarily antithetical to living sustainably. It really depends on how you define materialism. For instance, buying a quality pair of shoes could be seen as materialistic since many of the shoe brands which turn out to be high-quality are also faddishly popular from year to year–but you save more money and resources buying the good faddy shoes than you do shopping at Payless once a year on account of it’s immediately cheaper.
Part of being a good materialist is understanding where your stuff comes from, understanding what makes something good quality, and getting the most for your dollar.
I found a Dupuoni silk blouse at Goodwill not terribly long ago. That thing would have had me out a good chunk of change had I bought it new. But it’s high-quality silk and, if cared for properly, will last a long time–so I would have gotten a bargain even if I *had* bought it new. The fact I found it at a discount is just a bonus.
(Not that it actually fits me. I intend to sell it on eBay. But somebody else out there will get a great deal on a beautiful garment, and I should make a nice little profit.)
@everybody who objects to “freeloaders” getting health care: OK, so do unemployed people deserve a military either? How would this country benefit if we only defended two-thirds of it? More people die from disease and non-war-related injury every year than ever do from war, and I am including those countries which directly suffer from war. I’ve been saying for years that we need to start treating healthcare as a national defense issue. If we can run up a deficit on foolhardy military excursions that seem to serve no legitimate purpose, surely we can do the same to save people’s lives here at home. And many people use government bonds to help fund their retirements, which is an added bonus.
But… honestly. Someone who’s rich enough to live off of dividends isn’t “working” in the traditional sense either. I am very, very uncomfortable with the way so many Americans so facilely judge the worth of a person’s life by whether they earn wages, because by that standard a lot of rich people aren’t worth anything either. Maybe if we judged people by their individual merits unconnected with money, this country wouldn’t be in such a mess.
Sorry for the soapbox, but if we’re going to talk about personal finance, maybe talking about morals wouldn’t hurt either, and I don’t mean the judgment of people’s sex lives that usually passes for a discussion of morals. Do you value your marriage or constantly complain about your spouse? Do you love your children or are they a temporary nuisance that you hire a stranger to deal with? Do you help the poor or make fun of them because they aren’t as successful as you? No matter how fast or slowly you get rich, it won’t make you a better person. You need to worry about all this other stuff too.
OK, I’m done for now. Sorry.
March 19th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
Public universities aren’t for the benefit of the people who attend them. They’re for the benefit of the public, who benefit from the supply of educated people who wouldn’t otherwise have been able to get decent educations. The idea that you’re somehow “freeloading” if you don’t pay taxes, but go to a public university, is absurd–an at $8,000 - 10,000 a year, it’s an expensive kind of freeloading…
March 19th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Using public services while essentially contributing nothing to the common good is wrong. You should do your time in the trenches (or cubical, widget factory, …) like the rest of us. If you choose to shirk paid work, I’m fine if instead you provide an equal benefit in some other way. Examples may be volunteering, giving to charity, or providing jobs and economic growth. The “investing class” that have a sense of decency (example Warren Buffet) do all of the above and shame on those who don’t. Those at the bottom of the earnings scale can and should contribute too.
March 19th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
While the public library is great for books, CDs, and DVDs, many public libraries do not have “do anything you want” Internet access. I haven’t seen that in my area for a good ten years.
My university library allows non-students one hour of access per day, but it must be related to research. In the computer labs, you can do what you please but you’re on your personal login for that.
March 19th, 2008 at 1:57 pm
Even the “investing class” that don’t “have a sense of decency” contribute to society/the economy. If not through charity, by creating jobs. Very few people just give up on society all together and become leeches. I think that is what many people here are taking issue with.
FWIW, it doesn’t sound like this guy is trying to be a leech. For one thing, he works, albeit for not alot of money. Surely he pays SS tax and FICA and whatnot even if he doesn’t have to pay income tax. He’s not just on the dole.
As far as the morals of people being willfully unemployed, in most cases I would say they are probably more of a burden to the people they know than to society in general. The Army will defend the country whether I have a job and pay taxes or not. If I choose to be unemployed or for whatever reason I can’t find work, all that would mean would be that somebody else would have to work x% harder to feed me, whether that be my family or people I beg from in the street, it mostly isn’t coming from tax money anyway (govt cheese and foodstamps excepted).
Personally, I wouldn’t want to be a burden like that to others, but some people do. That is probably what some people here would take issue with, and I can’t say I’d blame them. FWIW, it sounds like this guy feels the same way.
March 19th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
There’s upside potential in ender care.
A former GF cared for an older post-polio woman. The woman died about five years ago and left her $40K, which was enough for a down payment on a house and also left her with enough to start a graphic design business.
March 19th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
@Flaime:
Don’t let them get you down. I’m with you in that I just can’t like the notion of wearing thrift store clothing. It’s just not in my comfort zone.
I’d rather have a small wardrobe but buy new, never-worn stuff. It’s my wardrobe and my money, so who cares if I don’t like the idea of wearing somebody else’s castoffs?
March 19th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
Anjjol Says:
March 19th, 2008 at 9:32 am
For those of you offended by people who want universal health care and free public education but don’t want to pay taxes: I suggest you reserve your offense for a government that misspends taxpayer money on a war that has been going on for 5 years with no end in sight.
Good point. People living like this probably aren’t creating much of a NEED for tax revenue either. I would bet that they are also having a smaller environmental footprint, which will save money for the future generations who will paying, in many ways, to clean up after us.
March 19th, 2008 at 6:43 pm
Wow, I can’t believe anybody can live off of that amount, but more power to them. As much as I want to eliminate any spending waste, there are certain luxuries that I just plain enjoy too much.
March 19th, 2008 at 7:10 pm
Don’t be misled by the income given! They didn’t earn $4,000. That’s what their net income on their tax return works out to. I don’t know this for sure, but I’d be willing to place bets, if it was legal to do so.
I’m self-employed. I can write off all sorts of things. So can the author of the above article. And he and his wife probably run a farm, allowing for further write-offs, assuming they meet the criteria. If they own their home, they probably also charge rent to a business.
Moreover, personal income may not reflect business income, if they keep the money in a business some where.
JD: this should be highlighted. The author didn’t say that he only earned $4k. He said they “made” that amount. That probably means the take home after taxes and deductions.
March 19th, 2008 at 7:58 pm
Hm. Something’s fishy. I’ve done almost all those things (and still do many of them), except for using a public health or dental clinic, setting up a sawmill in my backyard, and working as a caretaker. And one thing’s fer sher: I can’t live on $4300 a year.
In 2008 dollars, my dog consumes that much!
March 19th, 2008 at 8:57 pm
That’s the thing. They aren’t living on $4k. They’re netting $4k.
March 19th, 2008 at 8:58 pm
The water heater idea is a good one.
I wouldn’t worry about Legionella because as soon as you turn the WH back on it will kill the Legionella unless your temperature is set too low and then you got a whole ‘nuther problem anyways.
I am very concerned about Legionella myself. I always let the water get hot in my shower before I get in to allow the lines to flush. And so on. But I don’t see the problem with turning off your WH.
March 19th, 2008 at 9:04 pm
AH — tricky, I didn’t pick up on that.
Considering I bring in just shy of $4K a MONTH after taxes/401(k) and before my self-imposed savings, I’ve been all googly-eyed at the thought of how they managed to stretch $4300 out over the course of the year. That would be about $350/month. That’s my grocery/gas budget for the month. It doesn’t seem all that possible to me.
P.S. — After my 20% savings and 5% charity, my 4K all goes to my modest living expenses ($1500) and my evil student loan (remainder). I’m not living high on the hog. Besides I’ve invested 15 years of industry experience and 8 years of college (and a hefty student loan) to get there.
March 19th, 2008 at 9:31 pm
BTW — I have one little beef with part of this discussion. The part about reading a magazine online being more ecologically friendly.
Yes, it’s true that it’s a good thing to reduce paper waste, not to mention the toxic aftereffects of printing and the use of water resources.
However, online isn’t environmentally friendlier. Computers are not environmental saints. There are other big costs to the environment. Where paper (and some inks) can be biodegradeable, computers are primarily non-biodegradeable plastics (petroleum byproducts) and a variety of metals. The costs of mining those metals needs to be considered. Plus, the processes which create the silicon chips uses some nasty metals and chemicals and lots of water. And then there’s the cost of the electricity to run a computer and the energy/infrastructure load on the environment of the network/internet. When you add it all up it’s a significant liability to the environment.
So — it’s noble to be saving trees and cutting down on landfill from magazines. Just don’t forget that there are a whole host of environmental costs with the online alternative too.
March 20th, 2008 at 8:59 am
I do not make enough money to pay taxes, but I do use the library[for books, DVDs are $2 for 3 days]. I think that public services are for the public good. Many people who don’t pay taxes today will in the future[when I get out of grad school and get a good job] or have in the past..
March 21st, 2008 at 5:01 am
[...] How to Live on Less and Love It [...]
March 22nd, 2008 at 4:30 am
DB I have to agree with you, the tips they offer are great for frugal living but there is no way one can live on 350 a month with dumpster diving and living under a bridge. I’d love to see a blog run by someone like that.
The only way I can see they do is to live wayyyyyyyyy out in the boondocks (were talking like Northern Ontario miles from the nearest city) and build a house and not connect it to any services. Outhouse, solar panel no running water, you get the point.
March 22nd, 2008 at 5:38 am
For the people who don’t care for buying used clothes, if you buy clothing from stores, have you ever considered how many folks have tried on those clothes before you? and they didn’t get washed before you purchased them. I buy new and used. I especially like Chico’s clothes. They are expensive, but last for years. I buy very few pieces though because of the cost. I wore a Chico’s outfit yesterday. The dress I bought new at $109–a lot I know, but it is a classic black sheath and can be worn for any occasion and for years. The full-length Chico’s jacket I got at the thrift shop for $3. (It probably would have been $140 new.) I am sure that Chico’s dress got tried on by others and the jacket, although it was in the thrift store, was obviously very new so it probably got worn not much more than the dress if at all.
We have friends who probably are close to this couple in their take home pay. They live in a log cabin they built themselves from logs on their land. Most of the other components of their home were salvaged. For example, their hardwood flooring was salvaged from an industrial building for free. They stripped it and my husband laid it for them as a housewarming gift with their help. They do not use elecricity, so they have no electric bill. They use gas for their refrigerator and stove, but wood off their land for heating. He is a musician who plays the fiddle. He plays folk music and heritage music for the Smithsonian, local community events, private parties, etc. She is an interpreter for the hearing impaired and teaches dance some. Neither of them work full time most weeks at these jobs, but they stay very busy. They have two school age children whom they homeschool. They raise goats and make their own goat cheese, etc. They also raise chickens. Previously they’ve also done organic farming on their property. They definitely buy used clothes and other products. There is no TV. They are definitely the MEN types. Their home is lovely, warm, and inviting. Their goat cheese is incredible and their chicken eggs are awesome. They have no health insurance and have to pay any visits for health care up front obviously. But they eat a very healthy diet (gluten free), are very active with their normal “chores,” and don’t end up going to the doctor. I haven’t covered everything, but they work hard and I respect them. Their lifestyle is not for me, but it works for them.
March 23rd, 2008 at 11:22 am
I am doing an extended house-sit in a fantastic Boston townhouse (the traditional old brick kind, not some suburban vinyl-strosity) and putting the money I’d normally pay in rent, and a lot more, into savings and the last eradication of debt. the owner pays all the utilities.
while I’m doing this at the request of an old friend, putting all my remaining crap in (free) storage after selling as much as i could made me realize I can pretty much be Mr Nomad and become a professional freeloader/housesitter once this gig is over at the end of summer, at least within the greater Boston area because of my stupid job. Now I have a great reference and will get myself bonded at some point.
I am actively seeking work that does not require me to go to an office every day. once I get that, I’m pretty much free to live wherever I want.
oh and I haven’t bought any clothing in ages aside from using the LL Bean gift card I get from mom every year for xmas, and then I wait a month and get stuff for half off. however socks and underpants definitely have a finite lifetime and aren’t really things you’d want to buy used (ugh) so I usually get those at Costco or TJ Max/Filene’s.
March 25th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Thank you for mentioning Mother Earth News. We appreciate the attention.
Laura Evers
Mother Earth News
March 31st, 2008 at 4:53 am
I think everyone has to define what is frugality for themselves. To me its more a process than anything. Also as far as taxes are concerned everyone in the US pays taxes when you include sales taxes, gas tax, phone tax etc. Anyone who can escape income taxes should.
November 13th, 2008 at 9:51 am
I am a happy and enthusiastic haunter of thrift and consignment shops, and gladly buy used clothing (cautiously) from ebay. For the ladies and gentlemen who do NOT want to buy used - well, why should any of us expect EVERYONE to do things the same way? I expect, when possible, you get your new clothes at sales; even if you buy new clothes in season, at full retail price, you are not harming ME, personally: there are jobs being provided thereby to the people who work at the retail shop, people who deliver goods to the shop, people who make the clothes, AND people who produce the parts that are used in the clothes which are being made! I expect you use your clothes thoroughly and plan for them to last a long time; and if you happen to gain or lose weight, or for some other reason get rid of your clothes (selling them, or donating them for the tax writeoff), why then, that’s when I will buy them! So I really don’t see people on opposite sides of a question of “how to buy what kinds of clothes”; I see people who are involved in a more circular process.
July 26th, 2009 at 9:38 am
I’ve noticed there are many people who say the government should pay for this, take care of that as though the government has its own source of income.
Well folks you / we are the source of its income and I get really tired of how little of my gross income comes to me as net. I have a 401k, a savings account and a christmas club so that I can try to meet my future obligations. I also donate weekly to United Way and my Church in the effort to try to assist others.
Everyone should try it and there would be less need for the “government” to pay for things they need.
There should be a deadline for government assistance instead of it becoming people’s way of life that is handed down through generations.
July 26th, 2009 at 11:51 am
Interesting article but very misleading, simply put if I followed everyone of their tips, including owning a mortgage free house you couldn’t get your cost of living down to 350 a month, not at least if you want to live in a city or town.
As others pointed out, and wasn’t mentioned in the article they probably live way way out in the boonies and are off grid back to the land type folks.
as well the tips they gave are pretty much garden variety frugal living tips available anywhere.
July 27th, 2009 at 7:11 am
i totally disagree, I save, Im a consumer, our country is built and relies on us consuming…this may be good for a certain percentile but for people who do go to work,and live in an on demand world like myself this poses no options, honestly your basically being homeless…you offer nothing to your country and you take take take…its people like you that slow the process of this country gaining financial stability again, the goverment needs people working..not cherry picking and freeloading…Get a job…be eco friendly but CONTRIBUTE TO YOUR COUNTRY…
July 27th, 2009 at 7:23 am
this tips every one knows, what is needed is to get rid off lazyness, and secondly spending less is not good for economy,one should spend to its own comfort
all one can do is try to avoid food wastage and over storing stuff.
enjoy life money is not end of the world.
it all depend how much you make every pay cheque. some one say use free food for kids , coupons.
remember no one gives you free all thats included in your price, so all these are marketing tricks. all saler make profit.
August 5th, 2009 at 9:03 pm
Robert said, “our country is built and relies on us consuming”
Actually, our country wasn’t built on a consumption model, at least not nearly to the degree it is today. The whole concept of our nation becoming a nation of “consumers” rather than “citizens” didn’t actually come into being until the 1930’s, with Edward Bernays, the nephew of Sigmund Freud.
Prior to that time, advertising focused on promoting a product’s good points, thus appealing to people’s intellect mostly. People didn’t buy so much, unless they needed to. Advertising has been totally transformed, thanks to Bernays, who used his uncle’s concept of the unconscious mind. Now the operating principle of advertising is to manipulate people’s emotions-particularly, their insecurities, fears, hopes and dreams-unconsciously, so they buy on impulse.
Not many people here would argue that buying anything is evil. Of course societies have to engage in trade or purchase of goods and services to survive and thrive. But the way our system is set up to exploit the vulnerabilities of people is pretty nasty. And our government, not just corporations, has played into that (both hired Bernays, to encourage ever-increasing consumption and control of the masses, quite literally).
I got my information from a BBC documentary called “The Century of the Self.” It might be offensive to some people (would be rated R here) so please be advised.
August 17th, 2009 at 8:59 pm
Great information!
I’m going to see if I can live off only a part-time, probably minimum wage job. I’m aiming for about 20-25 hours a week. My mother told me it’s impossible, and then I told her that some people live very healthy, wonderful lives who earn a tenth of that in some countries (although many of course live in terrible poverty). But the point is, it is certainly possible for life to be completely awesome - with very little money.
Things I am doing to make my cost of living VERY minimal;
1. No car, I am biking everywhere with a tadpole recumbent trike. Google that, it’s one of the best substitutes for a car. 3,000$ish initial cost, almost nothing after that. Take good care of it and it will last all your lifetime and beyond. The money will be borrowed from my dad for no interest.
2. Nearly free living space. I am doing a few weeks of work fixing up a log house. In exchange, I can live there without paying rent, occupying one of the rooms. I only need to pay for my electricity use, and since I live mostly alone in a single room, that will be insignificant. Probably ten bucks a month, a bit more in the Canadian winter to have a small electric heater going. That’s really nothing.
3. Eat mainly fruits and vegetables. Also things like flax and hemp seeds, and fish. At local places I can get that stuff very inexpensively, and it will also be extremely healthy!!
4. Washing my clothes by hand in the shower which I have recently learned to do, and also letting them hang outside on the clothesline will keep my clothes fresh, I won’t even need a machine. It works well if you do it right.
5. If you don’t use shampoo for months, your hair adjusts and will become independent from it, so it never gets greasy. I only rinse and comb my hair (which is long considering I am a man, past my shoulders), and my hair looks great all the time. People never believe me that I don’t use shampoo or conditioner, and that I don’t have to spend any money on that stuff!
6. Cheap entertainment. Internet and a good new computer I’ve already paid for, plus awesome computer speakers and a nice monitor. Probably 60 dollars a month for ISP, and maybe 12.99$ish for whichever MMO I’m into at the time. Either way, it’s VERY inexpensive entertainment, far better than going out every night or whatever. I also pay about 80$ on average per month through the year for martial arts classes.
Anyways, that is how I will be living off a part-time job to give myself lots of free time. I will love my life, and will only be working about 20 hours a week minimum wage.
September 15th, 2009 at 12:35 am
Well, great. I’ve spent another couple of hours reading peoples opinions on, well, other peoples opinion! LOL! Made for a great read though, I mean the comments. I didn’t read the article about the man who lived off of less than $5,000. a year. The suggestions sound pretty ordinary to me, I go to the library, I buy used clothes, I do have internet, but not cable, I do a lot of things to save money. Yet,it’s hard to live off of 30,000 a year, much less $5,000.! Oh, and if he does live next to nowhere in the boonies, he would have to have transportation (other than a bike)! And you have to pay for a tag and insurance. I live 25 minutes from the nearest small town, so I know about paying $5.-$10. on gas alone just to get to the library, grocery store, or Doctor’s office. Well,he could just be a bum, and bum a ride, who knows…still pretty farfetched if you ask me.
September 18th, 2009 at 11:54 am
I think living on less is all about appreciating things that aren’t material goods, like knowledge and family.