If you were going to live cheap how would you do it?

[Deleted]

If you decided to live on the cheap how would you do it?  Not that you were limited by money, but limited by the desire to live frugally.  You get to decide what "cheap" means. I assume no doing something that you would hate.  Would you give up cable and eating out completely?  How low in spending could you get and still be happy?

I hope my question is clear.  I am asking because I am kind of interested in a minimalist lifestyle and am kind of cheap.  I think I could be happy enough on ~$15 k a year, but I often have things happen that cost, so am not sure.

I have a paid for house.  I could raise some food and get my food bill down low.  My electric bill is levelized and after last year I ended up getting back $200.  They changed the amount I owe each month to $40/ month.  I think I could get it down to $30/month.  If I stay healthy, I could get the heating bill down to under $200 a year, by cutting my own firewood.  I need ~$30 a month for McDonald, and can get my internet there easily.

[Blonde Granny]

If it was just me, I would be happy turning the thermostat down in winter and up during the summer to lessen electric usage. I would also turn down the temp on the water heater.

I would eat out once per week at our local diner, where I can get a great breakfast burrito (without the tortilla) that is big enough for 2 meals and with tip, would cost me $6 per week.  I'd eat half for breakfast and half for lunch or dinner.  Everything else would be made at home.

I would morph into being marvholly and drive my vehicle either once or twice per week and do all errands grouped together and make one circle trip from home and back.  I would try to make sure that my 26 gal. tank would last me at least 2 months.

Next up would be changing my Uverse service and lowering my TV packages...I honestly don't think I need the 450 channels we now receive.

I definitely would change my grocery shopping and usage.  Food waste would be non-existent in my house.  If I had to eat PB & J for breakfast or a green salad, it's what I would do to keep from throwing food out.  And even a vegetarian diet would be considered to eliminate purchasing expensive beef/pork/chicken.

I like the way Sroo is thinking.  See what your budgeted income is and then work from there.  With a few exceptions, every line item could be cut, even if only a dollar to two.

[Tennesseer]

Eliminate cable TV, access to the Internet, landline phones while using only pre-paid cell phones.  If I elimated those three items alone I could save $2,500 a year (based on services and taxes at $209 a month).

[Deleted]

Oct 10, 2015 10:13:16 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Eliminate cable TV, access to the Internet, landline phones while using only pre-paid cell phones.  If I elimated those three items alone I could save $2,500 a year (based on services and taxes at $209 a month).

Could you do that and not feel deprived?  I do not have cable tv or a landline phone or home Internet.  My phone bill is $58/month.  I live in Sw Mo or NW AR, (am moving) so I guess our climates are roughly the same.  Could you live without A/C?  I do for the most part, maybe use it a few days a year.  I don't think I had it on at all this year, but I was not there except on weekends.

How low could you get your food bill and still feel like you ate healthy and enjoyed your food?  I have little idea on this one.   I was eating healthy and now eat a lot of bad but convenient food choices.

[Deleted]

I found this site about a month ago and it is costing be about $10 to $15 a week, but I expect that will stop soon enough.

[giramomma]

Oct 10, 2015 10:18:44 GMT -5 @hickle said:

Oct 10, 2015 10:13:16 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Eliminate cable TV, access to the Internet, landline phones while using only pre-paid cell phones.  If I elimated those three items alone I could save $2,500 a year (based on services and taxes at $209 a month).

Could you do that and not feel deprived?  I do not have cable tv or a landline phone or home Internet.  My phone bill is $58/month.  I live in Sw Mo or NW AR, (am moving) so I guess our climates are roughly the same.  Could you live without A/C?  I do for the most part, maybe use it a few days a year.  I don't think I had it on at all this year, but I was not there except on weekends.

How low could you get your food bill and still feel like you ate healthy and enjoyed your food?  I have little idea on this one.   I was eating healthy and now eat a lot of bad but convenient food choices.

We don't have cable. Haven't had it for 4 years now. (In fairness, we do have netflix and amazon prime. Wouldn't give up prime...but could neflix) I finally moved up from having a prepaid cell to a smart phone. But, I have Ting, so I'm anticipating bills around $12 or less a month. My kids have one prepaid phone to share in case they need to call us from their activities.

I won't give up my landline. We've had sitters that have left their cell phone somewhere else. With young kids, having no phone service isn't desirable in case of emergency.

I don't know that we could give up home internet. I could see us cutting down on speed though, if we had to.

[Deleted]

I am working on being minimalist now. It's not exactly cheap yet but I'm headed there. I've gone to the lowest cable package possible and I'm trying to learn about watching internet on the tv so in a year or so I can get rid of it altogether. I'm being careful with my food. I buy on sale and do not waste! I'm in to sewing now so I'm hoping to make clothes of good quality that last and pare down my wardrobe to something like 30 pieces (I'm researching wardrobe capsules) I repair and refurbish whatever I can rather than replace. I have a hybrid car so my gas consumption is much lower than most of my peers. And I'm working on purging the house. It's amazing the amount of dust collectors accumulate without even trying.

[Tennesseer]

Oct 10, 2015 10:18:44 GMT -5 @hickle said:

Oct 10, 2015 10:13:16 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Eliminate cable TV, access to the Internet, landline phones while using only pre-paid cell phones.  If I elimated those three items alone I could save $2,500 a year (based on services and taxes at $209 a month).

Could you do that and not feel deprived?  I do not have cable tv or a landline phone or home Internet.  My phone bill is $58/month.  I live in Sw Mo or NW AR, (am moving) so I guess our climates are roughly the same.  Could you live without A/C?  I do for the most part, maybe use it a few days a year.  I don't think I had it on at all this year, but I was not there except on weekends.

How low could you get your food bill and still feel like you ate healthy and enjoyed your food?  I have little idea on this one.   I was eating healthy and now eat a lot of bad but convenient food choices.

I suppose I could live without A/C. Southerners of long ago lived without A/C. For a number of reasons I don't open my windows so putting an electric fan in the window is out of the question.

I also imagine I could drastically cut down on food purchases. But meals would get boring rather quickly. An occassional guilty pleasure is a must.

Question: You say you have no home Internet service but right now you are posting on the Internet. What free Internet service are you using? I would be very interested in that service.

[Deleted]

How low could you get your food bill and still feel like you ate healthy and enjoyed your food? I have little idea on this one. I was eating healthy and now eat a lot of bad but convenient food choices.

I see a lot of people say stuff like this and I don't really get it. Since the girls have all been gone I haven't eat anything processed that I can think of and it is as convenient as anything I've ever had. It's even faster than "fast food" when I count in the time to go get it and wait in line. What are you referring to as convenient food choices?

[Deleted]

Oct 10, 2015 10:26:54 GMT -5 laterbloomer said:

I am working on being minimalist now. It's not exactly cheap yet but I'm headed there. I've gone to the lowest cable package possible and I'm trying to learn about watching internet on the tv so in a year or so I can get rid of it altogether. I'm being careful with my food. I buy on sale and do not waste! I'm in to sewing now so I'm hoping to make clothes of good quality that last and pare down my wardrobe to something like 30 pieces (I'm researching wardrobe capsules) I repair and refurbish whatever I can rather than replace. I have a hybrid car so my gas consumption is much lower than most of my peers. And I'm working on purging the house. It's amazing the amount of dust collectors accumulate without even trying.

Good Will.  I bought shirts there for $1 and they are as good as new ones.  Pants are harder to find , but still cheap. 

I am trying to buy stuff that will last me the rest of my life, roughly 25 years as a guess, so am thinking of quality over price  on some stuff.  I have almost no furniture now and really want only to  get good stuff.  I am getting either the  bed frame from my grandmother or my grandfather, probably will end up taking both. and they should still be good condition going forward.

[Deleted]

Oct 10, 2015 10:28:17 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Oct 10, 2015 10:18:44 GMT -5 @hickle said:

Could you do that and not feel deprived?  I do not have cable tv or a landline phone or home Internet.  My phone bill is $58/month.  I live in Sw Mo or NW AR, (am moving) so I guess our climates are roughly the same.  Could you live without A/C?  I do for the most part, maybe use it a few days a year.  I don't think I had it on at all this year, but I was not there except on weekends.

How low could you get your food bill and still feel like you ate healthy and enjoyed your food?  I have little idea on this one.   I was eating healthy and now eat a lot of bad but convenient food choices.

I suppose I could live without A/C. Southerners of long ago lived without A/C. For a number of reasons I don't open my windows so putting an electric fan in the window is out of the question.

I also imagine I could drastically cut down on food purchases. But meals would get boring rather quickly. An occassional guilty pleasure is a must.

Question: You say you have no home Internet service but right now you are posting on the Internet. What free Internet service are you using? I would be very interested in that service.

McDonald's $1 tea. Internet is free at McDonalds. 

I was asking about ideas that would not get too boring, and understand about the food.

eta:  I think internet at home is something I want enough to pay for, I am just between things and not sure if it is a contract or worth paying to connect etc.  I hope to be back to renting a room and working in KC soon.

[Deleted]

Oct 10, 2015 10:31:19 GMT -5 laterbloomer said:

How low could you get your food bill and still feel like you ate healthy and enjoyed your food? I have little idea on this one. I was eating healthy and now eat a lot of bad but convenient food choices.

I see a lot of people say stuff like this and I don't really get it. Since the girls have all been gone I haven't eat anything processed that I can think of and it is as convenient as anything I've ever had. It's even faster than "fast food" when I count in the time to go get it and wait in line. What are you referring to as convenient food choices?

Chips and salsa a lot.  I get tea to get on internet at McDonalds and often get the cookies because I am hungry.  I ate off the lunch wagon at work most lunches.  I eat eggs for breakfast which is healthy I think, but I wrap them in a flour tortilla.

[yogiii]

I think I already live pretty cheap, but there are things I could do if needed.  I didn't even have A/C until I was 21, so if I really had to I could go back to opening windows and live that way (but my hair really appreciates A/C). 

[Tennesseer]

Oct 10, 2015 10:35:42 GMT -5 @hickle said:

Oct 10, 2015 10:28:17 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

I suppose I could live without A/C. Southerners of long ago lived without A/C. For a number of reasons I don't open my windows so putting an electric fan in the window is out of the question.

I also imagine I could drastically cut down on food purchases. But meals would get boring rather quickly. An occassional guilty pleasure is a must.

Question: You say you have no home Internet service but right now you are posting on the Internet. What free Internet service are you using? I would be very interested in that service.

McDonald's $1 tea. Internet is free at McDonalds. 

I was asking about ideas that would not get too boring, and understand about the food.

Compared to a monthly charge for home Internet service, going to McDonald's (or anywhere else offering free Internet access) is a good deal. But even that may cost you something; gas to drive somewhere (unless within walking distance) and possibly having to purchase something at McDonald's to avail yourself of their free wi-fi service.

On a daily basis, that could add up.

[Tiny]

Well, I've always been kind of frugal - or maybe I just figured out that I don't get a constant emotional "jolt" from material things. Yeah, I do like the things I have but they don't seem to 'fill' me the way that kind of stuff 'fills' other people.

That said, I put a lot of thought into where I wanted to live (close to public transportation, an hour or less door to door commute, could I walk to a grocery store? could I get by without a car for a week or two?) I kind of treat my car and wardrobe the same way (I have a good enough car and I've been wearing a "uniform" (a unified set of clothes) to work for decades.) I don't need a super expensive car - nor do I worry if it gets dinged or slightly dented.  It's a car. I don't really need it.   I do spend money on a 'wardrobe' but I don't have a lot of clothes.  I wear the same stuff over and over and over until it needs to get replaced with something pretty much like what just wore out.     I spend more on walking shoes (I log about 4 -5  miles over the course of the day) - that's where spending really makes a difference - it doesn't matter if I'm wearing a $60 designer 'shell' T-shirt or a $10 one from Wal Mart. 

Those choices really made a huge difference in my long term financial outlook. I try not to waste food (I realized years ago I was buying and throwing away a lot of food!) I try not to buy 'entertainment type' stuff that's quickly going to turn into trash. I really HATE that conveyor belt of go to the store, buy stuff, lug it home, put it somewhere, then put it in the trash, lug it to the trash. You could also put "donate it place" in for 'trash'. That annoyance with the never ending flow of 'trash' has also made a big difference in my long term finances.

I don't have cable (I'm not home enough to watch it!), I don't have a fancy cell phone or internet plan. But I do have a bunch of season ticket subscriptions, and I have a list of things around town that I like to do. Those things pretty much suck up the yearly expense of high end cable/phone/internet.

At this point to live lean - I'd have to cut out a lot of my "entertainment/experience" type things. I don't have a lot of "fluff" in my basic budget. If I really needed to cut expenses - I'd probably have to sell some of my properties... I'd probably keep and pay off the out of state rental to live in. I need 12K a year to 'live in' my primary house - I'd need about 6K to 'live in' the out of state rental house (weather I paid it off or not the mortgage PI is so low).

[Deleted]

Oct 10, 2015 10:52:33 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Oct 10, 2015 10:35:42 GMT -5 @hickle said:

McDonald's $1 tea. Internet is free at McDonalds. 

I was asking about ideas that would not get too boring, and understand about the food.

Compared to a monthly charge for home Internet service, going to McDonald's (or anywhere else offering free Internet access) is a good deal. But even that may cost you something; gas to drive somewhere (unless within walking distance) and possibly having to purchase something at McDonald's to avail yourself of their free wi-fi service.

On a daily basis, that could add up.

I was renting a room in Kansas City and had internet there.  I lost job, but hope to go back in January or sooner.  I am moving between the house I came home to on weekends to a house I had rented out.  I am not sure what to do about renting it out.  I also do not know about fees to get internet and if it is worth it for a couple of months.

What I do is definitely not  practical for many.  It just works for me kind of.  I got rid of all my furniture, so I also get to sit on a chair at McDonalds. which is nice.

[Deleted]

I already live really cheaply if you don't count my mortgage which is insane.  It's the kids that I splurge on.  Once they (and the mortgage) are gone, I think my needs will be pretty small.  I don't have cable, or landline, buy very little in clothes, don't care about home decor things, and could probably get by on $150/month in groceries. 

[Deleted]

I got rid of all my furniture, so I also get to sit on a chair at McDonalds. which is nice.

LOL

[Tiny]

Hickle, isn't there some sort of device that you can rent/buy that does the wifi thing... my traveling 'salesman' brother had one for a while - he used it at my house since he couldn't get connected to my wifi - he plugged this little box in to his laptop and he was good to go.

I think I saw something like that advertised on late night TV (big red flag right there! but it doesn't mean there isn't a reliable/secure way to get something like that). Wish I could remember what it was called. Basically you take your WiFi with you where ever you go.

FWIW: that might be a double edged blade... in that NOT having to go out and potentially interact with other people (even strangers) can be isolating. Yeah, you've got the internet but it's not the same as human interaction.

So, going to McD's or other 'free wifi' area might serve more than just the purpose of being frugal and getting the internet

[Tiny]

Oct 10, 2015 11:03:27 GMT -5 laterbloomer said:

I got rid of all my furniture, so I also get to sit on a chair at McDonalds. which is nice.

LOL

All he needs is a couple of 'bag chairs' and a milk crate (or wooden fruit crate) with a bit of wood for the top (a large cutting board does the trick!) and he's set.   Indoor/outdoor seating that's easy to move around (you can always abandon the crate when you move.)  

You don't need 'furniture' as per se.

[Tennesseer]

Oct 10, 2015 10:59:05 GMT -5 @hickle said:

Oct 10, 2015 10:52:33 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Compared to a monthly charge for home Internet service, going to McDonald's (or anywhere else offering free Internet access) is a good deal. But even that may cost you something; gas to drive somewhere (unless within walking distance) and possibly having to purchase something at McDonald's to avail yourself of their free wi-fi service.

On a daily basis, that could add up.

I was renting a room in Kansas City and had internet there.  I lost job, but hope to go back in January or sooner.  I am moving between the house I came home to on weekends to a house I had rented out.  I am not sure what to do about renting it out.  I also do not know about fees to get internet and if it is worth it for a couple of months.

What I do is definitely not  practical for many.  It just works for me kind of.  I got rid of all my furniture, so I also get to sit on a chair at McDonalds. which is nice.

Ouch.

I don't know how much you spend at McDonald's but you might want to look into a cheap wi-fi service like Boingo ($9.95 a month). I have thought about looking into it further but have not done so as of yet.

Boingo Wireless

Boingo

[weltschmerz]

I'd move to Bhutan, where I can rent a house for $18 a month. I'd have to watch out for tigers when I go outside to the open-pit toilet, but I can work around it.

[Shooby]

If I had the basics like food and shelter covered, then I don't need a whole lot more. Would need to have internet access and a computer. I could live without cable or even a cell phone.  My hobbies don't cost a lot of money so that isn't much of a problem. I could cook from scratch as I enjoy doing that as well. For clothes, I could shop consignment if need be. And, I don't need anymore "stuff" or knick knacks.

[Ava]

It depends in great part on where you live and how much available time you have on your hands. Right now you are unemployed, which means you have the time to do things like look for the best prices or cook from scratch.

Once you are working again (hopefully very soon) it becomes more difficult to be frugal because you want the convenience of a cooked meal and you don't have the time to search for deals.

But even if you are busy working there's always the low-hanging fruit such as cheap cell phone plan and avoid the landline, cut the cable and watch Netflix (love my Netflix), go to the library for good books that will provide hours of entertainment. In nice weather going to the park or the beach is quite a treat and only cost you a little gas. Packing lunch to bring to work is also easy; a sandwich and an apple would do and saves you tons of money compared to buying every day, if you do it consistently.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Oct 10, 2015 11:08:32 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Oct 10, 2015 10:59:05 GMT -5 @hickle said:

I was renting a room in Kansas City and had internet there.  I lost job, but hope to go back in January or sooner.  I am moving between the house I came home to on weekends to a house I had rented out.  I am not sure what to do about renting it out.  I also do not know about fees to get internet and if it is worth it for a couple of months.

What I do is definitely not  practical for many.  It just works for me kind of.  I got rid of all my furniture, so I also get to sit on a chair at McDonalds. which is nice.

Ouch.

I don't know how much you spend at McDonald's but you might want to look into a cheap wi-fi service like Boingo ($9.95 a month). I have thought about looking into it further but have not done so as of yet.

Boingo Wireless

Boingo

Isn't this the service in airports?  I've used it a couple times, not impressed with it at the airports.

This message is at the bottom of the sign up.


Boingo Wireless is not a home Internet service provider.

[Tennesseer]

Oct 10, 2015 12:37:35 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

Oct 10, 2015 11:08:32 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Ouch.

I don't know how much you spend at McDonald's but you might want to look into a cheap wi-fi service like Boingo ($9.95 a month). I have thought about looking into it further but have not done so as of yet.

Boingo Wireless

Boingo

Isn't this the service in airports?  I've used it a couple times, not impressed with it at the airports.

This message is at the bottom of the sign up.


Boingo Wireless is not a home Internet service provider.

I was thinking more in line of not having to purchase anything at McDonald's or anywhere else.

[The Captain]

I'd have to divorce DH.  Then I could live very cheaply indeed.

I would want to keep internet but could easily ditch TV.  DH can't live without TV, or pinball machines, or roller coaster trips, or...

But then I'd have to pay someone to give me foot rubs.  I think I've mentioned DH gives amazing foot rubs.

Nah, it's probably cheaper to stay married. 

In all seriousness, while I truly respect minimalists, I appreciate my comforts too much to give them up if I can honestly afford them.

[Deleted]

I track our expenses by category, mostly so I know how we can cut back in a bad year in the market, or if we have heavy unexpected expenses.

First, our travel budget is insane. We could eliminate the one big long-distance trip we do every year and most of the others. Two destinations are non-negotiable: road trips to see the granddaughter (3 hours away) and the annual road trip to Myrtle Beach to see my parents and other family in the area.

Second, our charitable budget exceeds the travel budget. I'm OK with that. If we can afford to be swilling free booze in Business-Class airline lounges, we can darn well afford to give some money away. If things got lean, I'd cut both.

We could go down to one car without much pain since we're both retired.  No car payments, though, and the older one probably isn't worth more than $3,000.

Clothing and restaurant expense are negligible.  We could go for a couple of years without buying clothing, and as it is we don't spend much now. 

DH doesn't want a smartphone.  Mine runs $51/month and will be less if I get around to switching to Ting.  I own the phone.

Other utilities:  we just got a new furnace with a very high efficiency rating and the electric company gave us a free thermostat that lets their computer cut our A/C on and off in 15-minute intervals at times of peak demand.  It comes with a very user-friendly smartphone app that lets us turn off the system while we're gone (with limits as to how hot/cold the house can get) and fire it up again on our way home.  Our new house is in a very quiet area so we can FINALLY open the windows instead of using A/C sometimes.  Our electric bills are already showing a decrease.

Gifts, etc.  Last year we stuck $6K in a 529 account for our granddaughter.  This year has been a huge cash drain- we spent a lot fixing up the old house to sell and spent more making the house we bought just what we want.  We also took DS, DDIL and our granddaughter to a family wedding (2-day road trip, plus rental of an SUV for baby paraphernalia) and are paying part of the airfare to get them to Myrtle Beach at Christmas.  We put another $1K into the 529 this year; I hope to be more generous next year.

Harder to cut:  Internet, cable TV, groceries, alcohol.  My gym membership.  We love 'em all.

[Cookies Galore]

We live relatively cheapish. We live in a cheap for our area apartment ($920 a month vs. $1200 a month average rent for a one bedroom), our heat/hot water is also included with rent. Electric ranges from $25-$80 ($25 for most of the year, more in summer). Even without having a heating bill, we still keep the hest low and I try not to turn on AC until July 1, buy that is a personal preference (hate AC, love fresh air).
We don't have cable and I have no desire to get it. We pay for Amazon Prime and we use our friends' Netflix account. We are saving for a house, so we have dropped some of our eating out budget.
Running and triathlons are our hobbies, but we try to do those on the cheap. I buy my sneakers twice a year and male those purchases when I get extra money (birthday money in September, retroactive raise in February). I also am selective about what races i sign up for. I either sign up for cheap ones or if signing up for an expensive one then I make sure to register the day it opens so I can get the early price. The Philly Half marathon is not exactly cheap, but I'd rather pay $80 then $130!
I do take public transit to work and my employer pays for my pass, so that saves $101 a month. Employer also offers free parking, so even if I drove that's another cost savings.

[Deleted]

Oct 10, 2015 14:17:16 GMT -5 Cookies Galore said:

I also am selective about what races i sign up for. I either sign up for cheap ones or if signing up for an expensive one then I make sure to register the day it opens so I can get the early price. The Philly Half marathon is not exactly cheap, but I'd rather pay $80 then $130!

Yeah, race fees can add up. I did 5 charity bike rides this summer, each 35+ miles, and I refuse to hit friends and family up for donations. The minimum for the MS ride is $500. I just donate it and take the deduction. That one would disappear first in lean times.