Anyone else living on $2,000 or less a month?
I recently started a blog about frugal living, because I wanted to provide a resource for others, but also motivation for myself to live by a budget and get out of debt. I would be interested in others' stories about how they get by on less than $2,000 a month (one income) without feeling totally deprived. You can visit my blog here: http://frugaliving.wordpress.com. I look forward to reading your comments.
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Spending less...
Ayup. My kids and I are living on less than $2000 a month. I do enjoy your blog, Lynn!
Di (a Thriller)
Only $500/month for family of 6?!
We only have two children, spend $250 for food every two weeks, and often fall short! We usually spend $110/month just for milk. Only a little over a year ago, we only needed $160 every two weeks... We do, however, manage to live on less than $2000/month. No problem if you have a tiny mortgage and no other debts.
I am trying to figure out what it would take to only have $50 in utilities... We are now paying 11.5 cents per kwH. Those $50 would buy only 435 kwH around here! Even during spring/fall, we never use less than 750 kwh/month. During the summer our usage jumps to 1200-1300 kwh (Have to have an A/C in the humid South
). And in the winter... Well, living in an all electric house, our usage in the winter months can be as much as 1800 kwh!
My recommendation for frugal living:
Don't incur any debt. Save up for what you need and only buy what you can afford. That goes especially for vehicles and homes
Living on a $2,000/month budget
That's right. After taxes, I live on $2,000 a month. As a young journalist now living in a rural part of the United States, I raised in an affluent area of Portland.
In the past year, it's been quite an adjustment.
When I graduated college, my parents combined income was over $175,000 a year. That's now besides the point - I now see none of that. But becoming used to a simple lifestyle has been tough. No more family trips to Europe or the Caribbean for Christmas Break. I can kiss fine wine and dinners out goodbye.
My parents paid all but $10,000 of my college, now those are subsidized as student loans.
This is how I've mapped out my monthly budget:
$2,000 monthly income
-$200/student loans
-$250/auto expenses (gas, insurance, and loan)
-$450/apartment
-$45/cell phone bill
-$200/food
-$50/utilities
-$100/Netflix, clothes, other entertainment
-$0/Internet included in apartment
_____________________________________
$1,245 = living expenses
At the end of the month, after all bills paid I am left with around $700. My parents always taught me to PAY YOURSELF before anything else. I always put $400 into an investment portfolio, $200 into an emergency savings account, and the other $150 into my travel fund.
However, with the job that I have it's difficult to get time off so I am watching that travel fund grow (though with high gas prices I might be borrowing from it soon).
What do I recommend?
-If you're going out with friends, avoid the costly drinks and drink cheap at home, then go out for a drink or 2
-Don't be picky about name brands
-Don't drink at Starbucks
-Don't join a gym, become a jogger or exercise at home
-Don't date expensive woman (I mean a girl you have to take out to pricey restaurants)
-PAY YOURSELF EVERY MONTH SO YOU CAN GET AHEAD!
Everything is possible guys
Its possible to cut down on expenses it is possible to live under 2000 month,
The only thing it really depends on the spouse if there is good cooperation between each other and both are working together to make a good budget work out then its possible I personally can do it, but but....
...and don't have children!
...and don't have children! LOL! I can't imagine food being $200 now. Sure, when I was single, no problem. Now I have 4 children and food is no less than $500/month.
As for your college: whoa! $10,000 would pay tuition for all 4 years at the university I attended!
Good advice, though. I like the paying yourself idea.
Jenny
http://heresyourtrouble.blogspot.com/
I buy very little to no
I buy very little to no meat. No, I'm not a vegetarian. LOL! I'm a rancher, so we raise beef, save one a year for ourselves. And we buy a pig every year from a friend whose daughter shows them for 4-H. Right now I have a garden so soon I can have my own tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, pepper and green beans. I did go to the store yesterday for a regular shopping trip (all I did last week was milk/bread trip) and spent $206 (and I did throw in a $17 bottle of tequila for some margaritas). Hopefully next weeks trip will be very small (milk, bread, yogurts). Cheese is killing us right now, nearly $8 for 8 cups of shredded down at Walmart. and four kids really eat the cheese up! I do, too, so I did buy any block of cheddar (my weakness, chedder on ritz crackers). But I need the rest for homemade pizza, enchiladas, burritos.
I buy nearly no junk food except for the small bag of cheetos I get each kid while in the checkout line. I don't do cookies or sweets, except for what we may make at home. We generally don't do desserts unless we have company over. Cokes are my main vice, I must have a can everyday. Since I don't drink coffee, I allow myself. I get the kids generic sprite, they may have one a day in the summer (weekends only during school). I love to fix hamburger helper (was on sale 4 for $5 the other day!) or tuna helper, but for the most part much of what I fix is from scratch (or close to it, since I don't make my own noodles or stuff like that).
Never really looked at my electric bill. So, I dug last month's out. Looks like I used 1184 for May on the house(used the AC nearly every day, we had some pretty high 90's) and an additional 154 just for our water well (yard and cattle). My total bill was $165, and if my math is right, it's about .08/kwh. I'm not all electric, we have natural gas water heater and the heat pump is dual fuel (though I have no idea when it uses the natural gas. As long as the house is warm, I don't care. LOL!).
But you don't want to know my gas bill. LOL! Let's just say I bought 2,500 gallons two months ago and hope it gets the farm thru the year.
Jenny
http://heresyourtrouble.blogspot.com/
You have to be joking right
You have to be joking right ?
$2,000 monthly income
-$200/student loans
-$250/auto expenses (gas, insurance, and loan)
-$450/apartment
-$45/cell phone bill
-$200/food
-$50/utilities
-$100/Netflix, clothes, other entertainment
-$0/Internet included in apartment
__________________________
$250 include loan ?
$450 for an apartment ? where the hell do you live on the street ? The averae 1 beddrom is around $1200-$1500 per month.
$50 for utilties ? lol
You are on drugs if you think anyone can live in a city for under $2000 a month
frugal living
I'm a missionary and have lived in 10 countries. What most people call frugal here in the states is still excessive in other parts of the world.
Simple living doesn't mean you are a simple person nor a cheapskate.
Today's society has become a disposable society and think nothing of it.
This has happened all throughout the ages.
For years my family has lived on about $3.00 a day for rent, utilities, food, clothing, gas, auto repair, personal needs etc.
The secret is in living communally or co-operatively and dividing jobs like society lived for thousands of years. It's not that difficult and is somewhat fun and challenging.
Often you don't even think of being thrifty, but more of what your needs actually are.
Stay away for TV and other brain washing media.
I could say lots more but have to pinch my time as well. ha.
John
Living under $2000
I just found this thread and wanted to say thanks to everyone for sharing your stories. My husband and I are about to go to 1 income so he can go back to school, and needless to say, I am freaked out about making it stretch. I guess I have been trying to keep up the lifestyle that I was familiar with with my parents since graduating, and at this point I need to snap to reality and cut the spending! Reading what other people have done is really helping me out...so thanks again!
Where the heck do you guys
Where the heck do you guys live where that's "more" than enough? One kid can actually save $700/month with $2,000/month income? You must not be living on the coasts. I'm in New England and you will NEVER find an apartment for $450/month! Not even a studio! I'm sure it's possible in some parts of the country, but not here. I imagine Southern California is probably the same situation as New England.
"What do I recommend? -If
"What do I recommend?
-If you're going out with friends, avoid the costly drinks and drink cheap at home, then go out for a drink or 2"
Yeah, great idea. Drink first, then drive around and get more drunk to drive home....I hope you take a cab. You have to spend some money sometimes.
Dont listen to all the
Dont listen to all the haters.
Your situation seems similar to most people your age in this country (except for the really cheap rent, most people I know split a 2 bedroom for ~$700 a piece).
That advice about pre-drinking before you go out is what ive been doing for years! Also, an old russian trick is to bring your own liquor to places-my parents bring a full bottle of goose to restaurants, my sister puts her shots in a vitamin bottle (when I saw it I cracked up), and I always bring a flask to clubs and even Dave and Busters (just pour that shit under the table or in a dark corner LOL)...
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