cheapest budget

[Willy]

$300-400/month.

 

[offroad]

Just find it good to know you can live on $7000 a year (linked article in my last post) but do not have to.<br /><br />Discussion centers around grandparents doing well on a little over $5000 a year, back in the 40s to 50s.&nbsp; But thinking adjusted for inflation that may be the $12000 of today.&nbsp; Pure speculation on my part.

 

[josephusminimus]

Just find it good to know you can live on $7000 a year (linked article in my last post) but do not have to.<br /><br />Discussion centers around grandparents doing well on a little over $5000 a year, back in the 40s to 50s.&nbsp; But thinking adjusted for inflation that may be the $12000 of today.&nbsp; Pure speculation on my part.

<br /><br />The cats and I are surviving now on around $9000 per year, landline phone and utilities being what will go away when I hit the road, but will be replaced by more gasoline costs, maybe more than the landline phone and electricity here.<br /><br />Seems to me it's going to be a matter of letting the size of the money after absolute minimum necessities determine how long it takes to drive somewhere.&nbsp; Maybe having to wait for the next month for fuel money to go on toward the destination.

 

[sl1966]

I had read on a blog that there's a guy who lives on $200 a month. Although the guy and his ride both looked like they had seen better days. He didn't seem any less happy for it, so each his own!<br /><br />

 

[AvitorJake]

I'm going to make an another addition to this. This is my revised budget if I were to buy a relatively "new" class C Motor home. Gas is lower than usual because I plan to park it at a lot and keep it there unless I'm ready to move out<br /><br />RV Payment: 500<br />RV Ins: 0<br />Gas: 120(Pulling personal car behind rig, full tank is $60 per 2 weeks.)&nbsp;<br />Comm: 0<br />Lot: 550-400<br />Food: 150<br /><br />Total: 1,320 per Month on busy Seasons-1,170 during off Seasons..<br />Which equalizes out to be 8.25 per hour to survive. Working full time.&nbsp;<br /><br />I'm scared honestly. The thought of moving out from under the parent's wing is appealing but I don't want to move out without being prepared.&nbsp;<br /><br /><br />Best Regards,<br /><br />Jake

 

[peacetara]

Hi Jake,<br /><br />I wish you success!!&nbsp; I couldn't imagine paying $550/month for a place to park, but if it works for you, yay! <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"><br /><br /><br />@yesican I only mentioned my personal expenses, 4 kids are not included in any of the numbers, they are a $2k/month expense.&nbsp; I work full-time, it's the only way to pay for the kids!<br /><br />

 

[AvitorJake]

I posted it up at 550 per month because of the location-right on the bay.<br /><br />As the old saying goes, location, location, location.<br /><br />It's worth every penny in my book.&nbsp;

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

My Current Budget<br /><br />In new apartment:<br />Rent: 250<br />Insurance: 45<br />Net: 50<br />Water/Sewage: 40<br />Power: 30 (haven't seen winter bill yet)<br />Gas: 60<br />Food: 200 (i really need to get this down...)<br />: 675<br /><br />Old Cabin:<br />Rent: 200<br />Insurance: 45<br />Water: 32<br />Power: 25 (up to 60 in coldest months <img src="/images/boards/smilies/frown.gif" alt="" align="absmiddle" border="0" />)<br />Gas: 40<br />Food: 125 (Interesting to note, i had a tiny dorm fridge and no stove...)<br />: 467<br /><br />You might wonder why i moved into the apartment, if it costs more.&nbsp; Well there is little danger of a tree falling on the apartment and I can have internet, which isnt available at the cabin, and there were issues with my landlord being my boss.&nbsp; <br /><br />Van Expenses (as best i can guess, hopefully within a year or at most two)<br />Insurance: 55 (im guessing an increase from my minivan)<br />Gas: 80 (much worse mpg but i plan to travel infrequently)<br />Propane: 40-50 (in winter)<br />Food: 100 (going based off the cabin)<br />: 275-285<br /><br />Of course, the van budget doesnt include start up money (substantial) for conversion and maintenance/repair and i plan to get AAA.&nbsp; The whole point for me is to be saving tho, as ill be retaining the same job (1200 take home..), so i should have some cushion for maintenance issues.&nbsp; Ive used most of my savings into the van right now, but it just means im moving some plans around.<br /><br />

 

[AvitorJake]

Hey,<br /><br />I'd like to share some advice to everyone here.<br />Is anyone familiar with the term debt "snowballing?"<br /><br />I read the term and never quite really understood it at first. After making payments for insurance and phone bill I think I have an idea how it works in reality. It is very interesting in theory and practice and can really help save you or anyone you know A TON of money in the long run.&nbsp;<br /><br />Let me give you an example on how it works:<br /><br />J has a cell phone bill of 55.00 per month. He pays 55.00 and has another month of service.&nbsp;<br />J decides to save another 55.00 dollars and applies it towards his phone. Now there's 2 months of Service.<br />J saves up another 110.00 from the two months he didn't pay phone bills and applies it; Another 2 months of service.<br /><br />During those 4 months, J is not making any payments and can apply that money elsewhere.&nbsp;<br /><br />I apologize if I didn't state it all that well. If you have any more questions, DM and I'll explain it in more detail.&nbsp;<br /><br />Essentially, your paying more up front but your saving more in the long run. Taking the money you saved from the months where payments were not made and applying it to the debt to the point where you either have a years worth of phone service or you no longer in debt!<br /><br /><br />Best Regards,<br /><br />Jake<br /><br />

 

[yesican]

Debt snowball...I'm doing it right now...<br /><br />&nbsp; I took my income, subtracted living expenses, then minimum payments on remaining debts---then I applied everything left from my income to the smallest debt.&nbsp; When that debt was paid off, all of what was paid on that went onto the next smallest debt and when that was paid off, all from that debt and the first debt went to the thrid, and so on...Each time one bill got paid off, I was able to make a significantly bigger payment on the next.&nbsp; Tomorrow, I will pay off my last "old" loan and have only&nbsp;a land and a&nbsp;car payment left.&nbsp; Lord willing my health holds out, I should be out of debt middle of next year.&nbsp; <br />&nbsp; To help with the debt snowball, I keep reducing the amount of living expenses, such as decreasing cell phone, internet, insurance payments, etc.&nbsp; Gas is killing me as I drive for a living.&nbsp; The price of a gallon dropped to $4.29/gallon a few days ago...<br />&nbsp; The whole idea of getting out of debt is being able to live the vandwelling life.&nbsp; I'm almost there!&nbsp; <br />Rae

 

[Annie W]

After Bob posted those two $600-1000 monthly Budget amounts, & asking here in the Forum,
wanted to have some more input, - so what do you know HERE is that discussion... maybe UPDATE it with today's figures

 

[Riverman]

2012 thread

 

[John61CT]

Yes, Annie you going for some kind of zombie thread resurrection record here?

 

[Smitty716]

I remeber 60 cent gas , them were the good ole days

 

[Dingfelder]

IGBT,<br /><br />80% on rent IS pretty bad, but it is the way that many are forced to live, as landlords raise rents and businesses do not raise wages.<br /><br />I remember living in Santa Fe, NM in the mid-90s.&nbsp; My husband worked in an art gallery, and I worked for a construction firm as an office manager (My paintings were not selling enough to bring in a consistent income, sadly)<br /><br />My husbands entire salary, including commissions went into rent, and mine went into living expenses.&nbsp; We lived in a tiny one bedroom apartment.&nbsp; It was the nature of the place.&nbsp; Not all cities are owned by absentee landlords, but more and more are.

Yeah this is getting perilously close to common in big cities these days.  In L.A. I think it's 70% in many neighborhoods.  Same problem -- pay rates rarely rise, work is never guaranteed, and landlords raise the rent every year.  In some places, rent raises are capped unless they kick you out, so ... sometimes they kick you out, and not long after have a new tenant in at a greatly increased rate.  It can be very tough to just hang on, forget getting ahead.

 

[Deb_A]

My first serious job paid $60/wk. $50/month at my parent's house for food and lodging (I also did some chores), and the rest for whatever I wanted. My first job after I became a single mom paid $77 a week, brought home about $275 a month. I sometimes got some overtime, but it wasn't every week. $20 a week went to child care, and I lived in government housing that was $99 a month with all utilities included. Bus fare was $12 a month. I don't remember what I spent for groceries, but we didn't go hungry. There was very little left over for anything extra, though. Everything left over went to buy clothes and stuff for my son.