How do u live on $700/month, truly?

[JDub]

Check out the local sales circular (Nickle Saver type), there are often ads for home grown veggies and fruits placed by gardeners. In my area you always see ads for homegrown sweet potatoes, tomatoes, collards, turnips, mustard greens, okra, peppers, etc. Cheap. Eggs too.

I grow quite a few veggies, herbs, and fruits and I have to give away a lot of it - you should see me trying to get rid of figs in season. BAGS of them (and chiles, and eggplant, and cukes). I don't know how organic the produce being offered are, but as for me, I only use home made compost, water, and soap and water mix (for pests). I suspect a lot of folks are about the same.

Cheers!

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Spend $10 on vegetables and your are good for a week.

A salad is my main meal for the day. It contains a wide variety of veggies. I cannot make 7 salads for less than $18 - $20 a week using 'pesticide laced' veggies, 'organic' are 15% - 20% more.

 

[shadowmoss]

If people are any place near Phoenix, Tucson, or Nogales Arizona check out https://borderlandsproducerescue.org/ for vegetables. They have rescued vegetables and on Saturdays in Tucson and Phoenix churches take turns distributing 70 lbs of vegetables for $15. In Nogales, AZ they have a warehouse where you can go pay a small fee and get lots of veggies. A lot of it is organic.

I would go get a load at a church around Phoenix on Saturdays and give it away at my RV park. It would fill the trunk of my Mazda 3.

 

[user 22017]

If people are any place near Phoenix, Tucson, or Nogales Arizona check out https://borderlandsproducerescue.org/ for vegetables. They have rescued vegetables ...

Amazing program. Thanks for the link.

 

[eDJ_]

I know people in Ohio who are single and getting $200 a month in food stamps, or at least they say they are. And to add to that if qualify for them you can apply and get a free Cell Phone which will be for some kind of smart phone with unlimited talk, text, and anymore unlimited data. Those who own their own Cell that uses a sim card would receive a new sim from the free provider. There is also the free food commodity distribution once a week and many of the grocery stores offer a Friday "freebie" item when you shop there. Early shoppers may find a treasure of marked down items.

If you apply for a Library Card and install Overdrive or Hoopla on your computer or Cell there are all kinds of books & magazines. The Library websites contain so many in their digital archives such as repair manuals for vehicles, generators, and about anything else you can think of. There are magazines galore on Overdrive & Hoopla. If you aren't with a residence.....have some proof you are a residence of a state you are applying for the Library card. You can get a digital Library card (you can't check out books) but can use the website and all the digital resources such as Overdrive & Hoopla & online resources. You will get a PIN number assigned with your digital Library card. Look into it and see what all is available to you.

To add, I'm watching AgDay on TV and they are stating that food prices will rise 7 to possibly 8% in 2022. Same with restaurant prices.

 

[WanderingRose]

I know people in Ohio who are single and getting $200 a month in food stamps, or at least they say they are. And to add to that if qualify for them you can apply and get a free Cell Phone which will be for some kind of smart phone with unlimited talk, text, and anymore unlimited data.

Yes, food stamps are an option tho one’s eligibility is based on income as well as fixed expenses such as rent and utilities.

I know a single woman living in subsidized housing who has SSDI, only, and gets about $200 in food stamps each month as well.

I would suspect a single person getting $200 a month in food stamps has traditional shelter costs, rather than living in their vehicle, but I don’t know for certain.

Food pantries are a different story, and the ones in my area are open to anyone who needs food, tho they are not open every day and there are limits to frequency of use. Every community seems to have one.

Cell phones with limited use for those income-eligible can be obtained for $10 a month, is what I understand, and they are made available because we no longer have pay phones.

 

[Vegan Vanner]

I started this thread on 1/30/22. As of today you all contibuted 158 replies/insights/thoughts!
I am very grateful for every one of them! There seems to be quite a lot of interest in the subject.
One small typo correction here if I may (with apologies) - my $700 are from SS, not SSI (which led some to the assumption that I am on disability).
I learned that we're all just trying to do our best to get by - whatever our personal circumstances may be.
I learned that somewhere around $1,500 permits a decent, albeit very frugal lifestyle.
I can't get by on $700, unless I live under a bridge. My original intent with this thread was to see if I could get by (with your input) on said $700/month, but alas... So, while in my mid-70s, I still have to work ~6 months (summer/fall) to create enough additional income to bring my monthly average up to some $1,300. Winter is spent on public land in the south.
Thankfully, I'm still able to work.
Let's keep the thread going.
Thanks again.

 

[MortimerEbinesr]

I didn't see a car in line that cost less than 30K. I bought my only vehicle 12 years ago, for $1500, it's a '86 ford F-250 & I eat anything I want to. & I donate to the local food bank during the holidays, maybe I should make a commitment for a monthly donation. In my own defense, I don't have any debt, I save for the things I can't afford today & try to live within my means, even though the government say I live at the national poverty level. Being poor doesn't mean you have to live like you're poor. I had planed to head south in the middle of october last year. but got covid in september & was delayed for several months. In april I'd had enough of the wind & rain on the coast in Washington, and headed to Arizona, spent some time in Quartzsite, & ended up in Texas for a week. Over 6 thousand miles and over 4k spent, most of it on gas. I don't have a mortgage, wife or kids, I do have a credit card that I use for online purchases that I can decline if services or products aren't delivered. I get under $1500 a month & still am able to save 1/2 of that. So I ask, how many of those ppl in line actually need a handout. Or maybe more in need of a knowlege of how to create a budget and get out of debt. Several years ago I found out if you couldn't pay cash for a vehicle, you couldn't afford one. The banks don't want to hear that one.

 

[GEAUX- PRIUS Cowboy]

O how nice it would be to live off a fixed income. My 30 years of working in sales has had me at the highest highs and lows lows (with money). It would be so nice and predictable to have a consistent stream of income so I could budget properly. Even if its not much.

So I have been practicing reducing any costs to live and saving for whatnot. So far I came up with 1000-1500 a month would be very comfortable. But just yesterday I wanted to calculate how low I could really go living on the road if I found free land to stay at and did less driving. The below assumes no vehicle payment and $$$ saved for emergency repairs and whatnot.

Car ins- 100
Phone- 100
food/Msc- 300
gas- 200
=700
I quite likely could cut food costs and gas usage even more.

The one thing ill need to figure out is health insurance. Which would be a big chunk to add since i am not close to retirement age, but you don't have to have insurance.

Comfort is me sitting by a fire in the woods with no-one around. Pure Gold!

My regular outs are <$300 a month. That's average, I got hit hard in May. 6 months insurance due $245. Cellphone year $180. In my budget is $6.50 month drink sub circle k, $50 home internet T Mobile. One tank of $4 gallon gas.$100 utilities that the lowest it can go is $42.

I own what I have outright. Prius V Car, home in a decent small town, so I do my best to get my climate control from grid . (Ok dude why post this on van-lifers forum?) Answer= I'm one natural disaster away from living out of my car I loose this place I'm like CHUCK.

I do things a lot wouldn't think of. I cook a large meal weekly, in my pressure cooker outside. Do so because I'm removing heat in my house why use a PORTABLE cooking device indoors in the summer. Same logic for your van-life you don't make cold you remove heat. So A. Don't allow heat to be introduced, by seeking shade, park in spot someone just left that spot isn't going to heat your ride from the underside.

Living on grid is the life, I've spent decades driving truck, and off grid. Worse I had a huge truck that nobody wants in their parking lot so I couldn't buy groceries that easily.

If I am forced off grid I guess I would get camping permit from the state (Don't know what that's all about just learned about it today.)Try my best to live off the land. I've heard of living out of a sail boat. Again this has hidden red tape just like van-life. For the land of the free you learn the free cost you fuel to stay there. I'm on an island that I spend months on . So my fuel budget is righteous. Do my best to never get below half tank and I pay attention to news of a spike in price.

"Remember boys and girls, Where's there's a will, there's a lawsuit. ", Lare father in law James Tillman.

 

[flaggit]

I go to Baja California, Mexico. I get to a free or minimum cost beach and live off rice, bean, fish and low cost fruits and vegetables. Gas, food, water, repairs, medical, RX and all services
are all cheaper south of the border.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Looking at my monthly spending for the first 6 months of this year:

Food - $266 (up 20% from last year)​

Gas - $112 ( up 56%)​

Phone/internet - $39​

Truck insurance + umbrella - $100​

Medical (mostly co-pays and meds) - $116 (two ER visits)​

Misc - $95​

Total = $728

- My diet is heavy in fresh veggies, dairy and meat; no starches, very limited processed foods.
- gas percent up is cost/gallon; I drove about 200 miles/month.
- ER visits are non-reoccurring but it happened so I included it.
- Misc covers a lot of stuff from laundry to new wiper blades for my truck.
- Didn't include expenses for my dog - $90

Did I miss anything?
There are a few things I could reduce to get below $700 (ER visits skew the results). Without a healthy emergency fund I would be one major problem from disaster.

 

[bullfrog]

There are probably several drawing Social Security or that worked jobs that did not participate in Social Security and didn’t meet the qualifications to receive it. I worked as a teacher several years that did not count towards Social Security but fortunately do not draw teacher’s retirement because that would prevent me from getting any or very little Social Security I believe. I had a long working career and still work seasonally at almost 71 years old. My jobs were low paying for the most part so even though I worked more than 35 years in jobs that paid into Social Security and had enough quarters I still get less than $1,000 a month after they take out for Medicare.

 

[Gypsyjoe#1]

The American dream wasn’t that everyone would be well off. It’s that everyone has the same opportunity to become well off. Some people will try things and fail, some will be more successful but that is how life is and what motivates people to try harder. Unless someone has a disability then we should help those people out. I can’t believe the salaries they are paying even for menial work these days. And yet businesses can’t find enough workers.

Just curious if someone here is living on a $700 a month salary. Not that that is all they are spending, but that is all they are getting? For some people money isn’t that important so they don’t spend their lives trying to accumulate it. It never was for me. But I did work hard and I made sure I stayed out of debt and paid my bills. But I can’t complain because I don’t have as much as someone who spent their lives trying to make more and accumulate more money. You reap what you sow. I’m content and don’t need a brand new car and big house to be happy. But if someone needs those things they should work for them. Everyone has their own priorities.

I can't say that it is $700 per month, but I have a income of less than $800 per month and live just fine on that income. I have to watch my p's and q's, but I do not go hungry and live just fine.

 

[bullfrog]

I can’t see finding any conventional housing without assistance being less than $700 a month. Even a full hookup lot where you pay for electricity use is going to be several hundred dollars. Even making bare unimproved land work is going to be much more than BLM long term stay costs and would take several years to make it worthwhile. Lots of Californians headed to Mexico are causing costs to rise there as well. Working at an easy job with a cheap full hookup lot ($50 a month) while living in our old paid for RV has worked well for us and even with higher prices should allow us to continue to live cheaply and save. A boondocking lot at Caballo Loco at a $1,000 a year plus fuel/solar/propane would be close to BLM as you could get, but still more as 8 miles of dirt road has costs. If you are single or two people traveling independently pretty much then maybe a Prius and a tent could work. There are people out there on electric bikes with solar trailers having problems living on less than $500 a month, something to think about! I picked up a cheap trailer for my bike just in case! Lol!!!

 

[rruff]

I can’t see finding any conventional housing without assistance being less than $700 a month.

2 bd apartments average ~$800 nationwide. For $400 you can get a roommate and you have a room all to yourself! Sure some places are a lot more, but others are less. And I bet you could find some very viable living situations for $200/mo in poorer areas. I don't know about housing assistance, but in most states you can get free food and medical if you are below the poverty line.

I'd rather be mobile than planted though. Hard to own a vehicle on a low budget unless you also live in it.

Living cheap can be done... but whether an individual can tolerate the lifestyle or not is another matter. Many years ago I decided to drastically reduce my living standard, because the freedom I craved would only be obtained by getting rich... which is hard, or living poor... which is easy. I didn't know if I could tolerate giving up so many things I was accustomed to, but I surprisingly didn't miss any of it. YMMV.

I like the ebike and trailer idea! I think that would be fun. You could build a pop-up trailer just big enough to haul your stuff and also crawl into to sleep or read. Should be able to go just about anywhere with that, if you do it right.

 

[bullfrog]

A several years ago it was possible to find cheaper apartments but with utilities and insurance it was well above my $800 income so I bought a 9x12 tent, a cot/sleeping bag, a kerosene heater, a wood picnic table, camp stove, ice box, lantern, couple 5 gallon containers and a mallet/hand axe. I put that all in and on an old Jeep and headed to the remote back country. After getting a job in town I moved to a state park nearer town and did camp hosting on one of my days off for a reduced rate seasonal campsite (6 months). Worked well for me. Some things are easier today and some things are harder but it is still possible to live cheaply.

 

[bullfrog]

In those areas like Park City Utah (a ritzy ski town) most workers practice the “hot bed” principle in which you basically rent a place to sleep for 8 hours, a sink, maybe a shower and share community meals. As many are cooks meals are pretty good. A two bedroom apartment will be shared by at least 4 and sometimes 8 people. It works best if one set has a day shift and the other a night shift. You are only there for meals and sleep. A $2,000 a month apartment becomes $250 a month which is about what a good waiter makes in tips a night there. J1 internationals have been doing it for years as they work 2 jobs back to back. 16 hour days and 6 to 8 hours sleep.

 

[Hybrid-000]

In June 2022---things are much different. Inflation-gas-cost of everything through the roof. I don't know how you guys do it. I am still working at 72, but I hope to retire by this winter.

 

[bullfrog]

I am almost 71 and “retired” at 53 years old for a few years, traveled and found easy jobs which I enjoyed doing that allowed me to live in a National Recreational Area I really liked. You can only live here year round if you work here. Keeping healthy and active is key but the people that work here enlightened me to a world that I never knew existed. Coolworks.com has lots of different types of jobs most of which have housing or a full hook up site. Being flexible and able to understand and adapt to different work and living situations while having the ability to literally “walk away” from ones you don’t like gives you a great sense of freedom. Since you basically have your housing paid for you can save money by living cheaply to a point you can In most cases survive. Good health or good health insurance is key but there are several people that are not healthy still doing them, so it can be done. Many people that have lived in poverty are surprised to find out they can actually save money living this way as they have become so used to being financial slaves to a piece of real estate, rented or owned. Most seasonal workers get free housing/internet/uniforms and employee discounts while bringing home a paycheck each week they can save money. Problem is much of the housing is sub standard or shared so you have to put up with living this way until you are able to have your own mobile living quarters which solves the one thing that prevents most people from doing this. If you can get health insurance/medication, phone, vehicle insurance (vehicles are a large expense many do without), laundry and personal needs below $700 a month then you can save about $1,000 a month easily and possibly up to $1,400 every month for 6 months which would allow you to “retire” 6 months. In many cases people just travel to another seasonal job and save to take year long trips. One of the main reasons this site is here is to show you can survive cheaply without rent or owning real estate cheaply but $700 a month is just surviving for many. Seasonal work allows some to thrive. Just saying. Sorry for the long post.

 

[rruff]

Seasonal work allows some to thrive.

I made enough working as a waiter for 7 months at a national park, to last 5 years not working at all... That was 20 years ago, though...

The example you gave above regarding Park City; just working 5 days a week (152 days in 7 months) for $200/day gives you a gross of $30k, and much of it you don't need to claim for taxes... maybe $3k you'll owe? Keep your living expenses to ~ $7k total ($1000/mo) and you have +$20k in your pocket.