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Ironic But Just today a story ran about living cheep <BR> Heres the story . <BR><br><P>Glenn Morrissette, 42, wrote in to say that he lives on just $11,000 a year, and he does it by living full-time in an RV. As a result, he pays no rent, needs no car, and can live wherever he wants. Unlike Joseph Fonseca, the writer we profiled in our "Living Well on $20,000 a Year" article, Morrissette has health insurance. A professional musician, he can work by computer from any location. He might not have a family support, as the<A href="http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/113561/secret-living-well-40000-Year-usnews" data-rapid_p="7" target=_blank><FONT color=#005090> teacher living on $40,000 a year does</FONT></A>, but we thought Morrissette's story was interesting enough to share. We spoke with Morrissette, who is currently in New Jersey, about his lifestyle, which he also describes on his blog, <A href="http://www.tosimplify.net/" data-rapid_p="8" target=_blank><FONT color=#005090>To Simplify</FONT></A>. Excerpts:</P><P><b>Why did you decide to live in an RV?</b></P><P>I had an apartment in Burbank and was the typical Los Angeles apartment dweller. I started to feel a strong desire to simplify my life. I had a garage full of stuff I never used, my closets were full, and I started to see that it was costing me money to have an apartment big enough to hold all the stuff I never use.</P><P></P><TABLE style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 3px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 10px" width=200 align=left><TBODY><TR><TD style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 3px"><IMG alt="Glenn Morrissette" src="http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/5/49/549a62852f8ada3f5b045c3d03c03de2.jpeg" width=250 height=167></TD></TR><TR><TD style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 3px"><B>Glenn Morrissette</B></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><br><P></P><P>My initial plan was to scale back and move into a smaller apartment. Before long, I realized I didn't need too much to be happy. I could fit into a small space. That's when the RV idea occurred to me. I was just sitting in traffic and an RV pulled up. I said, "I could probably fit in that thing." The more I looked into it, the more I realized how practical it would be. For what I was paying for rent in LA, I could own my "house" free and clear and not pay rent, and own my car as well.</P><P><b>How do you stay under $11,000 a year?</b></P><P>The two key things that make it possible are not having rent or a mortgage payment. I own my RV, so that was an initial expense [of about $14,000], but I have no house or car payment. Gas is controllable; I don't drive if I don't want to. Most months, I spend less than $300 on gas. I estimate that I save about $1,000 a month compared to what I was spending in LA.</P><P><b>What do you eat?</b></P><P>I eat pretty well. I don't skimp on food. I eat a lot of grass-fed meats, fruits, and vegetables ... some people call it the caveman diet. I go to farms, farmers markets, and health food stores. I probably spend about $250 a month on food. I could spend a lot less if I didn't care about eating well.</P><P><b>Do you have health insurance?</b></P><P>Yes. I'm self-employed so I purchase my own plan. I have a high-deductible plan and pay $80 per month. It would be even cheaper if I was 28. I don't understand young people who say, "I can't afford health insurance." Last year, my appendix ruptured, and the insurance was a life-saver. I learned my lesson.</P><P><b>What about clothes?</b></P><P>I'm a pretty basic jeans and T-shirt kind of guy. I don't have to go to the office, so I don't need a wardrobe. I have nine to 10 shirts and a couple pairs of jeans. I do have a suit so I can get dolled up when I have to, but my normal wardrobe is pretty minimal. I do one load of laundry every week, and I don't see the point of owning more clothes than I can do in one load of laundry.</P><P><b>Do you spend money on entertainment?</b></P><P>I don't go out much at all. I prefer the food I make to what I get in restaurants. More often than not, I'm disappointed. I'm pretty health-conscious and I want my food to be real food, so I'm content eating what I make. The idea of spending $30 at a restaurant--that seems like four to five days' worth of food to me. Years ago, I ate out every single meal. I'm kicking myself now, if only I had invested that money instead.</P><P>I'm not a big drinker, although I drink somewhat socially. I'm a pretty simple guy. Music is my life. Even if I'm not working, if I have a free day, I will spend a big chunk doing music. It's a profession and a hobby.</P><P><b>Do you splurge on anything?</b></P><P>The food I eat. I don't feel like I'm skimping at all. It's a form of health insurance to me.</P><P>And I just try to put myself in interesting places. I'm surprised how easy it is to do that. A lot of stuff is free out there. There's a lot of beautiful scenery in this country and it doesn't cost anything just to park. You can just drive into a national forest and live there for two weeks. I always try to give myself great real estate, whether it's by an ocean, a lake, or in the center of a cool little town. So I always have a great front yard, real estate that people would pay millions of dollars for, and it doesn't cost me anything.</P><P>I'm pretty frugal otherwise, and I don't miss it. I used to be part of the whole consumerist cycle, buying stuff I didn't need, and I don't do that anymore. It's liberating. I can maximize my savings. That's true freedom, to get to the point where I can say no to work anytime I want because I have a big enough nest egg. I'm not there yet, but that's my goal.</P><P><b>Do you have a retirement account? </b></P><P>Yes, I'm an avid investor. I guard my nest egg like crowned jewels. But I don't see myself ever retiring. I love what I do. I'd much rather do what I love and live small, and enjoy life.</P>
