Minimizing Living Expenses Thread

Thanks I will

You're never gonna make it.

"Make" what?

What does that even mean?

Remind me never to let you become my 'friend'.

>Hey bro can I just live off your land for free? cool thanks! Moving in tomorrow!

>implying there aren't people who would let you keep a trailer on their unused property in return for you keeping it neat

I can tell you're definitely speaking from experience and you're not just a NEET with dreams that aren't even close to this planet

Well I don't speak from personal experience but I saw a YT vid where a dude convinced some other dude to let him build a little hut on his vacant land and live there for free in return for keeping the place neat, and he's since been living there for years with said arrangement.

Wouldn't you let someone live on your vacant land for free if it meant you didn't have to worry about it becoming overgrown and having to pay someone to maintain it for you?

Store you razor in a cup of water - blade will stay sharp for months

Razors cost 10 cents a piece

It means that whichever random user was heckling you is salty because you have different opinions. As long as you're managing your finances responsibly, there's nothing wrong with allowing yourself to indulge. If that user takes pleasure from other pursuits and would rather live an ascetic life, that's fine too.

Being a dick because you can't accept that other people want other things is just being a tard, though.

google 'early retirement extreme"

I did this for a year while studying. lived on about 1040 AUD a month so like 6-800 US in terms of living costs.

Now I make $8-1000 a week and do the same for the most part.

wtf for me it's like 60% food 32% rent 24% other expenses like clothes, and whatnot.
how do murricans eat so cheaply?

>being a consumerist is fun
Being owned by banks into your 70s must be so much fun. Working your life away for a phone you can't afford to buy cash. You go champ...
I've been living like this for over ten years (except for suits, because exec job) lived and worked in 7 countries meeting great people from all over the world, while putting away ~50% of my income.
Another 5-10 years and I won't need to work anymore, although I'll probably keep going, just because I like my job.

But I'm not owned by any banks. I have a positive networth. What are you talking about?

What's the point of money if I can't spend it on things I enjoy that improve my life?

10 cents ? R u fucking insane?

Whenever I can I ask for bags to use as garbage bags, always ask for more napkins, ask for salt/pepper/sugar/peanuts, anything optional and free.

Also I sold my smartphone, thats a fucking meme anyhow, an old phone without any idiotic apps that will make you loose focus and frugality

Thats my 2cents.

Heavy food subsidies, lots of farmland, most modern/industrial farming going around. also your rent is cheap because nobody wants to live in your poor ass country.

Hmm no one mentioned it yet:

Be homeless but with a gym membership.

You can exercise/shower/chill at the gym when you're not working/sleeping. Some gyms will provide you with a locker for your membership, so you'll have SOME safe space to store shit.

The showering bit is particularly important if you're wanting to keep/get a job.

Because hedonism has a tendency to plateau, and then you're spending money just to stay at baseline. Hardly "improving your life".

That said, if you have the discipline, you can deprive yourself just long enough to where you'll actually enjoy shit again. Save money AND actually enjoy shit when you do drop money on it.

dont marry and dont have kids
dont buy houses and buy used economy sedans
pirate everything
at that point every other expense is trivial

thinking about getting a 2004-2008 corolla when I get back from a deployment. Thoughts?

I wanted a 2005 nissan frontier but realistically I don't need a truck and want to save shekels..

What would you all buy if you needed a commuter car that is reliable and good on gas? Not looking to spend much more than $6,000

bus/job walking distance from home

well that would obviously be ideal, but not feasible at this point for me. Im in the National Guard. Sucks I have to drive one weekend a month, but then again I literally get paid to go to college so can't really complain.

I'm definitely looking to minimize my commutes when i get home though

corolla, civic, accord, etc. is great
i would get one 3 to 5 yrs old and under 100k miles so you could save up some more

So would you prefer to opt for something newer like a 2009 or 2010 for a little bit more money.. say 7-8 grand... lower mileage.....

or go for a 2005-2006 for 4-5 grand with a bit higher mileage?

keep in mind im not up to date on current prices.. the above is merely hypothetical

When buying a car just look at 2 things.

>price
>statistics about the car

if you buy a 2010 car for 8grand because "its shinny and new" and that shit let you down 3 times a year and ended up costing 3additional K/year, what's the advantage?

Get some old shit that just works/is easy to fix/is cheap to fix.

What I did is cutting. Currently I'm testing different fasting protocols and cheap diets on myself. Cut down on housing? Thats dumb nigga since I enjoy window scenery and interior decoration. Also I'm not american so my pie chart of expenses would be like:

>20% transportation
>40% food
>40% rent

>inb4 save on transportation
I live in a dangerous city and I dont want to die.

Where would you sleep? I really want to know the best way to be homeless.

You actually have to decide what is worth more to you. Your time, or money.
> be me, 18
> poor family, in debts for years due to 0 money management also couldn't work before 17 (goddamn)
> europe so free uni
> pick one in the biggest city in the country
> apply to dorms
> stay at home for the summer holidays because 0 money
> next 3 months of summer holidays spent working in callcenter because it was the biggest money/quality of living solution
> lie to father about money earned to save up and not throw it off to his liking
> have enough to survive for 3 months in the dorms
> apply for scholarship for poorfags, get monies
> after 1st semester apply for scholarship for nerdfags, get monies
> have enough money from uni to support myself living alone but still live in dorms (free internet, water and energy yo)
> work nightshifts as lowest-level sysadmin for a year
> change jobs to junior developer
> still save money
Living at the dorms if you are in the EU or country that will actually pay you to study is the best solution. Fast forward 5 years now, I manage my family budget, we got out of debts, saved enough to go for a long year trip and not worry about anything.

Jesus these people are living high on the hog.

2 look at books and education vs entertainment. Or even apparel.

No wonder this country is stupid as shit and spoonfed garbage at all times.

Fucking up senpai. Store blade in barbasol or alcohol blade will stay sharp for decades. with a good strop or running the backwards across skin to hone.

>No wonder this country is stupid as shit and spoonfed garbage at all times.
Indeed. Unfortunately we're essentially in a post-scarcity society and the only way to keep the wheels of capitalism churning is if the multitude embrace thoughtless hedonism.

A day in the life:

>22 years old
>live in apartment in new state with no friend or family connections at all
>apartment is spartan - mostly furnished item at my place is my computer desk
>No friends = no furniture required. No couch or TV. Eat, sleep, and vidya at the same $80 desk.
>walk to work
>walk to restaurants/entertainment
>walk to stores
>use company electricity to charge devices when possible
>don't use heating/cooling unless absolutely necessary
>minimize laundry/dish loads
>feels good not to have to live paycheck to paycheck

They need to take this concept and adapt it in other countries:

youtu.be/MtdupS0gRt0

i would opt for something newer yes

that is if you a grown man with a job
people on Veeky Forums often recommend the lowest shittiest beaters because they are yuropoor busriders or just neets

You're willing to eat at a restaurant but sleep at your computer desk?

he stayed soft because this aint /b/.
dude eats his own cum for protein intake.
his primarily meat is rat.

some people just operate on another level

>Be homeless but with a gym membership.
>The showering bit is particularly important if you're wanting to keep/get a job.

Where are you going to sleep?

Where are you going to store your things?

Where are you going to store/cook your food? Or are you only going to eat prepared shit?

This is fucking retarded.

You guys are autistic, you want to live like homeless people even when you don't have to just to save

Get rid of your smartphone. It only takes up your time and money. Buy a flip phone from Ting and have phone bills of $12 a month.

I would respond to you with my "DUDE WHAT buildings" picture but I already used it in the thread.

>>live in apartment in new state with no friend or family connections at all
>>apartment is spartan - mostly furnished item at my place is my computer desk
>>No friends = no furniture required. No couch or TV. Eat, sleep, and vidya at the same $80 desk.
>>walk to work
>>walk to restaurants/entertainment
>>walk to stores
>>use company electricity to charge devices when possible
>>don't use heating/cooling unless absolutely necessary
>>minimize laundry/dish loads
>>feels good not to have to live paycheck to paycheck

Wow sounds like you're living the life.

Having no friends and never going anywhere except work and home sounds fantastic.

What if I have a small dick I'm self conscious about and can't shower in front of other gym-goers?

>mfw my doctor told me I have life-threathening health issues that are only curable with exercise and I'd rather die than show my dick to strangers.

Believe it or not, not everyone needs to be around others or spend their money at bars in order to feel happy

>Believe it or not, not everyone needs to be around others or spend their money at bars in order to feel happy

Having no friends and not doing anything sounds pretty depressing desu. Especially in your early 20's.

The overnight stay in manga cafes is for people who've stayed out drinking past the last train. Nobody actually stays in them longterm outside the imaginations of foreign journalists.

Seriously think about it. Why anyone would do that when it's so much cheaper to just stay at a hostel or guest house? Just look at the prices on the sign at the start of that video.

>he knows not of comfortable nights walking the sidewalk alone listening to Nujabes

Do you have low testosterone?

This is something a man in his mid 70's would do, not an early 20's male.

Looking around on the internet, they say park benches / parking lots / wherever other homeless people are. Also couch surfing / making craigs list ads asking for sleeping space in return for cooking or whatever.

Personally (I've never been homeless) I'd try and find a comfy roof somewhere that is a little awkward to get to (to prevent rightful and not-rightful people from discovering you), with no cameras, low reason for people to even go to it, and some rain cover if possible. Get there only at the latest non-awkward time before closing (if applicable). You'd raise some eyes at shops, showing up juuuust before they close but then not buying anything / being the only customer they'd pay extra attention to you.

So find a gym that doesn't have open showers, problem solved. I don't even have a small dick, I'm not even shy or ugly, and I'd still rather die than go to an open shower...

>Looking around on the internet, they say park benches / parking lots / wherever other homeless people are. Also couch surfing / making craigs list ads asking for sleeping space in return for cooking or whatever.
>Personally (I've never been homeless) I'd try and find a comfy roof somewhere that is a little awkward to get to (to prevent rightful and not-rightful people from discovering you), with no cameras, low reason for people to even go to it, and some rain cover if possible. Get there only at the latest non-awkward time before closing (if applicable). You'd raise some eyes at shops, showing up juuuust before they close but then not buying anything / being the only customer they'd pay extra attention to you.

Can you explain to me why you would live this incredibly uncomfortable life rather than just forking out the

All I'm saying is, I enjoy a simple lifestyle without the nuisance of others

So what do you do all day?

Just post on Veeky Forums, work and sleep?

Do you have a girlfriend?

yep she and I live in an efficiency apartment close to our jobs. my day is filled with vidya, books, work, cooking, going for walks or working out, whatever I feel like. all of these things are very minimal in cost

Lel at all these buttmad people in this thread who can't understand how anyone can live comfortably without blowing money on stupid shit like going to bars and status symbol cars. Enjoy being a wage slave your entire life while those who live frugally can retire at 35.

>Enjoy being a wage slave your entire life while those who live frugally can retire at 35.

There's no point of money if you don't spend it. You're not going to be happy getting married with $2 million dollars

getting buried*

>So find a gym that doesn't have open showers, problem solved. I don't even have a small dick, I'm not even shy or ugly, and I'd still rather die than go to an open shower...
You would still need to get dressed.
Do you get dressed inside the shower booth?

"There's no point of money if you don't spend it" - every poor person ever

I will sure be happy with being able to spend my life doing whatever I want instead of working to get my next mortgage payment.

>"There's no point of money if you don't spend it" - every poor person ever

And? It's pretty sad when the "poor person" is living better than you are even with all your riches.

Besides, there's more than two extremes. Not sure why you idiots keep thinking you either have to be in a mountain of debt with a mortgage or collecting rainwater and stealing toilet paper out of bathrooms.

>I will sure be happy with being able to spend my life doing whatever I want instead of working to get my next mortgage payment.

Pennypinching like a Jew isn't really doing what you like though.

Not sure where you got the idea that you have to either live like a borderline-homeless person or in extreme debt.

Like there's people in this thread unironically suggesting becoming homeless with a gym membership... Yeah that really sounds like "doing what you want", I'm sure the

Being homeless in metro detroit = freezing to death or being arrested.

Its not like L.A. where millionaires are homeless to save on rental costs.

>your not going to be happy retired and with shitloads of money and tons if money and snuggling

>Living in the future when you're old, your body is tired and you no longer have the energy, desires or strength of your youth

Sounds fantastic. Where do I sign up?

$1million in your 20's is much better than $30million in your 60's. This board really has gone downhill desu

grow up, kid

Barter

Enjoy living your life in the future dude.

let's see how valuable that money is over the experiences in your youth when you have Alzheimer's or some other serious health issue

T-that's what I did in college, yes. I folded my clothes/towel and put it on a little rack just outside the shower booth.

Hey dude the homeless with gym membership idea sounds great but where do you store your things? you never replied to me.

Where would you do things like iron your clothes for work or store food items?

Do you just put all your things in the lockers?

Did you know you can live your life everyday WITHOUT spending a dickload of money? Go back to the post I made about how I fill my day. I genuinely enjoy living minimally and bettering myself. I don't give a shit about status cars or nice watches. I'm happy with myself as a person. That's the most important thing to spend your time on. You should be able to still be happy even if you're living on the street. Life is not about abundance, it's about meaning. Although this will probably turn the topic to Veeky Forums

>You should be able to still be happy even if you're living on the street. Life is not about abundance, it's about meaning

Why work at all then? Just become a NEET and fake a mental illness to get infinite dole and live off $1000 a month never experiencing anything beyond Veeky Forums and a fleshlight.

Seems a little silly to be living like a NEET but working like a non-NEET.

Of course $1 million in your 20's is better than $30 million in your 60's. $1 million is enough to invest into the bond market and have enough to sustain a frugal lifestyle for the rest of your life.

Or are you one of those people who would blow it all on a Lamborghini and a down payment for a multi million dollar house and then spend the rest of your life being a wagecuck to pay it off?

>Or are you one of those people who would blow it all on a Lamborghini and a down payment for a multi million dollar house

I would spend some of it, yes. I value experiences over just having a bunch of numbers in some bank's computer system

And I value my free time more than silly possessions that don't improve quality of life in any meaningful way.

NEETbux isn't some magical thing that just anyone can sign up to receive forever from the government you retard. Some people want to be independent and not rely on lying to the government to feed themselves.

>And I value my free time more than silly possessions that don't improve quality of life in any meaningful way.

Become homeless and dumpster dive then. You'll have all the freetime in the world.

I live in a trailer, and get my food fresh from the grocery store. Nice assumptions you are making.

Why waste your limited time working to live in a trailer next to a bunch of rednecks?

I'm just giving you a suggestion to get even more freetime, if you became homeless you'd cut down even further on those pesky living expenses and be able to have nearly unlimited freetime(apart from sleeping of course).

Personally I don't even go to the gym or exercise in any way, I'd rather have more freetime to post on Veeky Forums and watch CP. That's what life is really about.

Wow, someone is really mad that he has to work 60 hours a week to pay off his mortgage.

I don't have a mortgage, I rent a cozy apartment.

>What are the best ways to minimize living expenses?

I got a few that i use.

here's a list off the top of my head:
>wear only one pair of jeans
>shower once a week to save on expensive water
>cut your own hair
>dine and dash
>shoplift
>dumpster dive
>make your own alcohol
>Dont brush your teeth

Tips I could share during my saving phase.

Don't know your life, if you're living alone or have a support system (friends and family) whether you're male or female but any advice can help I guess. This advice is geared towards the male gender.

Ramen noodles will be your best friend for a while and pasta + regular sauce. If your workplace is close enough, I recommend biking, skateboarding or roller blading to work (if you have one of those, if not try to find some on craigslist for cheap) that way you don't put money into gas + insurance and is probably better than waiting for a bus. You'll get exercise and save money it's a win-win. But since you live in Canadaland you can only pull this off during hot season. Winter is a different story.

Withdraw a set amount of money for the week. Whether it be $60 or $100....just make sure it doesn't equal how much you make in a week otherwise you're not saving anything.

Use up said amount for the week, if you run out early you'll have to make sacrifices and hold out from pulling money until the week ends. I survived off $100/week for a while.

Stop watching movies in the theater - torrent them for free online. Same goes for books and movies and video games or go to a library.
(at my library you can actually borrow the latest games on the newest consoles)

Wear a timeless outfit and cut your own hair (saving $20-$30 each time you cut it yourself add ups to a couple hundred a year), get an electric shaver for your face (you'll save money in the long run, razors are mad expensive). Unless of course you use a safety razor and buy the blades in bulk on amazon they work out to 20 cents CAD each.

I've seen some jews take toilet paper from public stalls before. There's saving a bit there.

This right here works too. Gym memberships could range from $30 a month - $100? But I'd say $50 a month on average. You can use the lockers to store your things and use their showers so you don't have to pay utilities

>Wasting money on a gym membership

Just shower in the nearest lake.

>Wasting money on ramen noodles

Uhmmm dumpster diving is a thing, are you aware?

Those $50/month certainly add up. If you save for $50/month for 10 years you'll have $5000(disregarding inflation). That's a very hefty chunk of money, you can treat yourself to a nice dinner at the local McDonalds or perhaps buy yourself a used pair of Levi jeans.

Opps I mean $6000.

Even more!

Two things:

First - Track your expenses in a notebook. Every purchase down to the cent.

Second - Have a monthly budget written down on paper every single month before the month begins. No fancy apps, websites or accounting software.

If you're just starting out, start with tracking expenses for a month. Use those numbers to setup the budget for the following month.

The rest will handle itself.

Well not everyone lives near a body of water, I guess user could just wait for it to rain.

>Uhmmm dumpster diving is a thing, are you aware?

Assuming user doesn't die from food poisoning or get stacked up on medical bills. Canada has free health care but it doesn't cover everything.

The gym thing - again. You can find rent in most cities with roommates for ~$400-500/month. Why not just do that instead of sleeping outside? Can someone please answer and tell me why anybody would do this

Because some of us in Veeky Forums are also from Veeky Forums

WE'RE ALL GONNA MAKE IT BRUVS!

Do you even lift?

>Ramen noodles
>Lifting

No

Tried soaking in hair oil once but it fucking melted the cartridge. I soak in water but strop backwards on leg of my jeans - current blade is from January and I shave my head also. Going to try alcohol per your suggestion. Thanks user.