do you live on less than $1000/month?

[acorn54]

i was wondering if anybody here goes carless out of financial neccessity. i would be interested in the budget breakdown of how one would live on 1000 or less per month. some of my friends are on disability and only get 700/month ssd checks to live on with health care coverage.
it would be interesting to hear how to beat the high cost of food and other expenses,and how one entertains oneself on such a limited budget.
acorn

[MyBikeGotStolen]

Im, not much better off with only about 1200 a month.

$350 a month for rent (my half)
$100 electricity
$50 a month phone
$50 a month insurance on car that I dont drive
~$200 a month for school

Total = $750 a month in expenses so that leaves about $110 a week for food, bike stuff and the occasional Cici's pizza (crap buffett pizza)

My food usually consist of PB&J's and cereal. Of course I would still be eating that anyways even if I wasny broke and in school. I am a very cheap vegetarian.

[paulwwalters]

Yes but I'm 16.

[Nightshade]

Many who are retired and on pensions live on around $1000
each month +/- a few bucks. I live on 1800 a month just fine
due to the fact that a huge cost is no longer mine to pay.......
That being the "cost of working". This is everything from
fuel,food and clothes for work plus a bunch of other crap
that I can do without now on retirement.

Sometimes I think people work to support their own jobs!!!!

[Juggler2]

Modest fixed income here. However our home is paid for, and that is worth it's weight in gold as far as stress relief goes. We're not wealthy, but comfortable, provided I resist purchasing gratuitous items such as $3,000.00 bicycles.

[jakbikesdc]

I usually work around 32hrs/week @ 7.50 hr.= $720(3wk month)
~rent+ utilities: $425
~food and misc.: $295

I have to ride bikes. Cars are way too expensive and impractical at this point in my life.

[AllenG]

House is paid for (small house in a small town, and I bought it before real estate went nuts. I had a morgtage of ~$500 a month, paid double a lot of months)
Car is paid for, I picked it up for $10k
Utilities range from a low of $75 to about $225 depending on the heat, and I'm on a well.
I eat well but I also have a garden, food costs can range from $15 a week to $75 depending on the season

So yeah, I'm usually well under a grand a month.

However if you count in my business expenses, no.
Cameras are expensive, printing costs are high, I travel a lot, etc. But thankfully I bring in more than goes out.

{edit}
Insurance, I forgot about insurance. My insurance rates are high, ~$500 a month for health, car is low ~$500 for the year, and my homeowners is low too.

[eofelis]

For 2 people here, rent is $525, phone is $40, electric is $35. I haven't kept track of food budget but I bulk buy on sales items mostly. We eat out once a week or so (<$20 for two). Car insurance is $250/yr per car, 2 cars. buy a few other things here and there occasionally. No other debts, but no health insurance either.

[rajman]

I have no idea how people can pay for cars

$1600 mortgage/property tax
$100 insurance
$100 heating (water/air)
$60 water
$200 phones/cable/tv/internet
$250 electricity
$500 maintenance
$500 retirement savings

this leaves (currently) -$1000 to pay for a car. I don't think many insurance companies/dealerships pay for you to drive a car around...

once our work situation improves - we'll add $4000/month debt repayment, maybe 10 years from now we'll be able to pay for a car instead of having someone to pay us to drive one... I suppose if I had to drive I could let the electricity, cable, or telephone guys cut us off so we can drive - I don't think I want to live without water or heat.

I really have no idea how the car positive people find the money to pay for it...

[bragi]

I spend a quite bit more than $1000 a month to live. I did quite a bit better before I had a mortgage and some other stuff I don't need, but that's what happens when you get older and decadent:

Mortgage/taxes/water/sewage/garbage/cable/any other stuff for a condo: $1200
Electricity: $15.00 (Compact fluorescents are your friends)
Food: $400 (I eat a lot)
Fun: $600

It looks like I spend about $2200 a month, not $1000. This might seem excessive to some, but compared to most North Americans, I'm still a peasant. If I had a car, my budget would implode.

[JunkyardWarrior]

ive been living off less than $1000 for about 6 yrs now.......i started my own business......lol

about 20 yrs ago i was givin the opportunity to move out into the unfinished detached garage in the back yard.......and at 18 i jumped at the chance........well i never left and basically turned into the handyman and helper guy for my mom and my aunt (and anyone else that finds out i can fix stuff).......so im not really in the same boat as most of you

ive always had a car and bikes were just for fun but everyone here is very inspiring and motivating and it makes me want to change that

im single so im able to live and eat cheap............biglots and thrift stores are the only stores i shop at

[discosaurus]

I do, but i'm a college student. I just quit working, so i'm going to have to do some serious number crunching to get my new budget figured out.

Anyway, this is approximately how it broke down for me:
-Rent $450 (included utilities)
-Health insurance $136
-Car payment $100
-Car/renters insurance $140
-Bike/transit/gas $80-ish
-Groceries/food $150-ish
On a good month, I'd have a few extra dollars for fun stuff or emergency expenses. Like a new battery for the car, oil changes, insurance deductibles when someone hits the car on the street, car, car, car.... I really can't afford a car.

I'm hoping this year will be something more like:
-Rent $275
-Utilities $??
-Renter insurance $18
-Bike/transit $80-ish
-Groceries/food $150-ish

But i'm afraid the car might have to stay around. :(

ETA: I forgot to list health insurance on the new budget. It's still $136/mo. that's more expensive than my car, and i'm young and healthy!

[adgrant]

I am not going say what my monthly expenses actually are but the car, though significant, was never the largest amount. My housing expenses are $2000 or so a month (cheap for Manhattan). The expense I am really trying to reduce is eating out. That really consumes massive amounts of money.

I have cut $440 from my auto expenses by no longer parking it in Manhattan and another $200 or so by no longer driving it to work. OTOH I am now spending about $330 a month in mass transit expenses. When the car goes back to the lease company in a few months, that will save another $700 a month.

[markmontana]

do you live on less than $1000/month?

No.

[AStomper]

I live off 400 for rent and 100 for beer (or is that counted as entertainment?) and about 100-200 for food. 60 for insurance and 150 for student loans.

[eofelis]

I already posted but I will post again for a more detailed account of our expenses:

Rent 525/mo (heat/water/trash included) 800 sq ft apt
Home phone 40/mo (internet is free dialup from college) We don't have cell phones.
Electric bill 35/mo (We have a swamp cooler for summer)
Car Ins, 2 old cars, 500/yr total, 42/mo
Renter Ins 150/yr 13/mo
Food 200/mo for 2 people and 2 cats
Other buying 100/mo

Total is $955/mo for 2 people.
Can round it up to $1000.
Sometimes we have expenses like car repairs or a car trip or a medical bill.

Neither of us are working f/t right now. I'm a f/t student, tuition is paid from grants and scholarships at the state college I go to. SO is on a 3/4 time temp job for county GIS/GPS work, it's all he wants to do right now.

I like that our lifestyle can be maintained on any old low wage job if need be. We have a good amt in savings. Not sure what we'd do if we had a major medical disaster though.

[Sianelle]

I don't live in the US, but I do have an income that's just under $NZ1000.00 a month. I get by because I own my own home and I live in a small country town. I don't eat fast food (ick!), I grow some of my own vegetables and buy fresh veg whenever possible. I don't buy anything in the way of 'industrial' food and I purchase meat from an old fashioned butcher. Oh and I bake my own bread too.
Entertainment comes cheap in the form of a library card since books have the best moving pictures. Local body/council taxes are a worry as they cost me $28.00 a week and have a nasty habit of rising every year. Electricity charges have been getting increasingly expensive too and are around $50.00 a week at present. Fortunately I do have a really good efficent wood stove with a wet back to heat water which helps a lot with keeping the bill down during Winter.
Don't own a car, - I shop locally and patronise local businesses and tradepeople. As a result of being ill for a long time I ended up being bankrupt and these days I totally refuse to use any instrument of credit or to borrow money at interest. Living simply keeps my life simple; - and after having a professional career where I seemed to be spending an awful lot of money just to go to work everyday I'm perfectly content to be just another aging middle aged lady living in the peace and quiet of a small country town.

[Nycycle]

Yes, about 300/Month, well no, add wife at around $4000.00 /mo so I guess no. Sorry....

[donnamb]

I don't live in the US, but I do have an income that's just under $NZ1000.00 a month. I get by because I own my own home and I live in a small country town. I don't eat fast food (ick!), I grow some of my own vegetables and buy fresh veg whenever possible. I don't buy anything in the way of 'industrial' food and I purchase meat from an old fashioned butcher. Oh and I bake my own bread too.
Entertainment comes cheap in the form of a library card since books have the best moving pictures. Local body/council taxes are a worry as they cost me $28.00 a week and have a nasty habit of rising every year. Electricity charges have been getting increasingly expensive too and are around $50.00 a week at present. Fortunately I do have a really good efficent wood stove with a wet back to heat water which helps a lot with keeping the bill down during Winter.
Don't own a car, - I shop locally and patronise local businesses and tradepeople. As a result of being ill for a long time I ended up being bankrupt and these days I totally refuse to use any instrument of credit or to borrow money at interest. Living simply keeps my life simple; - and after having a professional career where I seemed to be spending an awful lot of money just to go to work everyday I'm perfectly content to be just another aging middle aged lady living in the peace and quiet of a small country town.
$1000 NZ ~ 750 US
$28 NS ~ $21 US
$50 NZ ~ 37.50 US

You do have the one thing that those of us with higher incomes do not - the most awesome bikes! :D

[Dahon.Steve]

I have no idea how people can pay for cars

$1600 mortgage/property tax
$100 insurance
$100 heating (water/air)
$60 water
$200 phones/cable/tv/internet
$250 electricity
$500 maintenance
$500 retirement savings

this leaves (currently) -$1000 to pay for a car. I don't think many insurance companies/dealerships pay for you to drive a car around...

once our work situation improves - we'll add $4000/month debt repayment, maybe 10 years from now we'll be able to pay for a car instead of having someone to pay us to drive one... I suppose if I had to drive I could let the electricity, cable, or telephone guys cut us off so we can drive - I don't think I want to live without water or heat.

I really have no idea how the car positive people find the money to pay for it...


You'll find there are two types of people. Those who pay for nice homes and drive junk or no cars. And then there are those who drive nice cars and live in apartments. I prefer to do what your'e doing.

[BanffBikeGirl]

I used to have a room-mate, so my rent was $250/month, and other expenses were about $100 per month, with the rest (~$300) going to insurance and upkeep for the SUV I had at the time. Now, the SUV is gone, but the room-mate is gone too, and good riddance to both. I tend to eat better now, so expenses seem to have levelled out at ~$1200/month.

[Dahon.Steve]

I usually work around 32hrs/week @ 7.50 hr.= $720(3wk month)
~rent+ utilities: $425
~food and misc.: $295

I have to ride bikes. Cars are way too expensive and impractical at this point in my life.

You kill me with that $425.00 a month rent. LOL

I haven't seen rent that low in 20 years in New Jersey. I suspect $425 will buy you a dirty room at the YMCA in Manhattan!

I remember seeing about a year ago a young woman who recently purchased a room in Manhattan. She was spending about $1800.00 a month for a room so small, the mattress was on the floor and it took up practically the WHOLE place! She was still beaming!

[Roody]

You kill me with that $425.00 a month rent. LOL

I haven't seen rent that low in 20 years in New Jersey. I suspect $425 will buy you a dirty room at the YMCA in Manhattan!

I remember seeing about a year ago a young woman who recently purchased a room in Manhattan. She was spending about $1800.00 a month for a room so small, the mattress was on the floor and it took up practically the WHOLE place! She was still beaming!

Of course one way to afford NYC is to be carfree, as so many New Yorkers are. How much would parking, tolls, garage rental, and car insurance set you back in Manhattan?

Still, even carfree, it's not a great place to live on < $1000!

[adgrant]

Of course one way to afford NYC is to be carfree, as so many New Yorkers are. How much would parking, tolls, garage rental, and car insurance set you back in Manhattan?

Still, even carfree, it's not a great place to live on < $1000!

I was spending $440 for the the garage, $150, for insurance, $50 for tolls and about $200 for gas. So about $830 plus the car payment and/or maintainance/repairs. My total auto expenses were well over $1000 a month.

BTW The average rent for a one bedroom apartment is almost $3000.

[eofelis]

BTW The average rent for a one bedroom apartment is almost $3000.

:eek:

[adgrant]

You'll find there are two types of people. Those who pay for nice homes and drive junk or no cars. And then there are those who drive nice cars and live in apartments. I prefer to do what your'e doing.

I haven't noticed that. In fact the people I know with nice houses also have nice cars and some of the people I know who live in apartments don't even own cars.

I sold a house and bought an apartment. The apartment cost $200,000 more than the house.

[Roody]

i was wondering if anybody here goes carless out of financial neccessity. i would be interested in the budget breakdown of how one would live on 1000 or less per month. some of my friends are on disability and only get 700/month ssd checks to live on with health care coverage.
it would be interesting to hear how to beat the high cost of food and other expenses,and how one entertains oneself on such a limited budget.
acorn

I'd like to steer this back to the original topic, as it's pretty interesting. I make > $1000, but some of my friends don't. The biggest suggestion from this forum would be to cut transport expenses by riding a bike. But for many of us, the bike is also good cheap fun.

For example, last night my best friend was waiting at my house when I got off work at midnight. I loaned him a bike and we rode across town and ate a delicious "breakfast" at a cheap diner. We enjoyed riding in the warm night air and caught up on our conversations. We did some bike tricks and raced down a big hill. I also worked off most of the calories from the pancakes I ate. Total cost for 3 hours of great fun for two people was $10. My friend is unemployed so I picked up the tab. Next time he'll buy a chicken with his food stamps and we'll grill it at a park that, of course, we'll ride our bikes to.

[wahoonc]

I'd like to steer this back to the original topic, as it's pretty interesting. I make > $1000, but some of my friends don't. The biggest suggestion from this forum would be to cut transport expenses by riding a bike. But for many of us, the bike is also good cheap fun.

For example, last night my best friend was waiting at my house when I got off work at midnight. I loaned him a bike and we rode across town and ate a delicious "breakfast" at a cheap diner. We enjoyed riding in the warm night air and caught up on our conversations. We did some bike tricks and raced down a big hill. I also worked off most of the calories from the pancakes I ate. Total cost for 3 hours of great fun for two people was $10. My friend is unemployed so I picked up the tab. Next time he'll buy a chicken with his food stamps and we'll grill it at a park that, of course, we'll ride our bikes to.

We make quite a bit more than the $1000 stipulated by the OP, however we actually live on about that much. Most of our extra money is put in savings or put towards keeping our small retail business solvent until it can pay for itself (should be in the next year or so) I have found that the outside of automobiles, the next two biggest expenses appear to be eating out and entertainment. Both of which can be easily controlled if you put your mind to it. We don't have cable or satellite. I borrow DVD's from the library, rent one on occasion, purchase some when they go on the used sale at the local movie rental place. Depending on your locale the local library may have film festivals, guest speakers and other interesting things. Watch the local Arts Council rags for additional info on festivals and the like. Street fairs are fun and entertaining and typically if you don't buy from the vendors are free. Eating out isn't particularly healthy IMHO because I don't have control over what went into that food, and it adds up in price very quickly. If we know we are going to have a long week at work and be getting home late, we will prepare some stuff ahead of time that can be quickly warmed up. I like to eat grilled foods, so when the grill is up and running I will cook a lot of something and freeze it. People have forgotten how to plan ahead. Our average grocery bill is around $150 a week for 4 people if we were to eat out at a fast food joint 2 times a day every day with one trip a week to a sit down restaurant it would be over 5 times that. We all take turns cooking (and that can be entertainment in it's own way:p)

Just a few of my thoughts on the matter.;)

Aaron:)

[AStomper]

+1 on biking as entertainment, When my friends are all going out to the bar and I don't have anything to do I go out riding. And cable is a waste, download off of tvtorrents.com

[alicestrong]

I have the same problem with the under $1000 as the East Coast folks do...living in LA (even in a not-so-great neighborhood) is very expensive...

[Jerseysbest]

Depends where you live.

1000/month probably won't work for you if you live in a major city or its suburbs on one of the coasts, like NY or LA. Right now I'm lucky to pay 750 for a room in a 3 bedroom house. 1 bedroom apartments start at about 1300. Eventually (3-12 months depeding upon the market) plan to buy a 1 bedroom place, probably run me around 220-240k so I can have my own place and not feel like I'm throwing 1400/month away on rent.

So yeah, 1000/month isn't really an option for me unless I want to live like a college student suckling off mom and dad, and have no privacy. Or move to some boring place