Humans love complications. If there aren’t any complications in life, some folks tend to create the complication. Here’s some comments that come up about when I mention my method of living off of $1000 a month.
“I need my job.” AKA They don’t want to switch jobs and work from home, or from a place where they can walk.
“I have too much debt.” I don’t have credit card debt, yet others do and live off of less per month.
“My rent is too high.” People are looking so hard at their current situation, they won’t look at anything else.
You can say no like the grumpy turtle, but you do things by choice. No one else is going to care if you live off of working part time, except yourself.
Here’s what I’ve learned about people who say, “I can’t do it like you do it.”
1. They’re blocking suggestions. Some people just can’t wrap their brain around how to do something else. They’re stuck in their own mode, and they won’t see the forest for the trees. For example, some folks will say, “Well, my own rent is $500 a month. My phone is $100. I’d never survive off of $1000 a month.”
People like this are looking from it from the opposite way. They have a set amount they’ve already established for themselves. If you suggest to them, “Well move to a cheaper apartment.” They will often suggest that they “can’t”. In most cases, I’m sorry, there is nothing I can do for you. Part of living off of part time work means doing a few difficult things now so you can get to that point to where you want to be. If you say you can’t, you are right. You can’t. This blog may not be for you.
2. Some folks just can’t do it. If you have kids, you can’t live off of $1000 a month, but having kids or having a family has the potential for both parents to work part time and earn plenty and still have free time. You don’t have to live off of exactly $1000 a month, either. I like to show that it is possible, but if you have extra coming in, you can use it as savings or for paying down debt if you have it, you don’t have to spend it.
3. Some people already spent more than their fair share. They established some kind of debt, and that eats up more costs than rent and so forth. That’s all about debt consolidation, and all I can suggest is to get help, tear up the credit cards, and pay it off as soon as possible. I have lived without credit cards and loans. If you already have a loan or credit cards, that’s something you will have to pay off, but it’s just some additional income. It doesn’t have to mean you work harder, you’ll just have to work smarter. (I love Scrooge McDuck from Duck Tales when he says, “Work smarter, not harder.”)
So set up your own budget, and then progress from there. How much do you really need? Is there any way to cut corners without living off of rice and ketchup dinners? Maybe you can work at a slightly higher paying job part time, working from home, instead of having to work in an office, earn less and spending more on gas and clothes?
From this blog, I hope you’ll take what works and leave the rest behind. As mentioned before, mileage may vary.
Photo by hortongrou.
You are a very, very smart young lady (I say young if you are under 55 like me
). I completely agree with you. I have decided to live spartan. I was kind of forced into this because I have mental health disabilities and although I am on my 2nd masters degree I do not do well out in the world. I never met anyone my age who loves Buffy…wtf? Office politics, etc…tried it many times.
I started this when in 1976 my ex and I decided I would stay home with the kids. I worked while he was in college and he worked when he graduated and I stayed home with the kids. We lived on about 1600 a month and ended up having two kids. I homeschooled them, we never had new cars, my ex was a mechanic before going to college, we did not buy things we could not afford. My ex mother-in-law told me the same thing that we could never make it on one income with two kids…we did.
Me and the kids got really poor after the divorce but we made it. And the 12 years that I worked full-time and had lots of money were the most miserable of my life. I was used to my time being my own when I was married and raising the kids. The internet was here by the early 90′s for me…I could not stand to live in Cubicle Nation….I think it was a blessing that I was harassed and discriminated against in a way. My son, now 30 became spartan about 2 years ago and works just enough to pay minimum bills. His girlfriend is the same way. They live on opposite coasts. They travel A LOT, they camp almost everywhere they visit.
I am getting an MFA now on a scholarship and starting to write freelance. You can do it if your freedom means more to you, and mine does! As you said it depends on what means more to you. I have all kinds of irons in the fire making money here and there but not enough to live without freedom and have to work for people who do not give a crap about you.
Keep it up. You are doing great. And if you ever do need meds, most drug companies give discounts or free meds to poor people. Good for you.
Shyanne
i make only $1060.00 a month on social security disability and live a very nice lifestyle. The only thing I can really say is to set your priorities and be prepared to make some compromises. Is that latte at Starbucks really nessecary or is the $2.50 best used elsewhere. I rely on my bike and public transportation during the week , do all my own cooking and have furnished my entire studio at thrift shops and garage sales. For entertainment I have a deluxe cable and internet connection which is my 1 splurge, and have a current library card that I use constantly. To help make ends meet I also work at a bookstore 5 hours a day 3 days a week as a cashier. It has become a a great source of pride to be able to learn to happy with less possessions and more time to do what makes me fulfilled.
I’m glad that you are able to see the good.
I love the library as well. As long as I have a good book and I know my bills are taken care of and my family is OK, I think that makes a huge difference in life. 
Thanks for reading!
Great post, however I disagree that if you have a family you can not do it, while everyone may not aspire to do it and it is not always the funnest in the world, I raise a family of 5 on $1200 to $1300 a month, if you subtract the $200 a month I put towards savings and investing that is the living off of $1000 a month! I blog our chronicles of how we achieve it as well as working towards increasing our income in order to be able to have hubby retire early by age 45.
Keep up this great blog, loving the posts.