I want to move out and live as modestly as possible-any advice on savings, expenses, tips ect?

Question

from AZ: I'm willing to live cheap. Dirt cheap, cheapest of the cheap, no enjoyment at all, starving student in a constant grind, kind of life. I'm willing to live in a closet with a pillow, a lamp and my studies. I'll ride the bus, walk or carpool. If waking up two or three hours earlier is cheaper, I'll do it. I'm willing to work hard and suffer.
So how much should I save? I want to go to college, I have good grades, a good resume, a well paying job and a fasfa pin. I'm looking for scholarships and aid. I plan to move out in a year+. How much will it cost to live very cheap? I mean, Living in a closet, taking three minute showers, eating an apple a day, or nothing for a few, if need be. No tv, no fun, no spare time, no friends. Just study, and work. I'm willing to suffer, now tell me what I'm in for.
I love my family, but I want to experience the "real world".
Thank you for your time and advice.
God bless em, but I'm just not military material at all. I'm all stringy and girly

I make about 10 dollars an hour and 12 dollars an hour on a good day, not turning tricks!! but selling stuff over the phone. No credit cards in my future just yet. And I use Internet access at the library. It IS free you know....

Answer 1

That's really no way to live. You should allow yourself some extra cash for enjoyment. This is what I did when I lived by myself and worked for just $8.50 an hour:
I had an old reliable car that was paid for, I drove only to work and back home, when I needed to go to the store I drove a route on the way home from work so I could swing by the store. I filled my gas tank every other week which was $30 ($60 a month about)
I drank Nutra Aide shakes and ate granola cereal. Nutra Aid has a good nutritional content & its cheap. Cheaper than buying fresh food with the necessary nutrients anyway. My budget for food was $60 a month.
My rent was $450 a month. May car insurance was $150 every three months which worked out to be $50 out of my monthly budget. Insurance and gas prices will be relative, depending on where you live. My phone bill was $30.
When I went to the Laundromat (every other week) I spent about $20, going to the Laundromat was a "treat" to myself, otherwise I saved the $20 and washed my clothes in my bathtub at home.
My electric bill was $12.
My concrete expenses plus a little extra for miscellaneous stuff came up to $712 (about) every month.
Working for $8.50 an hour 40 hours a week, that come up to over half my pay every month.
I had some debt to pay off, and I managed to squeak by. But it was really tough and I don't recommend it.
You should budget out what much you know you'll have to spend, and then add half of that total and that should be your minimum goal to earn each moth. I suggest getting a job serving tables at a nice restaurant.
Do not try to deprive yourself of proper nutrition to save money, because you will end up getting sick, and then you’ll be in trouble…

Answer 2

Hi! Did you say you were from Arizona? That sounds
great because there are quite a few money saving techniques
so many of course they cannot all possibly be listed .
My favorite idea considering you have acess to all that
rural and desert like atmosphere is buy a small piece of
land and use the red desert dirt(clay) to make yourself an adobe
or dome home.Set a big fire to it and let it back.It is warm in the
winter and cool in the summer.I saw a guy do it on Discovery channel once.You can make those real nice,especially if you know how to sculp clay and soundly structure it.But what you
want is mostly is completely un realistic.You have to have some
pocket change for some supplies ,future.You can get these by performing odd jobs .But that's usually often only seen in movies.
Unless there are many of these where you live.A large tough terrain bicycle will do the trick and you can eat more too.
But if you are so down and out ?Whos pc do you often use and internet?There won't or can't be any of that in complete cheap ville.

Answer 3

How much you need to save will depend on whither or not you get any scholarships and financial aide. It will also depend on how much it costs to go to the college or university of your choice. You will need at least enough for your first year.
I would suggest living in student housing and getting a meal card good for at least one meal a day as the cheapest way to live. You really can't learn much with your stomach growling. Besides, If you're going to be a freshman you may have no choice,but that may have changed in the decades since I went to college. This is usually the cheapest way to live as most off campus housing I've run into was more expensive in the long run, ( and sometimes the short one to!)
Most importantly I suggest getting a job in the town or city where your choice of college is. First of all it will pay you money. Secondly it will give you very valuable experience in a) finding a job, b) getting a job, and c) keeping a job. A,B, and C may just be the most important part of your education!
If necessary you could go to a local Jr. College while working to save up for a four year college. That way you could get all the basics done and out of the way (English, Math, History, what ever unless one is your major) and be free to concentrate on your main interest area. Just be sure that what you take will transfer to the four year college.
Just be sure your major is something that you can get a job in. It isn't enough to just get the piece of paper at this level. It has to be directed toward something. Toward some spicific carear like nurcing, becoming a doctor or a physical theripest, business, accounting, science, teacher, what ever your goal is.
But DO NOT under any circumstances be so dumb as to get a Credit Card!! You will be tempted. You will be inundated with offers that will tell you how you can charge everything encluding your education to the card. DO NOT BELIEVE THEM AND DO NOT GET ONE. Yes, they do not lie, you can charge all that, but then you have to PAY THEM BACK usually 2 or three times as much as you spent. They can end up owning you for the rest of your life.

Answer 4

well i doubt if any one has a closet to rent but a 1 room apt is as small as u can get, which should include water and maybe electric if u r lucky.But as far as giving u a price, that is impossible but here is what u can do. 1st ur rent shouldn't cost more than 2 weeks pay. how much is that for u?
now get the newspaper and go to apt. rentals and look in the area u want to rent in and then go from there until u find something that fits ur budget.
also most people want 3 months rent in advance, it is called 1st, last and security, save that and make sure u don't need a deposit for utilities{electric and water} and then go out hunting for a place to move to
and please don't limit ur meals to an apple every other day or nor only r u gonna make urself sick but you'll end up putting urself into the hospital and u surely can't afford that, so make sure u eat 1 decent meal a day at least. and proper rest is important too
and don't forget to look into government scholarships and loan money there r all kinds of ways to get money for college including dorms at the college.
if u have a college in mind go there and talk to the counselors, they r there to help u take advantage of it
good luck and happy new year to u and urs

Answer 5

$250-$400 / mo rent (depending on your location)
$200 / mo food (be realistic)
$50 / mo transportation (more if you can't walk or use public trans)
$50 / mo utilities (you have to run the water heater and use water, etc.)

You might make it on $600/mo. if you really live poorly. You will also need at least enough saved at any one time to pay all expenses for 3 mos. ($1800), plus you'll need a deposit for rent and utilities ($350). Then, you'll need an emergency fund, especially since you won't have health coverage ($500 - more if you have a car).

Answer 6

i read somewere that you can save money buy plugging your laptop or mobile phone into charge at the book store and libary etc. it saves you money as it means that you are paying less of a electricty bill

Answer 7

about $1000 and be working cuz landlord wants employed ppl

Answer 8

study by day... turn tricks by night. you'll definitely get by!