Can you survive off of $18,000 a year?

my girlfriend and i combined earn ~$62,000 after taxes and have a net annual expense of around $21,000 total. we live fairly well, subletting a room in a house with friends, shopping only at costco and bjs, and spending all of our non work/sleep time running (helps cut down on spending). and this is in a pretty high cost of living area. my college loans will be taking a beating this year.

you just have to alter your outlook on what you really need in order to be happy. for us, its not much.

18,000 is a fortune!

I've never made more than 10k/year. Right now I'm actually making about $60/week (ive been backpacking around the region). Even when I'm making closer to 10k, my food costs average out to be about $30/month or so. And I still eat deliciously. Find bulk deals and cook your own food. You'll be amazed how little food really costs.

People do it all the time...it's called get a roommate.

Alan

People literally die trying just to get a shot at much less. Lord won't you buy me a mercedes benz?

Well, considering that half of the world lives on less than $3 per day and 80% lives on less than $10, I would say yes.

TheTruthMan wrote:

Even when I'm making closer to 10k, my food costs average out to be about $30/month or so. And I still eat deliciously. Find bulk deals and cook your own food. You'll be amazed how little food really costs.

TruthMan - Can you spell out some of your most common meals/foods you buy and cook? I'm trying to cook more at home and need some ideas for inexpensive but nutritious staples for running. Thanks!

I spend roughly $10,000 a year, and I pretty much live how I want. If I made even $30,000/year I wouldn't know what to do with it. It's funny to me hearing so many people bitch about their money problems when it's so clear the only problem they have is management. I know people who make $50k+ a year who live paycheck to paycheck, and this is in Middle America.

I lived quite comfortably on $18,000 grand a year when I was in my mid twenties. I had more cash in my pocket to blow then any time in my life. Drove an old car that I paid for and didn't take big trips.

Of course gas was cheaper than, I rented instead of paying a mortage, and my phone service was 25 bucks a month and internet and cable access didn't exist in 1992.

Of course no kids or girlfriend with kids that expected me to throw out the money on them all whenever we were together, but it was a nice feeling never to worry about bills. Today I am billed to the hilt and miss those carefree days. It was a fun time.

Damn those were the days.

Meant to say cable was 30 bucks a month and new cell phones. Once I got those my phone bill doubled. Today its the one service people don't seem to be willing to cut back on. So 100 bucks a month for that didn't exist then. 30 bucks for cable, 30 bucks for a phone. 18,000 in 92 went a little farther.

One of the best kept secrets: ramen noodles. Thousand calories per dollar. Low fat. Good base for lots of different meals. I know friends who like to mix in vegetables and or sriracha sauce.

Regarding cable... Most people can live without it. Most shows/movies are on the Internet(free) or Netflix (~$10) Not only is this way less expensive, you have the ability to watch your shows when you have time to instead of having to be at the tv at 8pm every Sunday night.

Thanks. Ramen noodles, check. Anything else?

TheTruthMan wrote:

One of the best kept secrets: ramen noodles. Thousand calories per dollar. Low fat. Good base for lots of different meals. I know friends who like to mix in vegetables and or sriracha sauce.

assuming you have a stove and a refrigerator, you can make a week's worth of rice, beans, vegetables, and some chicken or something for no more than 5 to 8 dollars. it ain't fancy or glamorous, but if you go out to dinner once and order a 5 dollar glass of wine, just remember that you're sipping away at a week's worth of (very runner-healthy) dinners.

i just finished up a big bowl of chicken alfredo and pasta. box of pasta = 1 dollar

jar of alfredo sauce from BJs = 2 dollars

frozen chicken breast from BJs = 2 dollars/pound (probably 1.5-2 pounds total or so)

cost of natural gas = no idea, ballpark 1 dollar

that's an 8 dollar meal that fed 2 hungry people and will be my lunch tomorrow. and that's a glamorous night for me.

oh, and if you drink, never do so in a bar. or if you do go to a bar, get hammered just prior to leaving and leave all money-related devices at home. buying a round of jager-bombs for you, your buddy, and the 2 girls you just met is not the best use of ~30 bucks.

You can survive easily but after you are 30 you will drastically lose quality in the women you date. Anyone if they wanted could figure out how to survive on 18 grand. That works out to over 1500 a month. Move to the rust belt and you can get rent for 275 a month. Eating cheap should only cost 300 bucks a month. You can also pick up cans and recycle and pick up another 50 bucks a month. Shovel snow for some extra cash in the winter.

Things that myself and plenty of others I've known that have done to get by when we were "living the dream" of a post-collegiate mid-pack national class runner.

craaazy thoughts wrote:

Thanks. Ramen noodles, check. Anything else?

TheTruthMan wrote:

One of the best kept secrets: ramen noodles. Thousand calories per dollar. Low fat. Good base for lots of different meals. I know friends who like to mix in vegetables and or sriracha sauce.

Lentils, quinoa, beans, rice are all good starches and filling. Cook some sort of roast and you can eat meat for cheap too. I made carnitas from a $9 pork roast last week and got 8 meals out of it.

Eggs are cheap too and a good source of protein.

LL Cool J wrote:

Lentils, quinoa, beans, rice are all good starches and filling. Cook some sort of roast and you can eat meat for cheap too. I made carnitas from a $9 pork roast last week and got 8 meals out of it.

Eggs are cheap too and a good source of protein.

Good ideas. Thanks Cool J.

I lived very comfortably off of 22,000 a year right after I graduated college. Once my car completely gave out and I bought a new (used car) my quality of life went down the shittter even though I got a new job that paid 30,000/yr. Previously I had been paying 45/month for insurance and with the new car I was now paying 285/month for my car and insurance. Expenses make a huge difference.

Easy to do with no fixed costs and being single.

My salary over the last year was $27k before taxes. After taxes, it amounted to about $23k. With that income, I still was able to live large (for me, at least) with occasionally eating out, lots of beer, traveling, and purchasing a few expensive recreational items. After the year, I probably saved $9000-$10000. It helped that my job put me on the road a lot and removed me from spending opportunities.

Where did this post come from?????!!!

Was just reading a post a few days ago where all you guys were blabbing how you and your spouse each make $250 K and are watching every penny and questioning whether or not you can afford a home? Is this the wealth gap in America everyone speaks of?? I must be missing the part where the experts on here say if your net worth is under $3 M by age 30 you are in trouble financially.