Comments on: Comments on 14542

Post number 14542

ryanshepard — Wed, 06 Feb 2002 16:47:35 -0800

How to survive in London on £7,000 a year: I'd love to be rich, but it is so expensive. Only joking. Spending big money and accumulating material possessions has never interested me. I don't need retail therapy to cheer me up: my desires are focused elsewhere - in social justice and human rights. Via Nutlog.

By: mr_crash_davis

mr_crash_davis — Wed, 06 Feb 2002 16:56:26 -0800

£4.48 per hour for freelance journalism? That's around $6.31 in US dollars. Crimony. He still has a more expensive suit than I do.

By: Neale

Neale — Wed, 06 Feb 2002 17:01:54 -0800

It helps to be single with no dependants. No shit. Try living off £14,000 for a year with a kid. Not going to happen.

By: argybarg

argybarg — Wed, 06 Feb 2002 17:12:48 -0800

Seattle's weekly The Stranger has a similar article about surviving in Seattle on $800 a month. Just for comparison.

By: sheauga

sheauga — Wed, 06 Feb 2002 17:43:16 -0800

Very practical! Good tips on overcoming the usual health care/car/ rent barriers to voluntary simplicity. Could somebody post links &/or write a version of these two articles for other cities? This would be really helpful for people without much money who need to relocate.

By: tino

tino — Wed, 06 Feb 2002 17:44:20 -0800

It is also easier if you live in local authority or housing association property. My one-bedroom council flat in Elephant and Castle, south London, costs £52 a week, which is one-third of the rent payable for equivalent accommodation in the private sector. Which means that he's not living on £7,000 a year -- he's living on £7,000 a year plus over £5,000 in the form of housing subsidies from the taxes of people who are working, instead of "arrest[ing] presidents and chastis[ing] archbishops." I used to live on about $2000 a year. How? It is easier if you have a good relationship with your parents. My car, flat, appliances, computer, and so forth cost me $0, which is infinitely less than what those things cost in the private sector. So I suppose that I am even more frugal than Mr Tatchell.

By: MrBaliHai

MrBaliHai — Wed, 06 Feb 2002 17:53:20 -0800

This article seems to be less about living frugally, and more about the author exuding smug self-righteousness in his chosen political pursuits.

By: insomnia_lj

insomnia_lj — Wed, 06 Feb 2002 20:50:49 -0800

I can't say that I live so austerely, but I certainly don't spend a lot of money, even though I live in the middle of the Silicon Valley. My secrets: - my wife and I only have one car between us. - no dependents. - I don't use credit cards... I only use an ATM credit card. - I avoid writing checks. Cash can't bounce. - I buy a disproportionate amount of 2 for 1 deals at supermarkets. - When I go out to restaurants, I tend to go to Vietnamese dives. (I know all the good dives...) - I usually wear sturdy, comfortable clothing and old, reliable Doc Martins. - I rent videos and DVDs from the local library - it's free and you can rent them for longer. - I save all the money I can, when I can, and have built up a healthy stock portfolio, buying low, selling high... - I buy quality merchandise that lasts a long time and I take good care of it. When I was in college, I was dirt poor. All my money went to rent, so I had to really scrape by. My secrets then?: - I volunteered for college radio and received lots of free tickets for cheap entertainment. - I ate lots of potatoes, oatmeal, and low-priced produce. - I shopped for food at discount outlets and bought their best deals. - I washed my clothes by hand. - I shopped at thrift stores. - I went to Vietnamese delis and ate lots of $1 sandwiches. - I'd go to free parties and art receptions rather than going out and spending money.

By: doodlebug

doodlebug — Wed, 06 Feb 2002 20:58:02 -0800

to each his own... the article just makes me think... what exactly DO i spend my money on.....

By: argybarg

argybarg — Wed, 06 Feb 2002 22:13:18 -0800

By the way, here's an updated link to the Stranger article.

By: jessamyn

jessamyn — Wed, 06 Feb 2002 23:23:21 -0800

I did my taxes this week. 8K for the year. $500 rebate coming. My secrets and tips:

avoid loans and debt at all costs [this is more luck than skill for sure]
buy no clothing new, except shoes. buy good shoes and take care of them.
cook at home
avoid expensive drug, smoking, computer, and drinking habits
craigslist is the place to go for rideshares and local deals
do not own a cell phone, eschew cable
avoid the urge to buy something just because you are in a store or restaurant with friends
barter for as much as you can, swap services for meals or rides
make minimizing rent costs your #1 goal
do volunteer jobs that pay off in food, haircuts, free books, etc.
visit the library, take the bus, learn to like them both

I was sure the Stranger article was going to bother me [tips on getting the cheapest margeritas instead of skipping the bar altogether] but it was surprisingly even-handed, not like some alleged simple living advice rags.

By: Frasermoo

Frasermoo — Thu, 07 Feb 2002 00:51:24 -0800

'Cruising Russel Square' I'm sure he's very healthy.

By: jedro

jedro — Thu, 07 Feb 2002 02:48:22 -0800

The Guardian recently published an interesting two part article on surviving in London on £4 an hour.

By: asok

asok — Thu, 07 Feb 2002 07:06:25 -0800

this reminds me of the new york couple who saved on non-essentials for two years (or maybe four) whilst working at 'normal' (read average waged) jobs. they saved enough to buy the farm in the country that they had always wanted, and sold the story and frugal survival tips as a book, becoming millionaires. sorry no links, as i don't know their names. tino - i for one am glad to know that some of my taxes are giong to a decent cause. peter tatchell lives below the poverty line (50% of the uk population live below or near the poverty line) and is therefore eligable for housing benefit.

By: Mars Saxman

Mars Saxman — Thu, 07 Feb 2002 09:26:50 -0800

Stories like this are inspiring. I reorganized my life, about a year and a half ago, trying to simplify everything and get out from under the pile of monthly bills. I moved from a two-bedroom apartment to a studio, got rid of nearly all furniture, left the TV behind, gave my computer gear to the Real Change office down the street... it was satisfying, and I enjoyed the lightweight feeling. It's tricky to sustain, though, and trickier when another person is involved. I'm still living in the studio, but it's filled up with possessions now. Somehow I collected two computers, a cell phone, and a DSL connection over the course of last year. I earned plenty of money but it's all gone. I'm starting to feel that another reorganization may be in order, but it's hard to imagine what can be cut out, and hard to see how to go smaller and lighter when the other party to my life is thinking "someplace a little bigger would be nice"... -Mars

By: mecran01

mecran01 — Thu, 07 Feb 2002 10:23:14 -0800

I can't read this crap any more. Not that it isn't inspiring, but I have three small kids so it's a completely different ball game. I can't imagine getting by on less than $25k a year.

By: luriete

luriete — Thu, 07 Feb 2002 12:17:39 -0800

It must be nice not to be a materialist.