Three people show how it’s done: A 25-year-old former construction manager who now collects unemployment while starting up a website; a 44-year-old woman who earns a total of $20,000 a year from two part-time jobs; and a 60-year-old part-time administrative assistant.
Liz Pulliam Weston interviews the thrifty trio at MSN. So how do they do it? The answer’s pretty simple: They all spend money carefully, deliberately, and infrequently—especially when it comes to major expenses, notably housing, transportation, food, and entertainment. Weston sums up the takeaway for anyone hoping to get by on less money, including lessons like:
You’ve got to know where the money is going. All three know exactly how much they spend on housing, utilities, transportation, food — you name it. Their money doesn’t slip through their fingers but instead is carefully and consciously deployed. Tracking what you spend is a great way to become conscious about your money and whether your spending reflects what you really want most from life.
And:
A lot depends on your attitude. I emerged from these interviews with a big smile on my face. These three people were so delighted with their lives — and excited about the future — that it was positively contagious. I don’t think I’ll ever live on as little as they do, but knowing how happily they do so makes the prospect of living on a shoestring a lot less scary.