How to Live Cheaply

It’s pretty easy to get into debt these days. All you have to do is go to college. There are many ways besides that, too. There are so many things our society tells us we need (that cost money). But in reality, we don’t really need them. Thanks to our very useful four year degrees from a private college, Judah and I have had the gift of starting out our marriage broke. Did she just say gift? Yes, gift. I can’t even believe all of the amazing things we’ve learned about happiness, unity, and true riches that we wouldn’t have learned if we weren’t broke. We’ve also learned a lot about stewardship. We try to live cheaply, but we certainly don’t live poorly. In fact, I think we have a very good life (not to brag). But we’ve also committed to a lifestyle that doesn’t cost a lot, so we can focus on student loans and giving to others. So, here I am, to tell you some of the things we’ve learned about living cheaply, in case you’re interested. But be warned: these are lifestyle changes, not easy fixes.

1. Monthly or bi-weekly budget
    I bet you saw this one coming. Budgeting is everyone’s favorite thing. You might think it’s a pain, but it really does help. The power of a budget lies in this concept: telling your money where to go instead of wondering where it went (Dave Ramsey). So, we make a budget every other week when Judah gets his paycheck. We have a few things that go along with our budget, such as a “To Budget For” list, which is just that. It’s a list of things that we want to budget for once we have the money to. We also have rules, which we call “Rules for Financial Awesomeness” which keep us on track. Because, let’s be honest, budgeting requires a lot of discipline. The rules are as follows:

1. If it is not on the budget, it doesn’t even exist!!! WE CANNOT BUY IT!!! No ifs, ands, or buts.
2. If we are contemplating purchasing something, it must be on the “To budget for” list before the day the budget starts.
3. For purchases over $50, the item must be on the “To budget for” list one week before the budget.
4. All items must be discussed before we put them on the “To Budget For” list.
5. When we receive extra money (such as Etsy earnings), it is to be held until the next budget.
6. ALL EXTRA MONEY GOES TO STUDENT LOANS!

Wow, that’s extreme, is the thought that just ran through your head. Let me explain a little. The reason for having items on the list for certain periods of time is simply to prevent impulse purchases, which for many people, are major wallet emptiers. Little things add up. And as I said before, this requires discipline. It’s a lifestyle change, not an easy fix.

2. Cheap phone plan
    We use a pay-by-the-minute phone plan, in conjunction with Google Voice. If you are poor, Google is your friend. Google Voice is completely free, and you can have a Google Voice number that you can use on your computer, but also have it forward to your phone. Between our phone company and Google Voice, we average at about $5/month per phone. FIVE DOLLARS, folks. Granted, we don’t have smart phones, and we only use texting when we’re at our computers. But that is a VERY small sacrifice to make. If you can’t live without 24-hour access to texting and internet in your pocket, then in the words of the famous Ron Weasley, you need to sort out your priorities.

3. Limit how much you eat out
    Let’s just face it. Eating out is expensive. At a less expensive restaurant, you can get a meal for ten bucks. At home, you can make a meal for less than one. That’s a no brainer. But I will admit, it’s really nice (and also important) for us to go on dates. So, here are some things that we’ve tried that you can do. Be creative. Drink out of fancy glasses while eating dinner at home. Go on cheap dates (dollar menu ice cream cones at McD’s, etc). Ask for restaurant gift cards for birthdays/Christmas. Sometimes little things like that are more fun and meaningful than eating out often.

4. Plan your meals
    Eating at home more is a lot easier, and saves a LOT of money, if you plan your meals. I know plenty of you are rolling your eyes right now. Especially for you small families or couples, how often do you find yourself finding spoiled ingredients in your fridge because you didn’t use it up in time, or getting into a rut of making the same meals all the time, or being tempted to just order out? Planning your meals will solve ALL of those problems. Every time we make a budget, we sit down and plan what meals we want for the next two weeks. This allows us to 1) plan around what items are currently on sale; 2) plan meals that use some of the same ingredients, so we can use them before they go bad. I used to roll my eyes at meal planning. But since we started doing it, we’ve been eating a lot better, getting more fresh and healthy ingredients, and saving money. Here’s a bonus: bring your leftovers to work for lunch. Your coworkers will be jealous eating their microwave TV dinners while you’re eating your delicious home cooked meal. One more thing about meal planning. You can do all your shopping in one shot. You don’t have to go to the grocery store every time you realize you need something. Save on gas!

5. Find TV alternatives
    We don’t have TV. It’s ok to not have TV. You won’t live under a rock if you don’t have TV. With the internet, and things like Netflix and Hulu, you can easily get away with not having TV.

6. Think about your air conditioning usage
    It doesn’t have to be the arctic tundra in your house when it gets sunny outside. Air condition enough so that you can be comfortable, but it shouldn’t feel like a change of seasons when you go outside. Believe it or not, you can condition your body to be comfortable at a wide range of temperatures. That’s how they did it before air conditioning was invented. And... it saves a lot of money.

7. Give more
    Yes, you read that correctly. Save by giving? Yes. Maybe it doesn’t make sense to you, but I think it works. If you think more about others, it follows that you think about yourself less. And if you think about yourself less, you spend less money on yourself. If you live in the United States, you are richer than you think you are. You have more stuff than you think you need. Give to people who need it. Give less to yourself. I don’t mean you have to give tons of money to a random organization that feeds poor children in a third world country. I mean invest your money (and therefore your thoughts) into something meaningful. The more you think beyond yourself, the more you realize how little you “need.”

So there you have it. My intention is not to make you feel guilty in anyway. If you’ve been blessed with wealth, that’s fantastic, and I pray that you use it bless others! My only goal is to get you to think about that things we think we need. I just want to think about the life our society tells us we need, and to question that. No, not to question it. To refute it.