Reply to s/o living on $25k or $36k a year

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I take home about $42,000 and saved about $7,000 of that last year. My household is myself and one child who is with me 50%-no child support, but my ex pays for kid insurance and about 3/4 of aftercare and activities. My work picks up 100% of a very good insurance plan, pays for my cell phone, and covers half of a monthly bus pass. I have a student loan and am on an income-based repayment.

- Do you live near your family? If not how do you afford going to see them? 
My daughter and I take a regional bus. It was about $80 roundtrip last time we travelled.

- Do you have hobbies? What are they? 
I run, read a lot, and am involved in a lot of community and volunteer activities. My daughter and I go to a lot of free events or we hang out with friends.

- Do you ever travel for fun? If so, what's your approach? 
By tickets on sale on Southwest, say with family or friends or at an airBB

- Do you ever find yourself really wanting something that is outside your MMM budget (like a trip to Australia, or some expensive shoes)? Do you ever given in to those urges or do you just figure you'll get over it? 
I've given up on the idea of travel for now, but I'll buy a $120 pair of shoes now and again.

- What do you eat most days? Do you ever buy the expensive mustard or the fancy tomatoes? 
Today I had hard boiled eggs and an apple for breakfast, rye crisp and hummus and raw veggies for lunch. I'm going out for after work drinks and might have something light there. I live in a working class neighborhood where I can get a huge dominican takeout meal for $6 or a pizza for $8. When I have my daughter we eat tacos or homemade veggie sushi, homemade chinese dumplings. I don't feel like we really skimp on food. We eat a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables. I buy meat at a high volume inexpensive butcher. I shop on sale. We also eat out fairly regularly and I go out for drinks at least once a week.

- What do you do for yourself, that you see other people spending money on for others to do for them? Do you make your own clothes, or grow your own vegetables, or...? 
Clean my own house, take public transit, do my own taxes, don't go to yoga or therapy, care for my own lawn. I'm pretty sure making my own clothes and growing my own veggies would cost me money.

- Are most of your friends in the same boat? If not how do you do it when your friends want to get together at a restaurant or to go see a concert, or whatever? You just say no and have them over for a potluck instead, or...?
Most of my friends have more than me, a few have the same or less. I'll occasionally do something more expensive with friends, but usually, we hang out on someone's porch, go out someplace cheap or have drinks only. Some of my friends have money but few of them are fancy. Sometimes people pay for me or figure out how to split things so I pay less.

- What sort of house or apartment do you live in? Did you pick that place in order to be able to spend very little? Do you like your home? 
Absolutely. I was living in a really rundown 2 bed on a not great block. I recently bought (I have excellent credit) my own ranch house in a working class neighborhood. Housing and transportation are the big areas where I spend a lot less than other people I know.

- What do you think are the big misconceptions about how you live? What do you wish others understood about your approach to money - what do we outsiders usually get wrong? 
You clearly think people who bring home what I do are one step away from completely down and out. I feel like I live comfortably. I save money every month. I give about $100 a month to charity. I'm really thankful for everything I have and try to cultivate thankfulness in my child. I think a lot of people from middle class backgrounds overextend for housing and cars because they can't stand to live where poor people live. I live in a city where the average rent was about $1,800 (not DC) and was paying $1,000.[/quote]

This is OP - and thank you for your thoughtful response. I'm so impressed you put away $7000 while raising a child.

I wouldn't say down and out - but perhaps not making all these financial decisions out of choice, is how I'd put it. I was thinking of the people who make $150k but spend $25k and save the rest - your response is very clarifying, though, and I appreciate it. Congratulations on the house.[/quote]

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