$290 per week

I heard on Clark Howard that this is the first year in almost 20 that couponing has increased. I guess more people are getting the idea that it helps. My sister is a couponing queen. She teaches classes at her church. If you spend the time planning what you buy and buy wisely, there is no need to spend ANY money on food. She regularly checks out with $100 worth of groceries in the negative and has to add candy bars, etc until she gets above $0. Apparently they won't pay you to shop there. Oh well! I do some simple planning and print a few online coupons (no Sunday papers) and I can walk out with 50% in savings without much trouble at all.

I think a lot of people here have pointed out the difference between needs and wants. The concept of living on small amounts of cash are a little shocking to most. But if you sit down and figure out where all your money is going you are going to find that most of it is actually going to wants.

In my current location, my monthly bills total a little under $900. I share a house with two other people so my rent is $400 (not including utilities), and my bills are kind of high because I have high speed internet (no TV), unlimited internet on my cell, 3 cars to insure, and I have to pay for my health insurance as an individual because I am self employed so that's $200 by it self for the absolute most basic coverage. My monthly gas costs are about $150, unless I drive the truck or the Celica which are both about $1 / 5 minutes.

So it can be done and it's really not that hard, but if there were a family involved then there is no way.

In reply to Clay:

that's pretty incredible..

any tips for those of us not used to "couponing"? (yet!)

bluej wrote: In reply to Clay: that's pretty incredible.. any tips for those of us not used to "couponing"? (yet!)

My wife's pretty big on it, the general rule is:

Use both a manufacturer's and store coupon and wait for said item to go on sale. Couponing isn't about getting what you want right now but getting what's available while it's cheap. Here's a picture of part of our "food storage":

This doesn't even include our chest freezer or the other 6ft tall shelf. All of that stuff was either free or was had for pennies. Stocking up pays off, you never know when whatever your buying will go on sale again.

blaze86vic wrote: But if you sit down and figure out where all your money is going you are going to find that most of it is actually going to wants.

Quoted for truth. This is the single most important thing you can do if you want to reduce your spending.

I am totally down with the Satans Awesomely Marketed Shopping Club (S.A.M.S. Club) Ain't nothing like industrial boxes of diapers and maxi pads to make me feel better.

I love being in a cheap place to live.

Tulsa, OK

There was a time I could and did, but I gotta admit I am not sure anymore.

I have been blessed over the last decade and while I still whine about silly things, my needs are met without issue and I spent to much of my time and money on wants.

My sister in law does the super coupon thing and I have personally seen her come home from the store with food for a family of 6 for 2 weeks for less than $30. She claims organizayion is key and keeps a three ring binder with the coupons organized in the clear baseball card holder things according to product and usage.

I keep forgetting there are peaple fighting every week out there. My heart goes out to you, bless you all. I need to quit my whining and start being more grateful.

iceracer wrote: Can anyone live on $290.oo a week ? I have a friend who has fallen on hard times and has asked DSS for help. First she was required to search for a job and while searching they will give her all kinds of help including rent. So, she found a minimum wage job for 40 hrs. a week. DSS can't help because she makes too much money. If she where to quit/lose her job, she has to wait 90 days to reapply for help. Now I know why there are homeless people. I know, a lot of people abuse the system but the guidlines for someone who is actually trying stinks. Just my rant for the day.

Does she have any kids? If so its alot easier for people to get benefits through the state. Atleast in PA, the way to do it is apply for benefits through the local county office, then they set you up with a part time easy job, working 10-20 hours a week, plus your $500 a month in food stamps, and $650 a month for public housing or low income housing. If you have children you qualify for cash as well, how much depends on the number of children. Health care is provided through the state as well, in fact it is quicker to get on the state health care and everything else as well, then if you signed up only for the healthcare.

I'm currently screwing the system of sorts, I live with my fiancee, I'm "renting a room" from her, collecting food stamps and $100 a month cash stipend. The state also pays her to rent me the room @ $50 a week.

Last year I made $8k. So yes, its possible. The kicker is that its actually pretty funny to me that you can buy cigarettes and alcohol with food stamps, the 2 things most unemployed or underemployed people could really do without. Good thing I don't smoke or drink much.

Andrew

IF you want cheap living, buy an rv or travel trailer... I lived in an RV for two years and a 36ft fifth wheel for the following two years (give or take a month or two.) the most i ever paid for rent was $460 a month (rents go up "in season" in fl during the winter) but it averaged $250 a month. "Rent" included water, electric, cable tv, use of the pool and exercise room, use of a fishing pond, and some other niceties (some even include wifi now!.)
If you get bored of where your at, unhook the lines and drive or tow to another campground. buy groceries at discounters like big lots , trim all the extras down to only necessities. Not everyone can do it, its a whole different lifestyle, but i really enjoyed it. I should of kept the trailer and just bought a piece of land with a barn on it , instead of sinking all that cash i saved into a real house, but oh well...

i paid $2200 for the 70 winibago (above left) sight unseen and drove it from maryland (after filling my aerostar with everything i owned in ny and bribing my nephew,i gave him the van, to drive it down, while i followed in my 924 turbo) picked up a uhaul dolly, and drove it to florida. after two years and fixing up the winni, i bought the trailer (right) for $1800 of ebay and sold the winnin for twice what i paid. I later sold the trailer , after fixing that up, for twice what i paid for it, when i bought my house. so i ended up basically living for free for four years!

As far as couponing, exactly what those above have said. Buy when it's on sale and buy alot of it. If it's sold out, get a raincheck for the sale price. A few other key things most people don't realize:

• When you buy stuff Buy One Get One (BOGO) you can use coupons for both items. That's a Manufacturer Coupon and a Store Coupon for EACH item (up to 4 coupons off the equivalent price of 1 item).

• Publix will accept competitor coupons. Depends on what they consider a "competitor", but mine accepts Target, CVS, etc. CVS regularly has $5 off $20 coupons on their receipt.

• There are tons of websites where they go through the sale paper and matchup the available coupons for each item right underneath each item. Some are newspaper coupons, some are printable.

A couple of my favorite websites: www.southernsavers.com

Here's an example of their matchup page for this week's sales.

They even have check boxes on the left so you can pick what you like and it will make up a printable shopping list for you to take with you.

Another site that does the same type of thing: http://www.iheartpublix.com/

If you don't have Publix, there are tons of other stores that do similar stuff. Many double or triple coupons as well. If you print coupons off the web, you can print up to 2 per computer typically. I have 3 computers in my house so that's 6 coupons.

924guy wrote: IF you want cheap living, buy an rv or travel trailer... I lived in an RV for two years and a 36ft fifth wheel for the following two years (give or take a month or two.) the most i ever paid for rent was $460 a month (rents go up "in season" in fl during the winter) but it averaged $250 a month. "Rent" included water, electric, cable tv, use of the pool and exercise room, use of a fishing pond, and some other niceties (some even include wifi now!.) If you get bored of where your at, unhook the lines and drive or tow to another campground. buy groceries at discounters like big lots , trim all the extras down to only necessities. Not everyone can do it, its a whole different lifestyle, but i really enjoyed it. I should of kept the trailer and just bought a piece of land with a barn on it , instead of sinking all that cash i saved into a real house, but oh well... i paid $2200 for the 70 winibago (above left) sight unseen and drove it from maryland (after filling my aerostar with everything i owned in ny and bribing my nephew,i gave him the van, to drive it down, while i followed in my 924 turbo) picked up a uhaul dolly, and drove it to florida. after two years and fixing up the winni, i bought the trailer (right) for $1800 of ebay and sold the winnin for twice what i paid. I later sold the trailer , after fixing that up, for twice what i paid for it, when i bought my house. so i ended up basically living for free for four years!

That is an absolutely berkeleying awesome plan. Not for me at this time of life but it's brilliant. Sounds like a winner for a retirement plan too. You are my new hero.

Adrian_Thompson wrote:

924guy wrote: IF you want cheap living, buy an rv or travel trailer... I lived in an RV for two years and a 36ft fifth wheel for the following two years (give or take a month or two.) the most i ever paid for rent was $460 a month (rents go up "in season" in fl during the winter) but it averaged $250 a month. "Rent" included water, electric, cable tv, use of the pool and exercise room, use of a fishing pond, and some other niceties (some even include wifi now!.) If you get bored of where your at, unhook the lines and drive or tow to another campground. buy groceries at discounters like big lots , trim all the extras down to only necessities. Not everyone can do it, its a whole different lifestyle, but i really enjoyed it. I should of kept the trailer and just bought a piece of land with a barn on it , instead of sinking all that cash i saved into a real house, but oh well... i paid $2200 for the 70 winibago (above left) sight unseen and drove it from maryland (after filling my aerostar with everything i owned in ny and bribing my nephew,i gave him the van, to drive it down, while i followed in my 924 turbo) picked up a uhaul dolly, and drove it to florida. after two years and fixing up the winni, i bought the trailer (right) for $1800 of ebay and sold the winnin for twice what i paid. I later sold the trailer , after fixing that up, for twice what i paid for it, when i bought my house. so i ended up basically living for free for four years!

That is an absolutely berkeleying awesome plan. Not for me at this time of life but it's brilliant. Sounds like a winner for a retirement plan too. You are my new hero.

indeed! that's how a couple friends of mine retired in their late forties/early fifties. they both worked in medicine but weren't doctors and did ok for themselves. they bought a bitchin RV that they use to travel the country from late spring to fall and spend the rest of the year in Naples, FL working at the bike shop i met them at for fun. it's totally sustainable and they love it.