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My Low-Income Lifestyle

Let’s start with my monthly salary

“I’d like to live as a poor man with lots of money.” —Pablo Picasso

I get paid $1545 after taxes on the 1st of every month. That’s my salary for working at the university, and being a graduate teaching assistant. Over 12 months that comes out to about $18,540.

For a single person, that places me about $7,000 above the federal poverty line of $11,490. You’d think I live a pretty comfortable, financially solvent life. And for the most part, I do.

I’m not in poverty. I never go hungry for long. I’m afforded incredible learning and writing opportunities. I can pay for shelter without any concerns. I’m lucky not to have any dependents or pets. I’m not on the brink of losing this consistency of life.

A tight monthly budget, but positive

Here’s what my monthly budget looks like:

Paycheck: $1,545 per month

Rent: -$550 (Housing in Iowa City is surprisingly expensive. This price bundles Internet/Cable, as well).
Utilities: -$50 (Varies month-to-month, but on average…).
Student fees/tuition: -$346 ($1251 per semester (x2), and then summer tuition (not covered) at $1650 for 3 credits — all divided by 12).
Food: -$400 (working to lower this, but in the past…)
Gas: -$5 (I don’t drive, but occasionally I give friends money to carpool with them)
Total costs: $1,351 per month

Partial budget: $194 per month

Notice that within this budget, entertainment, travel, and car expenses are not present. It’s difficult to approximate how much I spend on entertainment (going out to movies, playing pool, or bowling), but I’d say it averages about $10-20 per month.

Because I sold my car, I no longer have registration, titling, gas, insurance, maintenance, or car loan payments. Although, flights still happen and those cost about $300-400 round-trip. I fly about once or twice a year nowadays. Conservatively, that’s about $600 per year, or $50 per month. Subtracting these costs, and the following is my total budget:

Total budget: $124 per month.

If I stay within this budget and repeat it monthly, I can save about $1,488 per year. But that’s only if there are no other fees, expenses, or emergencies. For instance, my computer is hugely important to my business, job, and schooling; if that were to fail, I’d be in deep trouble. A single incident could wipe away my savings for a year.

Macro Money Photo — *Photo: Kevin Dooley/flickr*

Settling into the low-income lifestyle

While I might not be in poverty, I lead a low-income lifestyle with little room for error. Now that I’m no longer in massive student loan debt, my monthly budgets are real and accurate — not manipulated artificially by financial aid. When I run out of money, it’s gone — there’s no reserve ready. If something happens, emergency funding may be found using title loans or other secured lending options.

As I paid off my student loans and stopped withdrawing additional credit, I developed and settled into a low-income lifestyle. It’s one without exotic vacations, weekend getaways, cars, fancy dinners out, and the latest gadgets.

Now, I hold onto things longer, avoid purchases, and cook at home whenever possible. But it took me a while to adjust down — to slow down, really. I’ve said this before, but debt fostered an illusion of success that I felt compelled to uphold and continue. I wanted to show people that I could “afford” to treat, spend, and enjoy. Unfortunately, it was all a mirage. I was swimming in debt and stress.

Reflecting on the pros and cons

Pros

1. No more debt (or very little)

I no longer take out student loans to cushion my budget. Every month I do have revolving credit from regular purchases, but my balance is paid in full each statement period.

2. Support from family and friends, community

People check in with me more than ever about how I’m doing with my financial goals. Additionally, friends have increasingly begun to ask questions about how they, too, can save.

3. Greater exercise

Now that I sold my car, I take buses, walk, and/or ride my bike. Altogether, I’m getting way more exercise over owning and driving a car.

4. Empathy for lower-income and impoverished populations

Living closer to poverty and working with the homeless population has been an interesting combination. While I have great educational privilege, I do not have any income to show for these “achievements.” For now, this lack of money has helped me try to empathize with those less fortunate than I.

5. Reduced environmental impact

Despite America’s capitalistic ideals, we are doing the planet great harm with our consumption. Without any money or vehicle, I’ve drastically reduced my environmental contribution to greenhouse gases.

6. Eat healthier

To stay within my food budgets — and reduce them even further — I’ve been making more food at home and avoiding fast food alternatives.

7. Provides motivation for stories, articles

Living this low-income lifestyle provides great fodder for stories and reflection. Simply put, I learn every day from it. Comfort can sometimes make us complacent and inure us from others’ struggles. Stripping away income has provided deep insight into income problems in America.

8. Increased appreciation for what I do have

For everything I must sacrifice with my tight budget, there’s far more that I have, which I’m deeply grateful for. From health of friends, family, and myself to comfortable shelter, I am privileged.

Cons

1. Restricted travel

I used to travel all over the country. I loved seeing new places, eating different foods, and meeting new people. Instead, I’m mostly here in Iowa City. Traveling is too expensive — other than to see family a couple times per year.

2. Less time with family

I’ve added hours at work to receive more income. Between that additional time and aforementioned restricted travel, I don’t get to see my family as much as I’d like.

3. Awkward date conversations

While I’ve grown to embrace my low-income lifestyle, I can’t afford to go out with people too frequently. When I go out on dates, I’ve noticed that gender norms about who treats still seem to hold strong — the man is expected to step up.

4. Susceptible to emergencies/unexpected costs

If my computer stopped functioning or I had an injury, I may lose the budget surplus. This precarious balance threatens all my financial goals.

5. Psychological toll and nervousness

Being at this level of income takes a psychological toll. I’m working a large number of hours each week for relatively little pay. That’s stressful.

6. Society doesn’t seem to understand

Graduate students made great progress over the last few decades to have their educations paid for through assistantships and fellowships. But skyrocketing tuition has held back graduate funding. State and federal funding has consistently been in jeopardy.

7. Guilt when overspending

When I do spend money outside of the budgeted amounts, I feel tremendous worry and guilt. This emotional reaction sometimes stems the tide of purchases, but also makes me wish for days of financial security.

8. Tiring, test of willpower

Last, but certainly not least, it can be tiring. Following this strict of a budget takes an immense amount of willpower. Unfortunately, willpower is deeply tied to energy levels. With less energy, willpower tends to decline, as well.

Frugal Articles of the Week

By Frugaling 5 Comments

Today I wanted to feature a few frugal articles that caught my eye this week. Curl up in your favorite reading nook and enjoy. Hopefully these encourage you to live frugal lives!

A Counterculture Spirit Flourishes, Preserved Under Fiberglass Domes by Patricia Leigh Brown
When I was in college, I lived in an old residence hall with a drab blue carpet. I didn’t get much of a choice about where I lived or roommate. Thus, I was socked away in a hall that was perpetually too hot and overcrowded. But there’s another, cooler way. Over at UC Davis, there’s an incredible cooperative community residence hall. They grow plants, vote democratically, and are all around awesome!

Oxfam Study Finds Richest 1% Is Likely to Control Half of Global Wealth by 2016 by Patricia Cohen
The New York Times’ Patricia Cohen found that major economic studies suggest that about 80 people have the wealth of 3.5 billion people. Oxfam and other charities/NGOs are working to educate everyone about this vast income and wealth inequality that affects us all.

The Possibility in Blank Spaces by Cheryl Moreau
The consumption culture tends to find empty spaces… for lack of a better term, empty. Finding something blank or empty feels like a void — as if something is missing that should be present. Cheryl writes about this problem, and how she looked past emptiness and saw freedom. Brilliant thought piece!

Why Is No One Talking Medium-Term Financial Goals? by Stefanie O’Connell
Stefanie asks one of the most important questions about creating medium-term financial goals. Unfortunately, most people don’t plan or budget for the middle years particularly well. Retirement accounts may grow, and emergency funds might protect, but there’s often this palpable absence of the medium-term. Stefanie takes a crack at fixing that for us.

Frugal Articles of the Week

By Frugaling Leave a Comment

Today I wanted to feature a few frugal articles that caught my eye this week. Curl up in your favorite reading nook and enjoy. Hopefully these encourage you to live frugal lives!

This powerful Reddit thread reveals how the poor get by in America by Max Ehrenfreund
What does poverty in America look like? It can be difficult to truly understand, but this Washington Post article aims to capture some of the harder parts. They found a Reddit thread of real-life examples of poverty, and what people sacrificed to get by. It’s a painful reminder that we have a lot of work to do to reduce poverty.

How to Spend $50 a Week on Groceries by Cat from Budget Blonde
One of the most difficult parts of my budget is food. I eat out too much, and have some weird reactions to certain foods. Cat explains three awesome methods for saving on your food budget and staying at $50 per week! Really impressive job.

Why Wages Won’t Rise by Robert Reich
From the Clinton White House to University of California, Berkeley, Robert Reich has been a leading economic thinker. In this article he explains how — despite greater employment rates — wages aren’t rising as we might expect. The culprit is complicated, but might be related to greater automation.

The Bling Dynasty by Devin Friedman
“Communist” China isn’t looking so equal. Over the last decade, hundreds of people have become billionaires. And in turn, corporate giants have flocked to China for a piece of their wealth. In this crazy ride of an article, Friedman catalogues the wacky world of China’s new rich — spending money wherever they can.

Refuse To Be A Customer In Training

By Frugaling 7 Comments

A seed is planted

As a 4 and 5-year-old, I slept comfortably on an IKEA bed frame. Like many of their products, it was probably called a Flickanflack, Dottbland, or some other uniquely random, proper Swedish name.

I remember a drawer that occupied the bottom of the bed frame — so large that I could fit my little self inside it. When the drawer closed, and the world turned off, I felt protected — even if I was a little afraid of the dark. Nothing could find or get me in my enclosed space.

My parents would go to IKEA and drop me off at Småland. This little taste of the Scandinavian language was the play place for children. Parents could browse through the store — even eat lunch — and then come back to pick up their kids.

Lucky for my parents, I actually liked the place and it afforded them some time alone. They could breathe easy, and I could have fun — a win-win (we thought). Unfortunately, something more nefarious was cemented at this young age, and it directly affects how my room looks today.

Companies market to nostalgia, memory

A couple weeks ago, I read an article about cereal marketing. It turns out that marketers know how to manipulate us to feel nostalgic responses — craving feelings from our past that can trigger consumption.

One food and consumer trend analyst suggests that “nostalgia is an important weapon in a marketer’s arsenal.” This effect was recently envisioned in the return of General Mills’ French Toast Crunch cereal.

For Millennials, this cereal brings back memories of childhood and happiness. And the company wants to recreate those emotions and benefit from increased income.

Like the potty, consumerism takes training

Some companies openly display their child-targeted tactics. For instance, Whole Foods, which has a wealth of natural and organic food options, provides tinier shopping carts for children. Attached to these mini-carts is a flag with a message: “Customer in training.”

Subtly, General Mills, IKEA, and Whole Foods (to name three in a sea of companies) display the power of marketing to children. By reaching young minds, ideas can be implanted for later use. Many of their efforts are initially free or nominal.

Swimming in the ball pit, playing video games, and racing around IKEA’s Småland didn’t exactly feel evil. As a child, I wanted that environment; heck, it was more entertaining than what was at home. I welcomed those moments.

The perfect corporate consumer creation

Companies are playing a long game with children’s minds. This training can suddenly be activated at a company’s discretion — making us adult automatons and primed for consumption. It’s the tinge when we walk down the cereal aisle and feel a pull for Captain Crunch, Reese’s Puffs, and Life. These are marketed moments of nostalgia.

Children become inclined to the shapes and designs of IKEA furniture when it’s in their rooms and they’re visiting the fun, comfortable ball pit. And I was just one of the many affected by these tactics.

In 2011, IKEA opened their first store in Colorado. As a student in Fort Collins (northern part of Colorado), I made the hajj-like journey to the store only days after its opening day. Again, there was a magnetic force pulling me to visit, purchase, and come back again.

Walking through the doors, there were a flood of emotions, but I couldn’t resist smiling. The smell of cinnamon buns and fresh wood tickled my senses and felt familiar. That familiarity led me to buy a desk, bed frame, side tables, a chair, stool, and many other odds and ends.

Hundreds and hundreds of dollars later, I had become the perfect corporate consumer. IKEA’s tactics had worked, and at the time, I couldn’t even seen the connection. I just felt this unknown gravitational pull.

Preventing childhood brand loyalty

Before I go any further, I’m not sure that most people in Western culture can prevent children developing brand loyalty. Billboards, magazines, TV shows, shops, restaurants, and everything in between serve as powerful anchors for future consumers. Children are psychologically changed by these messages — corporations know this and parents should, too.

The consequence of perfect implantation of these advertisements is that people do not want to relinquish the connection. As a frugal person and advocate of minimalism, I can tell you that I still like IKEA. If someone said I couldn’t shop there any more, I’d be upset. The company’s gigantic, warehouse-like stores are too familiar to imagine letting go of. I’m deeply loyal to the brand.

Nonetheless, in this world of marketing, there are a few things parents certainly can do to raise children that evaluate these external messages.

1. Avoid companies that target children

For many parents and families, this is challenging. Most supermarkets and big-box retailers model the stores to affect children. Cereal aisles are, again, the perfect example. Children’s cereal is placed lower to the ground, features colorful packaging, and fun cartoon characters. Parents can decide to avoid shopping with children when possible and protest companies like Whole Foods that actively recruit consumption in children (i.e., “Customer in training” carts).

2. Be skeptical of “free” offers

There are many samples, courtesy gifts, and free offers for parents and their children. When a child is surrounded by certain products, a connection develops. If there is comfort in these items, those children will likely continue the cycle of consumption for that particular brand (whether they know it or not). IKEA’s play place may be free in price, but their corporate goals are to create return shoppers for decades to come.

3. Talk with children about the messages they receive

Advertisers don’t tend to explain themselves to children. It’s not like kids are provided a consent form that tells them what advertisements can do to them. But the young mind is malleable. What makes children incredible sponges for knowledge also makes them susceptible to untoward marketing behaviors. As parents, guardians, teachers, and leaders, we can share some of the truth and help explain how companies aim to affect our emotions negatively (by manipulating us to feel nostalgia and happiness).

My Low-Income Lifestyle

Let’s start with my monthly salary