Let’s get a list going. Like with a Target debit card you can get $40 cash back and it takes 1 to 2 days to be withdraw from your checking.
Take care of your teeth.
I’m not poor but this always helps everyone. Wait for a while before you buy the thing off your shopping list. Wait for a week and reconsider whether you indeed need it.
If the answer is still yes, buy it. It is a must do for expensive things. Never break this rule for any massive purchase like a car or something!
Also, there’s a big difference between being able to pay for something and being able to afford something.
Thank you! Wish my last girlfriend understood this.
I could pay for her, but I couldn’t afford her…
If you add an item to your cart but don’t buy it right away, you will sometimes see a discount that it meant to encourage you to buy it.
Interesting I guess this is why my partner does this. Kind of drives me nuts though because then we’ll have something on the list for months and he keeps putting it off until I finally just go on my own to buy it because I actually need it. Obviously not for big purchases but for stuff we don’t use often like flour or jam or something.
Growing up my parents sheltered me a lot more from the financial instability we faced, his did not and he’s still stuck in survival mode even though we are past it, so we have very different spending habits.
That’s not a bad idea
I was looking for a new car (leasing) and kept checking different for some weeks until I stumbled upon one offer that was 100€ less than any other while being essentially the same (power, space, etc). That was nice and I don’t really care about brands as long as they are somewhat reliable.
I try to never buy something the same day I learn of it. I’ll take someone’s business card, look it up online, comeback later, etc. that way it’s only if I really care about it and not just feeling pressured or spending money for fun (buying stuff feels like an accomplishment, but the feeling never lasts).
My suggestion is only for things, not people.
I’m not sure what you mean here. I can only think the confusion is on business cards, where I am from it common for little shops and individual vendors to have business cards to look them up later. Sales people for big things too like cars, and houses.
Ok. I thought you meant some other thing. Nvm
No worries!
I know credit cards can be a slippery slope for some, so learn how to practice financial discipline before getting one.
That said, if you’re not paying with a credit card, you’re paying at least 2 percent too much for everything you buy except the things that can’t easily be paid for with a credit card.
That adds up big over the years.
Credit cards should be avoided at all times, unless you have the money to pay them off each month. Or if you’re getting zero-interest financing and you are able to stick to the plan of paying it off before interest gets added.
Getting into credit card debt is one of the most common and worst poverty traps. Getting behind on credit card bills can ruin your credit and take years to repair, which impacts your financial stability when it comes time to make a purchase with Real Credit such as a home or car.
My best poverty tip is to not buy expensive things that are unnecessary. Also cook your own food at home, and learn to repair anything that you value. I’ve saved thousands of dollars over the years by doing my own car repairs, and driving old cars long past having them paid off.
A credit card is a spending tool, not a debt tool. If you buy things with a CC that you can’t pay for right away you are doing it wrong.
Get a cashback $0 fee card and use it for everything you need and nothing you want.
When I started out my limit was less than I made in a month and I paid for everything with it. That was hard to fuck up and helped me build good spending habits. Currently I have one that is about 2x my monthly salary that I use for larger purchases but still the concept remains similar.
I know credit cards can be a slippery slope for some, so learn how to practice financial discipline before getting one.
My neighbors living in a slumlord’s two bedroom apartment Rent to Own everything. The got a TV from Rent to Own so big it had to be delivered cause it didnt fit in their car … i got the cheapest roku pos tv at walmart for $50.
Their daughter when she comes over to play with my kids has told me about so many frivolous things from Rent to Own they probably pay more to Rent to Own per month than in actual rent for their appartment.
As someone who used to work at rent a center. Fuck rent a center and rent to own businesses in general.
Evil predators. Should be illegal.
Plus if you’re young it builds a credit score. Get a credit card, pretend that it’s your debit card. Set up automatic payments.
Knocked out 80% of my Christmas shopping on my cash back this year.
This is the way. December is always my spendiest month and cash back from the previous year nearly always makes up for the difference.
On average people spend around 5% more with credit cards. That 2% cash back is a partial refund of increased spending.
Yeah, don’t spend more. Use it as a debit card.
And, again, make sure to be financially responsible and literate before you get a credit card.
Any place to get a proper gist of what financially literate means in this context? I know maybe a few basics but always wondered about the best way to utilize credit to a long term benefit.
Basically use any credit card as you would any debit card. That means never spend any money you don’t already have in your account. And always pay the full statement balance every month on time to avoid paying interest.
That way you will get all the rewards and none of the drawbacks.
And what happens when a big purchase comes along that I really need, like my car breaking down or just a new mattress? I always figure that’s where the utilization starts going up and there’s only so much that can be paid off before the next billing cycle.
Do whatever you would do if you didn’t have a credit card.
Which has usually been borrow to buy things.
Some debit cards have great cash back too. Some even have good interest rates (2-4%).
- Get a cheap subscription to a 24h fitness with warm showers, lockers and wifi.
- Combine with a library card.
This will allow you to live in your car or be homeless, in relative(!!!) comfort, and still be presentable enough to hold down a job.
Although this seems to be an excellent tip (thanks), this sounded very USA to me.
Not American. BasicFit and similar chains allow you access to all their gyms across Europe. Obviously, the car will be a problem here. If you can afford it, something like the citroen berlingo will do. They’re everywhere, relatively affordable, and not super noticeable. If that’s not an option, there’s the library or public transport, combined with the occasional hostel. Not ideal, but better than sleeping on the street and not being able to wash at all.
Out of curiosity, how would a homeless person in your country accomplish the same things?
Not the same person but where I am there are shelters and community centers that offer these things for free. The facilities are not in as good condition as a gym membership though.
We have tons of shelters in the US too. Talk to any homeless person though and they’ll tell you they don’t use the shelter because it either: forces them to not use drugs, splits up a family, has lots of sexual assaults going on, or has more health related problems than it’s worth.
last time i took a shower at a homeless shelter:
you have to hand all your stuff to a guy at a window, he puts it in a bag, then you go to a medium sized room with several shower heads spraying towards the middle…
so you don’t just get your shower, you get the water bouncing off a dozen naked homeless guys…
the water is a tepid, narrow, painful jet…
i caught scabies and athletes foot…
…
i’ve taken one other one at a shelter in another city and state and it was identical…
…
gym is way better, otherwise i’d rather take a bird bath in a random bathroom sink…
How enraging is it that this is genuinely the best advice for a huge chunk of the US population, we are the richest country in the world :(
I echo the sentiment, but the US is barely in the top 10 richest countries in the world.
https://www.worldatlas.com/gdp/the-richest-countries-in-the-world.html
An interesting read, thank you
A lot of those countries are just tax havens where companies like to “headquarter” their businesses and where rich people hide their money. Some have a low official population, and rely on exploiting foreign workers for much of the labor done (non-citizens don’t count towards “capita”).
Remember a lot of effort and money is spent into brainwashing us from young ages to be constantly be buying shit we don’t need and to feel like we are living bad lives if we don’t have it.
Remember it’s bullshit, remember that you are more than the fucking trinkets and landfill filling they want you to trade all your time for.
Boycott shit, find any reasonable moral cause as a good reason not to buy something. There’s almost always a good reason not to buy something that you don’t need.
I feel like it would take just as much effort and basically a whole other upbringing, in a sense, to become accustomed to all the things we were raised with. So i get what you mean, but I dont know exactly how possible it really is, or none of us would really be here, for example.
For sure, to me it’s just take every step you can, nothing is ever perfect.
Brush your teeth twice a day. Floss daily
Go for a 20 minute walk a few times a week
Don’t have a pet
Prevention is much cheaper than dentists and doctors in America
Pets are amazing but if you’re searching the couch for extra change for a meal they don’t need to be in your life.
Holy crap pets. Both of my dogs passed, but it was about $1,000/yr each for normal stuff, when you add it all up. Food, vet, boarding, toys, beds, etc. you aren’t kidding.
I also know that people will skip better food and the vet, meaning they end up with unhealthy pets too.
Still cheaper than having a kid.
All of the foods suck, just use your dog as a food disposal for healthy stuff that is starting to get sketchy. There stomach can handle it, and honestly my dog will pull it out of the trash or compost bin completely wrotten and eat it anyway.
Also don’t buy a dog if you live in an apartment, or don’t have land and refuse to walk, it’s just mean. They are meant to expend a crazy amount of energy, and the blame only falls at your own shoes when they inevitably destroy your apartment or have health issues.
learn the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and make sure your money has a most bang for the buck in regards to shelter / food / safety
The library has all your entertainment if but it does require a change of mindset
stay away from anything that only has one type of use, find things that can be used for multiple uses and try and buy it used if possible
Thrift stores sell clothing for pennies on the dollar. You can put together a professional wardrobe for less then a new pair of Levis
Mostly agree, but a lot of thrift stores in the US have gotten significantly more expensive and lower quality over the past 10-20 years. You can blame resellers (like vintage stores) for at least the second part of that, but also fast fashion in general.
I have been to hundreds of thrift stores across the country. Rarely are any two the same. Rarely are they the same store if you visit it months later. And some are expensive but if they are, they usually have better stuff. Visit the stores in the areas that are generally poor and you will still find lots of hidden jems at deep discounts to the retail price. So much so that it’s always worth the extended trip outside of your neighborhood.
Very fair! You’ve definitely got a wider perspective than I do, I appreciate it.
Heck I have a some near me that I know as different places to look for things. One area is cheaper, one more high end goods, one tends to have older stuff, just because it depends on the people donating!
I cook a lot, I strongly agree with avoiding things that only do one thing.
That slapchop looks real handy, don’t it? Wait till you gotta clean it. Any time savings are instantly lost, and now you have nooks and crannies for bacteria/detritus to hide in.
Look, generally speaking: if you don’t see professionals using something, there’s likely a good reason for it. Maybe you’re doing something smarter than a pro. But that’s rare, remember that.
Sometimes the reason the pros aren’t using a thing is because they have spent 10 hours a day, 6 days a week for 20 years learning how to do it that way. Sometimes the tool is just more sensible.
You’re right, sometimes it is. However, in a society whose existence is centered around consumption, beware the salesman. The point is to think about the purchase: most of the time you don’t need it.
To add onto this, Goodwill is the worst thrift store, so try to poke around and find some mom and pop thrift stores. They do more good with donations and charge far less when you’re buying (plus will usually help you out if you are really in a bind and need something)
Buy solids, don’t buy liquids. Solids are cheaper specially if you buy in bulk.
Don’t buy drinks at fast food restaurants.
Eat less meat.
Drive less.
Don’t eat at fast food restaurants if you are trying to save money
Solids vs liquids - could you elaborate on that? Soap seems like an obvious example, and a couple specific food items like broth vs powder… but that’s all I can think of off the top of my head.
A couple years ago I switched from drinking soda to drinking those powdered wylers light drink mixes, it was mostly because I wanted to stop drinking so much soda but I went from spending $6 every other day to $20 every month and a half.
It makes sense when you think about it. Most drinks are 90% water and it just seems so wasteful to have water shipped rather than using the pipes that come directly to my house!
Water weighs about 8lbs/gallon (1kg/L). When you’re eating soup, the actual flavors/salts/veggies take up about 20% of the weight, tops. Additionally, volume is far decreased, so you can have more food in a smaller container. Finally, bacteria have nothing to work with in material without water. Just add your local water when you need it, it’s already there.
So, buy dry goods to reduce shipping costs for both you and the producer. Ship only the food part of food, not the water. The costs are much lower, for all the reasons above.
Dry beans, peas, etc are also cheaper than buying cans.
A lot of things including milk, jello, drinks, general purpose cleaners, and detergent
If you have any public drug coverage and you can’t afford food, you might be able to get your dr to “prescribe” food (stuff like Ensure, Resource, etc) and have it filled for free from public exceptional coverage.
SLPT: Get depression! You’ll lose all interest in most things, instantly cutting spending on those things by 100%!
Sleep for dinner!
Unless you manage your depression by trying to fill that bottomless pit with stuff on the net.
ill do u one better
get so depressed you get into calisthenics then you can do full body workouts with minimal equipment alone in your room and get shredded for super cheap. given u diet but healthy foods can be cheap in bulk/cans
Cook your own food. Ready made meals will always be made with as much cheap non nutritional filler as possible. Learn how to use a few spices, buy produce that is cheap with the season and keep track of weekly discounts in your local stores. It will save you money, you’ll eat better and it’s rewarding to have a tasty meal in the end.
Also I’m surprised how many people don’t seem to understand pricing in general. When comparing prices, see the price per weight or volume. That is money/kilogram or money/liter (substitute with freedom units). Money per package can be deceiving if you compare 75 money for a smaller package or 95 money for a larger.
Edit: If the need to learn spices makes you overwhelmed, start out with some spice mixes! Pick a couple of different blends that are different, like one Cajun Mix and one Mediterranean and one oh idk something else culturally generic. Also salt, pepper, paprika and bullion. There. You can make lots of different sorts of foods and learn on the way what spices you like. Don’t be afraid to experiment. Don’t get discouraged. Some stuff will turn out meh, but others will make you go wow. All of those are learning experiences for the future!
On the cooking one, I also recommend cooking double portions when you can. If you can cook twice as much with minimal effort, that’s half the cleaning you have to do afterwards and half the meal planning you have to do. You get up in the morning and know that you have leftovers from dinner ready to go for lunch in the fridge. Also, rice. Rice is cheap, good for you, and incredibly flexible in what you can do with it. A rice cooker is also a great appliance to have in general. Not only is it an easy set and forget for a pot of rice, but you can do all sorts of meals in it from steaming meats and vegetables to cooking soups and even baking desserts. An air fryer is similarly flexible and great for making meals for one person. You don’t have to preheat it or anything and it doesn’t cost all the energy that a full size oven does.
That’s true. Food prep is great for the economy and also for the soul. You can generally find larger amounts cheaper per weight and it’s nice to know them you get home and are tired that there is some good food waiting to be reheated.
Don’t take on debt if at all possible. If you use a credit card, try to pay it off each month. Don’t get one with annual fees. Get one that has cash back not miles or points.
Learn to make your own coffee instead of buying Starbucks or whatever. A decent hand grind will last for a decade and cost around $50. A no name pour over dripper and filters are a cheap way to make coffee at home. Buy beans and keep them in an air tight container and they will be good for a month.
Learn to make your own coffee instead of buying Starbucks or whatever
Be warned, this habit can very easily form into a hobby that is more expensive than buying Starbucks every morning
I’m a coffee snob, but it’s amazing how much a French press can do for making different kinds of coffee.
Now espresso, too rich for blood so far. Those machines are nuts.
I make my own instant coffee
Nice! How do you do that?
This is a recipe that my grandma taught my while she was still alive and I’ll pass it on to my nonexistent children when they are old enough to drink coffee.
- Buy instant coffee
- Heat water
- Put instant coffee in cup
- Put hot water in cup.
Most poor folks can’t afford a hobby.
A no name pour over dripper and filters are a cheap way to make coffee at home.
Moka, French, and Turkish give you better results, don’t require disposable filters, are usually cheaper, and aside from Turkish don’t require experience to make good coffee.
I do moka pot at home every weekend. I would argue that experience is needed to make good coffee. It is easy to make something undrinkable.
Other than that it comes down to personal preference. I believe manual pour over results in a better tasting cup of coffee.
Woah, the coffee one is billionaire-making advice! /S
Take beverages with you from home.
You can fill an entire wardrobe with kmart clothes for $100, it’s cheaper and more practical than even op shops most of the time. Maybe just don’t buy your shoes from there.
Bottle sauces and seasonings can last a long time, and can dramatically improve the diversity and quality of your home cooking. Basic chicken, rice, and greens can be turned into a dozen different dishes depending upon the sauces.
Avoid subscription services like the plague.
There’s always a few exceptions, but name brands are rarely worth it.
Avoid subscription services like the plague.
Great advice. You didn’t hear it from me, but Stremio is a pretty easy way to cut streaming costs if you choose to install certain add-ons…
What would those certain addons be? Just so that I won’t do anything illegal by accident.
I wouldn’t be the best person to guide someone through it, unfortunately. But you can find a list of add-ons here, and there are almost certainly some quality guides by smarter folks than I to get you started.
Just in case you were being serious about the legality concern though, this may not be something you want to do.
Avoid subscription services like the plague.
Check what services your library card gives you free access to.
Hallelujah and Amen to avoiding subscriptions
Honestly I have stuff from clearance racks at Gap that have lasted 15 years and cost $3 -$5. Thrift stores have gotten expensive here but the mall clearance rack can still sometimes be a great deal. I didn’t buy clothes this year at all, don’t usually since I have enough to rotate. But when I do eventually, I look for something I can like for a long time.
Also smartwool socks, I thought I was throwing away money because they were so expensive, I got them for running because they are so good and help avoid blisters. I had to replace them last year, looked in my Amazon history and saw they were 11 years old! So I saved money really. Socks that lasted over ten years!
Of course these are all middle-income tricks. When I was very poor - you can live in your car but can’t drive your house, keep the car if you have to choose. Ask for help from people you know - you would help them, right? Roommates, so many roommates. Splitting rent 8 ways makes it affordable.
If you have secure housing but not much else - our neighbor used to bring us fruit & veg he dumpster dived because he knew we were struggling. Look for free healthy food like that to supplement what you buy - some community gardens you can harvest from, that’s how ours works, it’s not a grow your own space, everyone grows for everyone. Some farm coops you can trade time & labor for food. We couldn’t get food stamps because Florida but if you are willing to jump through the hoops that can really help get you through too.
What’s a KMart lol?
Rofl. I didn’t even notice because I’m old.
Buy expensive shoes. Well, let me rephrase that. Buy GOOD shoes. A good pair of QUALITY shoes will save you money in the long term as they will last a lot longer than buying many pairs of cheap shoes.
As the old saying goes: being poor is expensive.
We aren’t rich enough to buy cheap things
And shop around
Realized the 80 dollar slip resistant work shoes I got at Shoe Carnival were like 20 bucks at target. Same shoes, just didn’t have a football player’s name on the tag.
Put em side by side they look identical and I wear them interchangably not even noticing a difference
Don’t pay for advertising
I would also argue that many pairs of shoes can also have the same effect. If you can rotate shoes, you’re not wearing out any one pair excessively. I have shoes that are in still good condition but are a discontinued Adidas line that’s not available anymore. Although I do have shoes I still haven’t worn so there’s definitely a point of having too many pairs lol
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You can save money if you go without eating at least one meal a day.
It’s probably good advice to eat at least one meal a day
Coffee and half a banana and aim for dinner.
Eat at work if you can. Coffee at work if you can save time and money.
