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How do you deal with being broke? (lemmy.ml)

submitted 10 months ago by quinnly@lemmy.ml to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

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I'm in my 30s so I should be used to this by now, but this shit is getting so stressful guys. I have no savings, my checking account is drained every month with rent, and if there's ever a serious emergency I have no safety net, I'm legitimately fucked. I'm one unplanned expense away from absolute ruin. Those in the same boat as me, how do you deal with this?

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[–] Kit@lemmy.blahaj.zone 37 points 10 months ago (2 children)

It ain't pretty, but here's how I got through it until I started bringing in good money:

No takeout or eating out ever
Get a water filter pitcher and a nice water bottle. Drink only water.
Every paycheck, take out $200 or whatever you can afford. This is your "fun and gas" money. Your gas, hobbies, social life, and dating comes out of this fund. Whatever is leftover when your next paycheck hits goes into savings.
If you can rent a physically smaller place, do so. It will save on utilities.
Don't buy a car unless public transportation or biking is not viable in your area.
Meal plan with the goal of zero food waste. So if you plan to buy an onion and will use half of it in one meal, make sure you have another meal planned that week that uses the other half. Do this with every ingredient. If you're careful and creative you should never have to throw away food. - On this note, get good at cooking. It's much cheaper to cook from scratch.
Cancel your streaming services and learn to pirate safely.

This works but isn't a great way to live. You need to combine it with a plan to either make more money or relocate to a cheaper area while maintaining your current income.

[–] Asymptote@lemmy.dbzer0.com 16 points 10 months ago

If you have the option, buy stuff you're always gonna need anyway in bulk when they're on offer. Toilet paper, pasta, rice (except right now rice prices are exploding), coffee etc.
if your super market has marked down prices for "last date" or "close to use by" stuff, that section needs a visit every time you are in the super market
if you have a freezer, you have even more incentive for previous 2 tips

[–] jcg@halubilo.social 8 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

One caveat with the food tip is that eating absolute garbage like highly processed frozen food is still gonna be cheaper. I guess it's cause they put so much preservatives and so those have such a long shelf life. Not that I'm advocating for eating that but cooking for yourself is a cheap way to eat something nutritious. But as somebody who's gone through the same grind, it's still honestly just cheaper to eat garbage. But, I legitimately just feel better, think better, and overall am better on food I cook myself. And that improvement has knock on effects for the rest of everything you do in life.