because it's really not all that much at all, but my husband and I have really improved on our frugality, so we choose where to scrimp and are able to afford other things (we bought a house last year and average a vacation a year, etc.). Also, we try not to be too cheap when it comes to gift-giving. We don't go into debt buying presents for others, but we do try to be reasonably generous, because that's an area where we can spend since we save elsewhere, so our family and friends might think we make a little bit more than we do. As long as they don't think we have so much money that they come looking for a loan... ;)
"There isn't much on this list that a $79 Samsung Jack from AT&T can't do in comparison to the iPhone."
Maybe true for the things mentioned on this list but it would be easy to continue this list with hundreds of other ways to save money based on the tons of apps in the app store (while other phones do not have access to nearly as many apps) - even if they are just things that save time ... although as I start to type this I am realizing that there are just as many apps that are designed purely to turn around and waste that time you just saved so... :)
Thanks for all the great comments. This is exactly what I thought. There are a lot of people making a lot of money everywhere. 6 figure salaries teaching English in Japan in commentary #90!
I shall include the Japan anecdote in my post, "Fortunes, Fortunes, Everywhere! where policeman, fireman and longshoremen make easily $150,000/yr.
My wifes creditcard company has had a law firm contact her and they stated there was a judgement against us by Canyon State Credit and sent her a letter stating "terms" that we had to abide to, and we agreed to a bi-weekly payment plan. Now they have contacted her to notify her that on the basis of a few late payments, they have contacted our Payroll departments and if we don't pay the amount they(Canyon State Credit)want, they will attach our wages to the tune of 25% of our "disposable income". How can they do this? Are they legal, or just a threat to get more? Should I hire an attorney, can't really afford one.
Nope, you have to do them at the end at KMart. Now lets talk about the cheap asses who buy the stuff with double coupons to resale it at 3X the price at their own stores!
Retirement at 50? It's 43 for me. :) so I guess I'll see u there. As far as the teaching English goes, I lived in Japan for 6 years, and I loved that 6 figure income. It's as easy as you implied and a fun way to work. It felt like I was getting paid to go out n just talk to people as if I were home relaxing with them. Great times.
I seriously doubt anyone would be for me personally. I'm a poor college student working in retail.... Hardly a shock. ;) Maybe if they knew I was averaging $11 or so an hour, but that's hardly a shock I think. (Just pretty good for a student working through college I suppose.)
Now, for some people, I think if they found out how much my husband and I together don't make... They might be in disbelief. Everyone seems to want to think we make so much money because of our cars. Well, we don't, honestly. We just have a clear sense of where our priorities lie and spend accordingly.
I too want to make my own pins. I have a vintage clothing boutique, and think this will be a great addition to my collection.
I agree with you about the price of these flower pins. I can't wait to start! Thahks for the instruction.
Also, I saw an article about making the ribbon kind with wired ribbon. So easy! And, yes, you are artistic!! Tanya
My answer is yes, definitely. I live in Asia and teach EFL at a university. I also do other types of work here-- all related to English. Most people think that kind of work is for recent grads or just one step up from the peace corps. I probably shouldn't say this on a public forum with unemployment at 10% - so as to protect my turf, but I make way more than $100K doing what I do. Anyone not lazy can do what I am doing. We save about 80% of that as we have no debt and live frugally. Retirement at 50 anyone? See you there.
Im 29 years old, right now self-emplyed and a full time student. I own a 1992 Lexus LS400 showroom edition. I have been on my own since I was 16, have been working since I was 12, (I couldn't legally worked N since at that time we lived near the park n Shea stadium, I collected bottles n cans) I learned manual labor n at 29 I'm a single parent, make around 7k a month clean just from work, own a couple of houses that provide a steady stream of money, my furniture is at least ten years old. I have ZERO debt n recently bought a new house cash, fixer upper n fixed it myself due to my extended family moving in with me due to financial hardships. My family and friends don't know I own property or how much I make. As far as they go, I'm a full time student n unemployed. I own a vacation home in Florida n looking at a place in Costa Rica, I live well below my means but enjoy my life. I can basically write my own ticket to anywhere to do anything n money wouldn't b an issue but I like spur of the moment events n spending time in nature. My money doesn't define my lifestyle or interests, n I prefer meals at home because I love cooking as much as I live numbers, (I work with them everyday). I never had to depend on my parents n for those of u who just wish you could move in with your parents, wait till they knock on your door n cone hone to roost.
I was the one who wrote the article on not having a cell phone at all. However, after choosing to get one for business reasons, (one of them being that my internet is always down in my rural area, and I NEED email for my work), I have found it to be rather affordable. One cost-saving tool I can't use enough is the RepairPal app.. I use it to check out car repair costs in my area. Just last week hubby and I convinced my Grandma NOT to spend an extra $500 on a repair that could have been avoided with a simple cleaning procedure. May not have saved me much, but my iPhone gave my Grams a few extra hundred dollars to take on her California vacation next month!
Other fave apps include iCraig (for snagging the hottest Craigslist finds while in the metro area), Cheap Gas, and of course -- GPS. Not having to remember to transfer my GPS unit to the car I'll be using and being able to get to where I'm going the FIRST try has saved this directionally-challenged driver mucho dinero.
It really depends who is the "boss" and where you are on the hierarchy. In big corporations, your "boss" is just another employee. Somewhere along the chain of command, one will appreciate your effort. But do you want to risk the thorns of going thru & pass the others along the way. Moving to another company is like having a card shuffle which you might just end up in a somewhat similar position.
After more than a decade of work at nearly 2 handful of companies, I agree with Bobby about "work-life balance" and "Hard work isn't its own reward, but easy living is.".
I think most people that know me would be shocked at how little I make. I still dress very nice (ebay/thirft store shopping) and live below my means. I don't buy things unless I have researched that I am getting the best deal for a quality item (buying cheap/poor quality doesn't mean you'll end up saving money in the end!).
I make almost $600 a month as a student worker. My rent is $650/month. Besides that, I have groceries. Thankfully school is paid for through scholarships, but I'm still pinching pennies! And it doesn't help that it's expensive to be in my major, a design field...
People may not be shocked at how much I make, but they are always shocked at how much I save. I've more than tripled my salary in 5 years (I switched career so started at the bottom of the totem pole back then), but I live mostly as if I still make my starting salary at the non-profit. The extra money goes into (in that order): funding my retirement; spending on friends and family; down payment on a house; annual vacation; donation to charity; occasional indulgence.
I have gone through the most of the comments on blog. Yes the speech therapist living on teacher’s salary, {a little shocking
Submitted by Jamie g on September 22, 2009 - 07:13. }
Emily@Under$1000PerMonth on September 22, 2009 - 13:57.
Absolutely!
Submitted by Brent on September 22, 2009 - 11:21.
Now its time for you get shoked
I am living on less than $100 a month and I am very happy , with my
wife two children and good clean neat house, and my family is happy.
i am only bread winner and two children are studing. at all depends on your mind set ,to be happy or keep going unhappy.
Great tips...one things I wanted to mentioned but forgot: PLEASE don't become one of those people that become so obsessed with their iPhones that they get to the point of being socially rude/awkward. If you're eating lunch/dinner with someone, please don't pick your phone up and start playing with it....
Most of our friendship groups are based around shared interests (rock-climbing, book-clubs, bushwalking) and we don't really talk about work much. When we do, it becomes clear that there is a wide variety of incomes amongst our friends.
I love this. It means that there's no sense of 'keeping up with the jones'. It also means our friends generally assume we are earning the same as them.
So recently, there have been a few people who've been shocked that we earn significantly more than them.
I don't know that this means our lifestyle is no reflection of our paycheck. I think it means our lifestyle is in sync with our values.
I am a tech industry employee, a high performer with the same company for the past 9 years, so with raises, bonuses and stock grants, I make a lot and I am sitting on a nice pile of savings.
But, I calibrate my lifestyle to what works for me, instead of calibrating it to what I could be spending or what 'society' would expect me to spend. This means that I live in a modest house in a modest neighborhood, I drive a 5-year-old car (that I plan to keep for a while) and while I like clothes and buy a few nice pieces every season, I don't have tons and I don't buy 'status' items. I occasionally spend a pile on something nice for the house, but again these items are not 'status' items so unless you really know what you're looking at, you would not know how much they cost. I have little interest in fancy electronics, so except for a nice MP3 player and dock, all my electronics are at least 15 years old.
I DO spend a lot on travel and a fair amount on fun things like eating out with friends, going to events and keeping up my sports equipment. I am sometimes willing to spend extra for convenience.
I save about 20% of my income and and donate about 8%, but these activities are invisible to everyone but my financial advisor.
Some of my friends have probably figured out that I'm pretty well off, but many would be surprised, judging from how they commiserate with me about their finances, or express concern that I might not be able to afford such and such.
I'm proud of the work I have done to be financially successful, so sometimes I feel like 'outing' myself, but since quite a few of my friends are less well-off, I don't want to make them feel uncomfortable.
My partner and I live on a charter school teacher's and a graduate student's salary. Recently one of my co-workers was shocked when I told him what I'm making - turns out it's a couple thousand dollars less than he makes, though we have the same amount of experience and were both hired at the same time AND I have a Master's degree (he doesn't). He was just a better negotiator than I was when he was hired.
Still, we make it work, we live frugally, and don't feel like we are going without.
because it's really not all that much at all, but my husband and I have really improved on our frugality, so we choose where to scrimp and are able to afford other things (we bought a house last year and average a vacation a year, etc.). Also, we try not to be too cheap when it comes to gift-giving. We don't go into debt buying presents for others, but we do try to be reasonably generous, because that's an area where we can spend since we save elsewhere, so our family and friends might think we make a little bit more than we do. As long as they don't think we have so much money that they come looking for a loan... ;)
@Nick
"There isn't much on this list that a $79 Samsung Jack from AT&T can't do in comparison to the iPhone."
Maybe true for the things mentioned on this list but it would be easy to continue this list with hundreds of other ways to save money based on the tons of apps in the app store (while other phones do not have access to nearly as many apps) - even if they are just things that save time ... although as I start to type this I am realizing that there are just as many apps that are designed purely to turn around and waste that time you just saved so... :)
Thanks for all the great comments. This is exactly what I thought. There are a lot of people making a lot of money everywhere. 6 figure salaries teaching English in Japan in commentary #90!
I shall include the Japan anecdote in my post, "Fortunes, Fortunes, Everywhere! where policeman, fireman and longshoremen make easily $150,000/yr.
It's great to be an American!
@Sheron - I'm a mess! Sorry for misspelling your name above. Please forgive me!
Lindsey,
My wifes creditcard company has had a law firm contact her and they stated there was a judgement against us by Canyon State Credit and sent her a letter stating "terms" that we had to abide to, and we agreed to a bi-weekly payment plan. Now they have contacted her to notify her that on the basis of a few late payments, they have contacted our Payroll departments and if we don't pay the amount they(Canyon State Credit)want, they will attach our wages to the tune of 25% of our "disposable income". How can they do this? Are they legal, or just a threat to get more? Should I hire an attorney, can't really afford one.
Nope, you have to do them at the end at KMart. Now lets talk about the cheap asses who buy the stuff with double coupons to resale it at 3X the price at their own stores!
Retirement at 50? It's 43 for me. :) so I guess I'll see u there. As far as the teaching English goes, I lived in Japan for 6 years, and I loved that 6 figure income. It's as easy as you implied and a fun way to work. It felt like I was getting paid to go out n just talk to people as if I were home relaxing with them. Great times.
I seriously doubt anyone would be for me personally. I'm a poor college student working in retail.... Hardly a shock. ;) Maybe if they knew I was averaging $11 or so an hour, but that's hardly a shock I think. (Just pretty good for a student working through college I suppose.)
Now, for some people, I think if they found out how much my husband and I together don't make... They might be in disbelief. Everyone seems to want to think we make so much money because of our cars. Well, we don't, honestly. We just have a clear sense of where our priorities lie and spend accordingly.
I too want to make my own pins. I have a vintage clothing boutique, and think this will be a great addition to my collection.
I agree with you about the price of these flower pins. I can't wait to start! Thahks for the instruction.
Also, I saw an article about making the ribbon kind with wired ribbon. So easy! And, yes, you are artistic!! Tanya
My answer is yes, definitely. I live in Asia and teach EFL at a university. I also do other types of work here-- all related to English. Most people think that kind of work is for recent grads or just one step up from the peace corps. I probably shouldn't say this on a public forum with unemployment at 10% - so as to protect my turf, but I make way more than $100K doing what I do. Anyone not lazy can do what I am doing. We save about 80% of that as we have no debt and live frugally. Retirement at 50 anyone? See you there.
Im 29 years old, right now self-emplyed and a full time student. I own a 1992 Lexus LS400 showroom edition. I have been on my own since I was 16, have been working since I was 12, (I couldn't legally worked N since at that time we lived near the park n Shea stadium, I collected bottles n cans) I learned manual labor n at 29 I'm a single parent, make around 7k a month clean just from work, own a couple of houses that provide a steady stream of money, my furniture is at least ten years old. I have ZERO debt n recently bought a new house cash, fixer upper n fixed it myself due to my extended family moving in with me due to financial hardships. My family and friends don't know I own property or how much I make. As far as they go, I'm a full time student n unemployed. I own a vacation home in Florida n looking at a place in Costa Rica, I live well below my means but enjoy my life. I can basically write my own ticket to anywhere to do anything n money wouldn't b an issue but I like spur of the moment events n spending time in nature. My money doesn't define my lifestyle or interests, n I prefer meals at home because I love cooking as much as I live numbers, (I work with them everyday). I never had to depend on my parents n for those of u who just wish you could move in with your parents, wait till they knock on your door n cone hone to roost.
I was the one who wrote the article on not having a cell phone at all. However, after choosing to get one for business reasons, (one of them being that my internet is always down in my rural area, and I NEED email for my work), I have found it to be rather affordable. One cost-saving tool I can't use enough is the RepairPal app.. I use it to check out car repair costs in my area. Just last week hubby and I convinced my Grandma NOT to spend an extra $500 on a repair that could have been avoided with a simple cleaning procedure. May not have saved me much, but my iPhone gave my Grams a few extra hundred dollars to take on her California vacation next month!
Other fave apps include iCraig (for snagging the hottest Craigslist finds while in the metro area), Cheap Gas, and of course -- GPS. Not having to remember to transfer my GPS unit to the car I'll be using and being able to get to where I'm going the FIRST try has saved this directionally-challenged driver mucho dinero.
Great article!
Linsey Knerl
It really depends who is the "boss" and where you are on the hierarchy. In big corporations, your "boss" is just another employee. Somewhere along the chain of command, one will appreciate your effort. But do you want to risk the thorns of going thru & pass the others along the way. Moving to another company is like having a card shuffle which you might just end up in a somewhat similar position.
After more than a decade of work at nearly 2 handful of companies, I agree with Bobby about "work-life balance" and "Hard work isn't its own reward, but easy living is.".
What took me so long? Thinking like the owner.
Others assume that people in my field (higher education) make astronomical salaries, but I don't. More often not, there's more month than money.
Nope, no one would be surprised at all.
I think most people that know me would be shocked at how little I make. I still dress very nice (ebay/thirft store shopping) and live below my means. I don't buy things unless I have researched that I am getting the best deal for a quality item (buying cheap/poor quality doesn't mean you'll end up saving money in the end!).
I make almost $600 a month as a student worker. My rent is $650/month. Besides that, I have groceries. Thankfully school is paid for through scholarships, but I'm still pinching pennies! And it doesn't help that it's expensive to be in my major, a design field...
People may not be shocked at how much I make, but they are always shocked at how much I save. I've more than tripled my salary in 5 years (I switched career so started at the bottom of the totem pole back then), but I live mostly as if I still make my starting salary at the non-profit. The extra money goes into (in that order): funding my retirement; spending on friends and family; down payment on a house; annual vacation; donation to charity; occasional indulgence.
I have gone through the most of the comments on blog. Yes the speech therapist living on teacher’s salary, {a little shocking
Submitted by Jamie g on September 22, 2009 - 07:13. }
Emily@Under$1000PerMonth on September 22, 2009 - 13:57.
Absolutely!
Submitted by Brent on September 22, 2009 - 11:21.
Now its time for you get shoked
I am living on less than $100 a month and I am very happy , with my
wife two children and good clean neat house, and my family is happy.
i am only bread winner and two children are studing. at all depends on your mind set ,to be happy or keep going unhappy.
Great tips...one things I wanted to mentioned but forgot: PLEASE don't become one of those people that become so obsessed with their iPhones that they get to the point of being socially rude/awkward. If you're eating lunch/dinner with someone, please don't pick your phone up and start playing with it....
The Writer's Coin | Follow me on Twitter
Most of our friendship groups are based around shared interests (rock-climbing, book-clubs, bushwalking) and we don't really talk about work much. When we do, it becomes clear that there is a wide variety of incomes amongst our friends.
I love this. It means that there's no sense of 'keeping up with the jones'. It also means our friends generally assume we are earning the same as them.
So recently, there have been a few people who've been shocked that we earn significantly more than them.
I don't know that this means our lifestyle is no reflection of our paycheck. I think it means our lifestyle is in sync with our values.
I am a tech industry employee, a high performer with the same company for the past 9 years, so with raises, bonuses and stock grants, I make a lot and I am sitting on a nice pile of savings.
But, I calibrate my lifestyle to what works for me, instead of calibrating it to what I could be spending or what 'society' would expect me to spend. This means that I live in a modest house in a modest neighborhood, I drive a 5-year-old car (that I plan to keep for a while) and while I like clothes and buy a few nice pieces every season, I don't have tons and I don't buy 'status' items. I occasionally spend a pile on something nice for the house, but again these items are not 'status' items so unless you really know what you're looking at, you would not know how much they cost. I have little interest in fancy electronics, so except for a nice MP3 player and dock, all my electronics are at least 15 years old.
I DO spend a lot on travel and a fair amount on fun things like eating out with friends, going to events and keeping up my sports equipment. I am sometimes willing to spend extra for convenience.
I save about 20% of my income and and donate about 8%, but these activities are invisible to everyone but my financial advisor.
Some of my friends have probably figured out that I'm pretty well off, but many would be surprised, judging from how they commiserate with me about their finances, or express concern that I might not be able to afford such and such.
I'm proud of the work I have done to be financially successful, so sometimes I feel like 'outing' myself, but since quite a few of my friends are less well-off, I don't want to make them feel uncomfortable.
No, I don't think so. I'm pretty open about it.
#21 is a direct rip-off from "Look Who's Talking," including the "eat like a king!" line. I'm guessing it's a tribute...
My partner and I live on a charter school teacher's and a graduate student's salary. Recently one of my co-workers was shocked when I told him what I'm making - turns out it's a couple thousand dollars less than he makes, though we have the same amount of experience and were both hired at the same time AND I have a Master's degree (he doesn't). He was just a better negotiator than I was when he was hired.
Still, we make it work, we live frugally, and don't feel like we are going without.