The Frugal Princess Guide to Living on the Cheap
I am not rich, by any means. Thanks to my student debt (yes, I did a PhD, an MBA/MEng and thus I have student debt), I live a relatively modest and budgeted life. Despite the fact that I love going out (heck, I write about lifestyle, so I do often eat out, attend performing arts and sometimes I splurge on things), I recognized this year that I needed to be more budgeted.
I remember when I told JT last year that I needed to write “The Frugal Princess Guide to Living on the Cheap” (‘princess’ being a bit of a self-mockery as some people seem to think I’m rather ‘princessy’ at times). If I had the time, I totally would. But there’s a number of folks who write locally about living frugally, like Dianne Chow (Fabulously Frugal), the folks at CheapCouver and in Victoria, Scrimp or Splurge.
Do you know any other websites that focus on living great, but modestly and on a budget? If so, please share. Or if not, please share your tips “to living on the cheap”. I can tell you right now that packing a lunch and bringing it with me to UBC on the days I teach and to The Network Hub on the days I work at my consultancy, has led me to a substantial (and dramatic) reduction in expenses!
I do plan to continue eating out, travelling and doing art, but I am hoping to maintain a strong grip on my budget.
I have been able to see a lot of free theatre by volunteering as an usher, raffle ticket seller, etc. at the show. It doesn’t take much of your time, and since you were going to spend your evening at the theatre anyways, you may as well help out the theatre company (they usually operate frugally too!) and watch the show for free.
Thank you SO much for highlighting my ScrimporSplurge website for Victoria scrimpers. I’ve been without a full-time job since April 2010 and I am learning how to get cute clothes, eat out, see shows, and still spend less than I ever did when I was a wage slave. Consignment shops for gently used home decor items and designer clothing are a lifesaver. So are group-buying coupons for dining and other fun stuff.
Oh, but you have to bring a packed lunch to UBC. Even though they have a few okay cheap eats there, can you really eat another samosa? Bleh, gimmie my homemade cheese on good haven bread, yogurt, boiled egg, apple and carrot sticks any day! Yes, cheaper and much healther indeed.
The City of Vancouver has done lots of work on community centres recently (Sunset, Olympic Village, Mount Pleasant). These have great equipment and are far cheaper than a for-profit gym.
Take transit or if you can give yourself time to walk places. We have such a nice place to live and the weather is usually mild enough you can get many places on foot.
Finally, looking for a fantastic “vacation” on the cheap? Try taking two weeks off and volunteering for the film festival as an usher. You get an unlimited pass and can just immerse yourself in movies. Plus the wrap party is usually a blast!
You can also sign up for Vancouver Freecycle. It is amazing the things that people ask for, and receive. You can also give away items you are no longer using but may not be worth the time/hassle involved to sell. The main rule of the site is that everything must be free-no for sale items and no trades. I haven’t asked for anything yet but have given away a lot of nice but no longer used items. Great way to declutter, recycle and save money.