5 Frugal Habits For Low Earners In Their Job

1. Go rural

It is far, far easier to make a living on least income in a rural situation. There are lots of small towns where you can find a room to rent for very less amount a month and a small apartment to rent for … a month. Yes, these really exist – I see them fairly regularly when I get out in the more rural areas of Iowa. Even better, these areas often have lots of jobs for minimum wage workers – I see lots of help wanted signs around these towns and notices inside of town halls and gas stations looking for workers.

1. Don’t drive

A car is a giant money suck. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it, if you’re working for minimum wages; your car is killing you. Ditch the car – get no matter how money you can from it. Then choose a place to live where you can get to work by foot or by bicycle. In a small town, it’s pretty easy to reach any other place in the town (and many places in the nearby countryside) on foot or by bicycle, and it’s something that people often do to cut corners.

1. Find the free stuff

Whether a small or a big town there are many resources available for the hard-up, from free dinners at churches to food giveaways to soup kitchens. The library makes available free entertainment in the forms of books, music, and internet access. There are parks, recreational activities, and countless other things even in the smallest of rural towns. Look around for the free stuff and use it – it’s there for everyone to utilize. When you must spend money, be as frugal as possible.

1. Don’t be proud

Pride a lot and even also mostly keeps people from walking into a soup kitchen. Don’t let it. That kind of pride is an obstruction ground into you by a life in a consumerist society. People who are there to help you want to help you stand on your own two feet – give them that opportunity. Look for every opportunity to help you with your situation, from consulting to WIC to Medicaid to welfare (regardless of my political feelings on it, it’s definitely a resource someone in that position should use). If you don’t know where to start, start off by asking a pastor or a clergyman for help.

1. Minimize your required commitments

Repaying debts? Call the debtors and explain your situation and ask for abatement. This won’t get rid of your liability, but it can reduce your necessities for the time being. If you have children and in that case you simply can’t support, look for opportunities to help you with that burden – your family is a great place to start, for example. Don’t saddle yourself with burdens heavier than you can carry or you’ll do nothing but collapse. You don’t become strong by carrying 500 pounds of weight on your back – you become strong by learning how to carry ten pounds, then adding more as you go along.