Living on $12,000 a year

Hardup_Hester

Hi Ceridwen,
I make rag rugs in 2 different ways, I either cut the fabric into long strips & plait them & the coil the plaits into a circle or oval.
Or I cut them into 3 to 4 inch strips & use a rug hook or crochet hook to attach the rags to a piece of hessian.
Hester

ceridwen

Hard-up Hester - thanks for that. Do you know of any website addresses that give step-by-step stuff on ragrugs - like quantities of fabrics required/what types of fabrics one can use/plaiting technique - well the whole kit and caboodle for someone as uncraftminded as myself?

Moany Moany - just watched my way through that Walmart film you were mentioning earlier in thread - and thanks to the friend who pointed out how to do it:

http://freedocumentaries.org/film.php?id=105

there was a 2 minuter excerpt that is posted on YouTube that one has to watch way through first - then click further down to watch the full film. Thanks - it worked - it is the whole film on there - and, incidentally, a host of other interesting-looking documentaries for some other time.

Well - at least the film finished on a very positive, upbeat, note - after all the earlier stuff like Indian workers doing 98 hour workweeks for them (if my maths is correct).

Hardup_Hester

I don't know any sites Ceridwen, but the best place to try is https://www.about.com

Nosy_Nora

Yes, it's possible, I think. When I started my last job, the pay was very low, so I made out a spreadsheet showing expected bills, food, salary etc., and checked it against my bank statement. When internet banking came in, I used that as you are up to date that way.

Two of us lived on my pay, which was less than £12000 for 14 years. Now I'm retired, and he's on DLA, our total income is about £11000. not very different, but the mortgage and Loan are paid up, so we'll actually have a bit more money. I still use the spreadsheet. It is invaluable.

I am on the lowest mobile tariff, only use it for phoning and texting family. We have a freeview box, got rid of the more expensive stuff when they put the prices off, we don't have a car- I have a freedom pass and we get cabs if he has to go anywhere and we don't have dishwashers which seem te require extremely expensive chemicals to run them, As we have no car, there is no car insurance.

Hardup_Hester

Hi Nosy Nora
When you say you lived on £12,000 a year was that before or after tax, I have been following & commenting on this thread & realised part way through that some people were talking about living on £12k net & I was talking about gross. I was wondering why I was doing so badly, lol. I'm sure you'll enjoy being on these forums, we're a friendly bunch.
Hester

ceridwen

Hi Nosy Nora

Yes - I think cars are THE single biggest expense - after the mortgage/rent bit. I cant imagine how most people find the money to fund running one - if they really sit down and work out the cost - as compared to taking the odd taxi if required (certainly carshare ideas are a way to go for some people) - but individual car ownership - £100's a month! The mortgage is already cleared and once the debt is cleared as well - then I could live at what I call "get-by level" (ie no holidays and think whether I need or at least particularly want something before I buy it) on only about half of what I earn (which is incredible, considering how low my salary is!) - but this stage has taken literally years of working towards putting myself in that position - paying off that mortgage, reducing the bills to a minimum, etc.

Hard-up Hester - I am about to make your day again (NOT!) with more reading you might like to do:

http://transitionculture.org

(by the founder of the Transition Town Movement)

and a very interesting/readable book I am currently reading - "How to Survive Without a Salary - learning how to live the conserver lifestyle" by Charles Long (ISBN 189462237-5)

not strictly how to live without income (more how to live without a fixed regular salary). Of relevance to those who have a "portfolio" income (a bit from here, a bit from there, etc). I am surprised/bit shocked at how many people are unable to find a full-time job - so are having to cobble together several part-time jobs to get a full-timers level of income.

Would be interesting if any portfolio income people reading this have any contribution to make about the logistics of managing to earn income that way (as in how do you find the time/energy for a life after having to put together a jigsaw puzzle of oddments of income from different places).

I've just added a new word to the English language - shareblog - as in this thread feels like its turning into a bit of a shared blog. So - feel free to share.

Pandora123_2

ceridwen wrote: »

and a very interesting/readable book I am currently reading - "How to Survive Without a Salary - learning how to live the conserver lifestyle" by Charles Long (ISBN 189462237-5)

not strictly how to live without income (more how to live without a fixed regular salary). Of relevance to those who have a "portfolio" income (a bit from here, a bit from there, etc). I am surprised/bit shocked at how many people are unable to find a full-time job - so are having to cobble together several part-time jobs to get a full-timers level of income.

Would be interesting if any portfolio income people reading this have any contribution to make about the logistics of managing to earn income that way (as in how do you find the time/energy for a life after having to put together a jigsaw puzzle of oddments of income from different places).

I've just added a new word to the English language - shareblog - as in this thread feels like its turning into a bit of a shared blog. So - feel free to share.

I read what sounds like a similar book called Making a Living Without a Job by Barbara Winter. She calls these income sources Multiple Profit Centres (MPCs). Her idea was that you spent time getting an MPC up and running, and once it was running smoothly, you could spend minimal time keeping it running. Obviously, this only works for some things. I don't have any tips for managing this kind of lifestyle as I'm afraid I'm a little haphazard when it comes to doing things. A diary does help (when I remember to use one), also I would think that a spreadsheet of some kind would be invaluable. (I currently use Microsoft Money for managing household finances and that works great. Bought it cheap off eBay.)

:A

mineallmine

Just a quick reference back to water meters - I remember reading somewhere that... If there are less people living in a house than there are bedrooms = you save money with a water meter. We've saved lots over the last few years verus old house where the water charge was related to the 'rates' (I think). Also if you don't have a water butt, see if your local council supplies them.

calleyw

dolly_day_dream wrote: »

For nearly four years I have refused to buy 'cheap' clothing because I will not let some one who is even less well off than me suffer so that I can afford to buy it.

Think you need to read "No logo" by Naomi Klein big eye opening not just cheap brands are made in ways that you might not be happy with. Some of the bigger names do to.

But buying second hand is probably the best way though.


Yours


Calley

Pandora123_2

Came across these free ebooks... some are just the first couple chapters, a few are the entire book:

Real Success without a Real Job

:A