Let’s get a list going. Like with a Target debit card you can get $40 cash back and it takes 1 to 2 days to be withdraw from your checking.
Let’s get a list going. Like with a Target debit card you can get $40 cash back and it takes 1 to 2 days to be withdraw from your checking.
Eat rice and beans for every meal.
Don’t eat three meals a day
Buy tools from pawn shops and learn to service your vehicle or bike
Cold showers and dark rooms
Pick up a sewing machine from a thrift store
Basically DIY as much as possible. And steal anything you can.
Don’t put yourself into an even more miserable situation when it doesn’t even benefit you in a measurable way.
E.g. Lights/dark rooms: Let’s say you use a 5W LED light bulb (which should be bright enough to decently light most rooms). If you leave that running 24/7 for a whole year, that is going to cost you ~13€/$ (0,3€/$/kWh). You are not going to keep it running 24/7, you are not even going to run it half the day. It is not worth 5 bucks to spend the whole year in darkness, no matter how little money you have.
Obviously turn off the light when you’re not in the room or it’s the middle of the day in summer, but be reasonable with yourself.
The same goes for food: Sure, buying cheap staples (in bulk if possible) is a great idea, but don’t try to save 5 cents if that means skipping on the salt, herbs and tomato paste which would take your 2/10 bland bowl of carbs to at least a 7/10 and give you something to look forward to.