Fixed Expenses $1,000 or less (with no mortgage) Can you do it? (55, moving)

[newenglandgirl]

Originally Posted by nicet4

We all need to do that.

Until he went to a nursing home we had a wonderful neighbor who lived on a fixed income of $800 and change. No internet, no phone, no cable television and his lights were always off to conserve electric. The only light you would ever see on was a single 60 watt bulb in the family or bedroom.

This was when the new florescent lights came out so I bought a dozen, showed him how they only used 15 watts of power giving off the same light as a 60 watt bulb. For the same money he could burn four lights instead of one.

Oh, to answer the question about $1,000/month. I could do it but it wouldn't be pretty. No cablevision, no internet, no phone and no cell phone.

I really need air conditioning in the summer. Our summer electric runs $250/mo but I keep it comfortable where I want it so I guess I would have to learn to live with fans. Wear a sweater in winter but at least here it seldom gets below 50 degrees.

No car. But we are lucky, in Georgia golf carts are legal in smaller communities as long as not ridden on state highways. In our town we have a sizable community of golf cart users (small town you can get anywhere in 10 to 15 minutes) so if I could I would at least want a golf cart.

Yeah, I could do it but as I said it wouldn't be pretty and the one thing I haven't factored in is medical. With medical I could do it on $1,600/month and for $2,000/month I could live pretty well getting back cablevision and internet. For phone I would still dump mine and go with the magic jack. If I had a cell phone I would get one of the prepaid $100 which is good for 1,200 minutes and last a year.

Anyway, back to my neighbor.

He loved it, cost me about $80 but worth every cent especially when he started leaving the porch light on in the evening.

We always bought a little extra food. This area of the country has wonderful peaches and strawberries when in season with the best way of getting them is fresh right from a roadside stand. Instead of a dozen peaches I'd get two dozen, instead of a gallon of strawberries I would get two.

We order all our eggs from a local farmer, they are cheaper, fresher, better tasting and healthier than you get in the store so I just increased our standing order from two dozen/week to four.

When we went shopping if we needed a half gallon of orange juice we'd get two.

He had a large yard like mine and to mow it someone gave him a rider mower. I made him a deal, I would pay for all the gas and the repairs to the lawnmower if needed if he would mow my yard. I wasn't taking advantage he loved riding his mower around and I loved the fact I didn't mow my yard for three years. This came about when I noticed he would mow my yard if he was doing his and mine looked like it needed it. He really liked it so the deal was a win-win for both of us. I think I paid for a new blade, a couple gallons gasoline a week (big yards his was even bigger than mine) and I bought a new battery once. When gasoline was $4 and living on $800 and change it was a big deal for him to buy a gallon so it worked.

But the biggest thing was a phone. For around $40 I purchased one of those Magic Jack phone jacks which got us one year of unlimited phone service as long as you have high speed internet. You even get your own number. We already had a phone line I bought a quad set of wireless phones, kept the master in the bedroom with the ringer off giving the other three phones for him to use. Until he had to move to a nursing home he had free unlimited phone service able to call anywhere in the US and Canada free. When I gave it to him you would have thought he hit the lottery.

Moral of the story is you don't have to spend a lot to bring some much needed sunshine into someone's life. Your reward in giving far exceed anything your neighbor receives.

Wow, NiceT4, so nice to hear from you again! This is perhaps the most refreshing post I've read on any of the forums. You are a gem to do this for your neighbor. Most people are running around in "me, me" mode, only looking out for themselves and their "assets." Your finest asset is love and care for your neighbor. You made my day, thanks.

[imcurious]

"Necessities":

Gas Heat/Electricity
Health Insurance
Food
Basic Cable
TIVO
Cell Phone
Internet
Gas for car
Toiletries
Car Insurance
Gifts
Other Utilities (Water, Garbage)

[Bideshi]

Originally Posted by imcurious

"Necessities":

Gas Heat/Electricity
Health Insurance
Food
Basic Cable
TIVO
Cell Phone
Internet
Gas for car
Toiletries
Car Insurance
Gifts
Other Utilities (Water, Garbage)

Uh oh. I didn't realise how far out of touch I am: what's "TIVO"?

[BLS2753]

Originally Posted by Bideshi

Uh oh. I didn't realise how far out of touch I am: what's "TIVO"?

It's a type of digital video recorder for your TV.

[chuck_steak]

Originally Posted by imcurious

"Necessities":

Gas Heat/Electricity
Health Insurance
Food
Basic Cable
TIVO
Cell Phone
Internet
Gas for car
Toiletries
Car Insurance
Gifts
Other Utilities (Water, Garbage)

Gifts
TIVO
Cable
to me, aren't really "necessities". Those are "wants", the other stuff on the list is "needs".

[wabanaki]

here is my $ 1200 ss benefit went.

house tax & insurance $240
electricity $ 60
internet,phone $ 90
cable tv $ 60
gas for car $ 80
car insurance $ 50
food human/dog $ 400
the little left over for house/car maintnence.

no heath insurance, would have cost $1600 per month, not old enough for medicare.

[brava4]

$200.00 for cable and internet??? Wow, that is a lot. I pay $43.25 for both. but maybe you have the more premium cable and internet.

[Bideshi]

Originally Posted by wabanaki

no heath insurance, would have cost $1600 per month, not old enough for medicare.

This is the killer for us. My wife is too young for Medicare (even IF we could get a doctor to accept it...). I don't see a solution to this other than move out of the US to where health care is affordable.

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by chuck_steak

Gifts
TIVO
Cable
to me, aren't really "necessities". Those are "wants", the other stuff on the list is "needs".

I agree.

We have no cable in our township.

Before the government shutdown high-power TV broadcast we got two TV channels. Now with low-power digital the signals no longer reach anywhere in our town, so no TV.

TV is not a 'need'.

[newenglandgirl]

The deal breakers for living on $1k per month are rising property taxes and rising rents. You can do without a car, eat less, entertain at home, but the tax man cometh.