Living at the poverty line

[fuzzymillipede]

So it looks like pretty soon I am going to be living at the poverty line. I will be subletting off of someone on Craigslist, have no car, and have only around $200 a month to spend as I please. I am worried about how I am going to handle it. Will I become miserable? Can anyone be truly happy living like this?

[Aaron MkII]

I have a friend that is currently in your situation, he was actually staying with me until he found a place.

Happy? That's kind of what you make it. What hobbies do you have? Can you continue to pursue them through public avenues? Borrowing games and books from a library for example?

[Lagmonster]

Happy is crazy relative. I've met some posh motherfuckers from America who think life is boring and shit, and some brilliantly enthusiastic and generally content subsistence farmers from Africa. I'd say that as long as you have some control over your life, make the most sensible decisions about health and welfare that you can given your income, and surround yourself with lots of good friends and family, you have at least a sporting chance at contentment. It's facing poverty when alone, oppressed, and at the mercy of your whims that I can definately state will make you miserable.

[Ziggy Stardust]

Honestly, the 5-6 months or so I was living below poverty line were some of the best of my life. Of course, it was a relatively short period of time and I was lucky in not getting terribly sick or injured or otherwise the victim of a major calamity during that time, and I am certainly glad to be a bit more well off now ... which is all to say that it isn't a surefire ticket to misery. Many of my hobbies are relatively low cost (hiking/camping especially, since I already owned all the gear I needed, playing basketball, etc.).

[Dr Roberts]

I was in your position temporarily whilst in Uni. I actually had fun, me and a couple of friends shared a flat, so that reduced our individual bills. I would always go to the University Library and check out books. Then of course we'd rent films from blockbusters and have "Movie Nights." I would of been screwed if I had to pay for Uni though also.

I would also suggest selling things you don't need and keeping that money as an emergency fund.

Also, why will you be living below the Poverty line, recently became unemployed?

[Broomstick]

I've been living below the US poverty line since late 2007, or about 5 years now. I'll be honest, it isn't always fun. When I had NO income whatsoever it well and truly sucked. However, if I can keep a roof over my head and decent food on the table it's not bad.

For someone in your situation a key aspect will be your roommate. A good roommate, someone who reliably pays their share of rent and bills, who respects your property/privacy, and doesn't eat all the food you purchase for yourself makes for a much better poverty experience than some of the horror stories you have either heard about or will hear about. Needless to say, you should do your best to be a good roommate as well.

Make healthy choices: eat properly most of the time, get at least moderate exercise, keep to a regular sleep/wake schedule. The healthier you are the greater your happiness. Walking is cheap and without a car you'll be doing a lot of it (spending money on good shoes will be a wise investment - if you rely on your feet for transport you need to take care of and protect them).

You will be fortunate if you have hobbies and activities that are inexpensive or free. I get a lot of my reading material from the library or internet. I spend $8 on a monthly Netflix subscription that gives me much entertainment. Gardening is cheap if you either already have tools or get them second hand and start from seeds. Not all renters are as fortunate as I am, to have ample space, but a few large pots (which you might also be able to get second hand) will allow you to grow your own vegetables and herbs. Cooking from scratch can be an enjoyable hobby and inexpensive if you resist the allure of 1,0001 kitchen gadgets and exotic ingredients as well as practical. I spend time in local parks (having winter sports gear like my own skis and ice skates makes this a year-round thing). You might check out various clubs. Staying social is important for health and happiness as well.

Now that I have gainful employment (even if it's not enough to pull me out of poverty) I can say I'm pretty happy most days.

[Aaron MkII]

Roommates girlfriends/boyfriends as well. I had a roomie who's girlfriend would eat all our cereal, oatmeal, pasta and any instant side dish for dinner when we went fishing.

And fishing can be pretty enjoyable and can be cheap if you get some kit from a pawn shop or second hand shop.

[salm]

I had almost a year of living around the poverty line and it wasn´t so bad. Now I earn pretty decent money and very little has changed. I still do the same stuff, live in the same place, still have no car and so on. The only difference is that the I have money in the bank which I don´t really use for anything.

All in all I´d say that the poverty line in first world countries is so high that you can live quite happily if you´re not a complete financial moron.
At least if you don´t have children and are not indebted.

[fuzzymillipede]

Yea, I'm a single 22-year-old with no debt so it was pretty easy to come up with a budget of under $1000 a month. The only problem is finding money for recreation. The way I see it, I can break down my monthly expenses as follows:

$500 rent
$75 utilities
$55 phone + internet
$150 food

This leaves me with around $200/month left over to spend as I please. If I am lucky I might be able to rent a room for as low as $400/month, which gives me some more wiggle room. I am lucky as it is to not have to pay for a car, education, or debt. It seems very livable. But we will see what I think when I move into my new apartment and have a roommate for the first time ever.

[weemadando]

200/month leftover? If you aren't in the red just after rent, then you're laughing.

Seriously. It's a challenge, but it's a good experience to have. Going through this kind of phase in life where you might be lying in bed at night unable to sleep because you need to decide whether or not to pay overdue bills or eat this fortnight is something that you cannot even begin to appreciate if you haven't been through it.

[lance]

200 left over is huge, your not going to be able to spend it willy nilly, and I suggest saving it just in case your hours get cut, but its still a lot better off than I was for a while. Loosing ~30lbs because the only thing I could afford was ramen, and I was sick of eating it. Probably could of got food stamps if I was more aware of them at the time.

I've since turned into a lardass gaining 40 of that thirty back

[salm]

Do you have some kind of health insurance?

[fuzzymillipede]

Yes, I have health insurance.

[salm]

Personally I wouldn´t have a problem with your situation at all. But i guess it depends on the amount of unnecessary crap you need to be happy.

[General Zod]

$200 a month isn't so bad and it gives you a bit of breathing room. If you live in anything resembling a major city that's not a horrible shithole you should be able to find plenty of things worth doing. Hell, take a few classes and learn some new skills. Unless your sense of self worth is tied up into how much stuff you own you should be able to manage okay.

[aieeegrunt]

Jesus Christ I'd love to have 200$ a month to blow on luxuries

[LadyTevar]

Jesus Christ I'd love to have 200$ a month to blow on luxuries

You'd be surprised how fast $200 can go if you're not careful.
Still, even in my tiny city, there's $1 movies, the library for books/movie rentals, various free concerts during the summer, and simply hanging with friends. You don't have to spent money to have fun.

[Dr Roberts]

And of course, sounding all your free time here

[Broomstick]

Jesus Christ I'd love to have 200$ a month to blow on luxuries

Ditto.

I'd love to have half that a month over basic expenses.

[Dr Roberts]

Wait, what is the Poverty line at these days?

[General Zod]

Wait, what is the Poverty line at these days?

It depends on who you ask. According to some talking heads you're not really poor as long as you have a refrigerator.

[fuzzymillipede]

Wait, what is the Poverty line at these days?

For a single guy like me, it's $11,170/year according to the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

[UnderAGreySky]

Good new mate, it's not quite hard to do (just as others have mentioned here). I've lived nine months on £800/month (don't bother converting, one pound generally goes as far as one dollar). My rent, though, was £350 including utilities (it was the smallest room in a four-bedroom house but with enough place for a friend to sleep on the floor in a bag if they came visiting and had the best lighting amongst all rooms), commuting cost me another £40. Internet wasn't that good so left early for the uni and stayed back till it was time for the last bus... Food et al cost me £100 because I cook for myself.

I had a friend who could live on £50 worth of food per month because he ate a massive bowl of cereal in the morning, an apple/banana in the afternoon and a full dinner in the evening of rice+curry *every night*. I couldn't do it - I like my meals spaced out or I get massive acidity issues and I like some variety in my food. But I did cook in bulk and I have never had issues in eating the same meal a few nights in a row.

As a bonus, I left my internship to job-hunt full time and the money I'd saved in those nine months bought me a return plane ticket to India and *three* more months of living in the same house. In the third month I got a full-time job and the rest is history

Good luck!

[UnderAGreySky]

Kinda forgot to add, I did spend £30 a month on phone bills... having a girlfriend overseas is not cheap!

[K. A. Pital]

I used to live with zero remaining disposable income after all subsistence expenses plus a monthly visit to the cinema. If you have $200 still left to "spend as you please" that's much, much better than what I had - with a family of two, may I also add. My entertainment, as it is, did not suffer because of this, what suffered was my food ration. But you can cope. Even if its years and years of coping.

I would strongly advise mobilizing any social ties to break out of this condition with whatever means available, though.