Curious about the cheapest ways to live? There are many different ways to live cheaply. And, there are also many different reasons why you might want to do that.
You may be looking for a better financial situation, or maybe you just really enjoy being frugal and don’t want to spend money on unnecessary luxuries.
Whatever your reason is, it’s important to know how you can make this lifestyle work financially before jumping into it head first. So here are some ideas of how you can live cheaply!
11 Cheapest Ways to Live
Living on a small budget is tough, and if you’re in a situation where you have to tighten the purse strings it can seem even tougher. However there are many ways you can live cheaply without feeling like you’re living rough. There are 11 of the cheapest ways to live that I can think of and I’ve tried most of them.
Hopefully they’ll help you to find ways to reduce your bills and save money in your own life, so do give them a try!
Cutting back your spending
1. Cut back on your spending.
2. Cut out the things you don’t need, like $3 lattes and expensive gym memberships.
You can also use coupons and shop at secondhand stores to save money when shopping for clothing and other household goods. If these options aren’t feasible for you, then consider eating at home more often by cooking from scratch (less time spent eating out means less money spent).
3. Buy in bulk if possible; it will save you money over time! For example, instead of buying a pack of gum every week from the convenience store, buy several packs at once from Costco or Amazon Prime Pantry so that they last longer than normal without going stale (and sometimes even cheaper).
Buying groceries in bulk is also an option if there’s an option near where you live—they usually offer discounts based on how much food comes in one package so be sure to ask before making any purchases!
Housesitting
Housesitting is a flexible job that can help you find new places to live while also giving you some extra cash.
It’s a good way to save money on living expenses while traveling or taking time off, and it’ll give you experience showing houses in your area when you’re ready to buy one of your own.
If all this sounds intriguing, here’s what you need to know about housesitting:
What is housesitting?
Housesitting involves staying at someone’s home and taking care of it while they’re away.
Usually, the house will be rented out by guests who want someone trustworthy there to watch over the place during their absence—but sometimes people will hire housesitters for longer periods of time so that someone else can maintain their property during an extended stay abroad or move-in transition period (such as after selling one home and buying another).
In any case, housesitters must be comfortable with a variety of responsibilities including watering plants, checking mail and newspaper deliveries (if applicable), maintaining electric/gas bills (if applicable), answering calls from repairmen if there are problems with pipes or appliances, etc., as well as keeping an eye on pets who may live in these homes as well!
Camping
Camping is one of the cheapest ways to live, and it can be an enjoyable way to save money.
If you already have a tent and sleeping bag, camping can be very cheap.
If you need an RV or camper, however, it could cost a lot more than living in your house. The best thing about camping is that no matter how much money you spend on equipment (or don’t), there’s nothing more satisfying than sleeping outside under the stars
Other temporary housing options
- Live in a hotel. You may need to do this if you’re moving out of your house and don’t have time to find another place to live.
- Live at a hostel or dormitory. If you’re concerned about safety, you can stay in an all-female hostel that has security cameras throughout the building and 24-hour staff presence.
- Stay with friends or family members who live close by or nearby. This is an ideal option if they have room for you, but keep in mind that it could cost them money to have someone else living with them since they’ll be splitting things like utilities and groceries among themselves (and possibly other guests).
- Stay at a boarding house or bed & breakfast by yourself for cheap rent prices without having any responsibilities other than paying rent on time every month (which also means not having roommates).
Live in an RV
If you’re looking to live on a budget, you may be tempted to buy an RV and hit the road. After all, they’re roomy and cozy, have all the amenities of home and can be parked for free almost anywhere.
However, RV ownership is not for everyone. If you’re going to invest in an RV, make sure it’s worth it by considering the following:
Cost of purchase?
RVs come in all shapes and sizes—from tiny teardrop trailers (which retail for around $2,000) to luxury fifth wheels (priced at over $100,000).
If your goal is simply to save money while living out of your vehicle while traveling across America or Canada every summer vacation when you’re retired—then buying a cheap camper might be right up your alley!
But if you have kids who are still little and need plenty of space…or if friends often stop by unannounced…or if pets require fenced-in yards where they can roam freely without fear that they’ll run off into traffic…then it would be wise consider purchasing something larger than the average teardrop trailer.
Tiny home
The tiny home movement is one of the most affordable ways to live in today’s society. Tiny homes are typically less than 400 square feet, and can be mobile or stationary.
Some people build their own tiny homes from scratch, while others purchase them pre-fabricated. Either way, it can be an extremely cost-effective way to live if you know how to find cheap materials and supplies!
Living with a roommate or in a group house
- The benefits of living with other people
Living with a roommate or in a group house is a great way to cut your rent costs. You often have more space than you would in an apartment, and it’s usually cheaper than living alone. If you want to live in a specific area but can’t afford the high rents, this option could be ideal for you.
- The drawbacks of living with other people
While having roommates or sharing your home with others may sound like fun, it does come with its downsides. These are some things to consider before deciding if this type of housing is right for you:
- You’ll likely have less privacy than when living on your own (or even sharing an apartment).
While sharing rooms will allow for more affordable rent payments, it also means that someone else can see into parts of your life that wouldn’t normally be seen by others—like when you’re getting ready in the morning or relaxing at home by yourself.
You might also be less likely to decorate walls because they may feel like they belong more to the whole house than just one person; however, depending on how much time those walls are visible throughout each day/weekend/etc., this might not matter as much!
There are many different ways to live very cheaply.
There are many different ways to live very cheaply. If you want to live for free or almost-free, there are a few options:
- create your own ‘tiny house’
- move into an RV (aka motorhome)
- find a room in someone else’s house and split the rent with them
- try living with roommates or in group houses
If you’re more of an outdoorsy person, another option is living in a camper van! You can do this right now by renting one at a campground and traveling around until you find somewhere you like.
Or if that doesn’t sound appealing, maybe someday soon they’ll manufacture smaller vans than they do now–and then it will be really easy and fun to travel around while also saving money on rent!
Final Word
We hope that this article has given you a few new ideas for how to cut back on your spending. If all else fails, there are always roommates and group houses. That’s what we did when we were just starting out!
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