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Living a modest, Simple and low-cost life

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

You’ve heard and read the news, no country or territory is exempted, the whole world is facing a great financial crisis. With this being experienced by much fraction of our population, everyone must take necessary measures to alleviate the effect of this financial dilemma. A guy named Rick jeliffe did a year-round experiment in living smaller. He said:

I caught public transport only. I got rid of extra lightbulbs. I baked my own bread. I froze my own dumplings. I didn’t buy any gadget. I didn’t buy any CD. I didn’t get a flatscreen TV. No home phone; no home internet; no cable TV; no new art; no gin. I only took one international trip (which was quite important) and two domestic flights (to my dear parent’s 80th birthdays) but turned down several work opportunities that involved flying, even though it meant less satisfactory participation at SC34 WG1. I let my passport lapse. … This leads to a very placid lifestyle: I don’t think I have ever been less engaged with the rat race, and at the same time, less restless (outside office hours.)

I’ll adopt few of his brilliant ideas with some addenda.

Take public transport: I also pledge to take public transport and will take a taxi only when necessary i.e. when i go out in wee hours which i seldom do, or when my safety is at risk, or when i have heavy loads.

Cease Dating: My most expensive activity for the last five years is dating. During weekends, especially Sunday, i, more often than not, go out on a date with myself, my siblings, parents, girl friends, guy friends, or would-be girlfriend/s in random order. This year, i’ll diminish the frequency of this activity to a quarter unless someone undertakes to pay the bills or shoulder most of the expenses. Harhar.

Be extremely choosy in helping the poor: Not all vagrants who beg for alms should be given charity. Most of them evidently by choice refused to get a job or stretch their muscles to earn a dime or scratch earth for food. Begging for alms is their quickest and easiest way to solicit money. In some cases, you help them by not giving any because they will be coerced to get a vocation. Hopefully, this vocation is not stealing.

Don’t buy or upgrade your Gadgets or do another McGyver-like projects: My next costly habit. For the meantime, be happy and contented with what you have. List the gadgets that you desire to have soon. Then categorize each whether it is a “necessity” or “want”. To some, they buy this concept, “new year, new gadgets, new sets of clothes, stuff”.  This time, i’ll pass.

Sell in ebay seldom used, unneeded, dust-catching stuff: Aside from saving energy from doing your daily cleaning routine, you’ll free up space, invite good spirits, and make extra cash.

Pledge a daily savings for your piggy bank/s: It is a kiddie thingy but still applies to adults. I maintain a coin jar beside my computer table where i threw in coins, loose changes and petty cash. This is my nephews’ favourite spot when they pay me a visit. Besides the coin jar, i also have two piggybanks. Each has a corresponding goal. The blue one is labelled “LCD TV 6.09” and the other is “Bicycle 4.09”. In my humble abode, space is an issue and my CRT TV is taking much space. I plan to get a slimmer and lightweight tv which may be hung on the wall facing my bed’s headboard and the projected date of acquisition is June. Thus, the “6.09” mark. I also wish to have a bike so that i don’t have to jog as fast as the youngsters in UPd anymore which often results to over-exercise. I’m getting old so i now need a bike haha. Aside from making you healthy, biking saves your money. Money for fare, gas, or bribe money for the MMDA when they flag you down haha.

Limit your outgoing phone calls: i switched to prepaid because of the considerable amount of VAT being added to my Plan. In prepaid, you can avail of the unlimited text or call services. You may enrol to these services and instead of making a call, text your friend, “im out of phone credits, please call me” lol! You may also opt to other forms of communication like email, leaving a comment on their Friendster/Facebook/Multiply acct, Chikka, YM, Gtalk etc. Fully utilize your internet service.

Tell your family and friends that you are trying an experiment in living a modest life. This will diminish dine out invitations. Or even if they do in some occasions, they will most likely chip in. They will also not frown if you don’t treat them to dinner as frequent as you do in the past.

mmm.. what else? … … … any ideas?

Posted by kooonin at 2:11 PM | permalink

Previous Comments

hehe does this counts?

STOP drinking coffee at STARBUCKS. sa bahay nalang. 3-in-1 pa :)

happy newyear

Posted by Myk2ts at January 6, 2009, 3:05 pm

haha.. brilliant! for the meantime, toodle-oo sbux :) thanks myk2ts.

Posted by kooonin at January 6, 2009, 3:12 pm

will add more tipid tips soon :)

Posted by Myk2ts at January 6, 2009, 5:34 pm

Rick Jelliffe did make some good points, although I wouldn’t consider baking my own bread. Mahal ang gasul.

Live simply has always been my mantra. Ever heard of living below your means? That’s the best way to live.

I’m not a techie person, so that’s a plus. At least, I don’t waste my money getting whatever is the latest. I go out only once in a while, so plus din yun. I don’t go for signature clothes, bags, or whatever! The only thing that’s burning a hole in my bank account is travel, and I have no plans on scrapping that. Yun na nga lang and pinaka luho! he! he! Siguro I will jut choose the places I will go to.

Like you, I also would like to take public transport. Pero most of the time, I choose comfort kasi. Tamad ako mag-commute. Pero when I do, pag pwede na jeep or FX over taxi, sa jeep or FX na ako. I also try to walk when I can instead of driving [something I picked up when I was in Europe]. Exercise pa diba.

There are many ways to save, kahit maliit pwede.

-Minimize dining/eating out. Eat at home.
-Love your work, you are lucky if you still have one.
-If there’s a cheaper, same-quality alternative, go for it [eg, clothing].
-Lessen the “luho” [damn with the spa!] or kick [or at least lessen] some habits out [imagine the savings that stopping smoking or lessening the Friday night gimik would bring].
-Don’t use you credit card. Better: don’t own a credit card.
-If you DON”T NEED it, DON”T buy it. [Women especially, yung maliliit na bagay. “Ay ang cute ng key chain. Kikay.” Even if she doesn’t need it, she buys it. Ayun, nakatambak lang.]
-Always put something in your savings every payday.

Bottomline: simple living! :)

PS, wag naman CEASE dating.We also need to feed our relationships with our friends. Friends are there because they are important. :) Pwede siguro just meet at someone’s house just to be together.

Sorry if this seems to be a post in itself!

Posted by kg at January 8, 2009, 8:39 am

my warmest appreciation for sharing to us your frugality tips KG. ang hirap ipalit ang comfort at safety sa amount ng masi-save mo. yesterday, i went out at antagal kong nagdecide whether i take a taxi and break my resolution or simply comply by flagging down a jeepney or fx. after about 10mins, nagtaxi pa rin ako haha. i sed to myself, i’ll take a taxi at magtitipid na lang ako sa ibang bagay. :D

Posted by glennj at January 9, 2009, 3:20 pm

i know i must practice what i preach here.. haay mahirap lang ng abrupt change :)

Posted by glennj at January 9, 2009, 3:26 pm

i like ‘cease dating’…lol. i do like your ideas for living modestly. i’ve started mine last year, and i think i can still cut down a few of my expenses. good luck for living modestly this 2009.

by the way, i deleted my first blog. i only have a printed copy…lol.

Posted by kayni at January 9, 2009, 11:28 pm

The best way is earn more even in financial crisis..haha..easy to say..

Posted by tnh at January 10, 2009, 10:06 am

here’s more: don’t practice a lifestyle that you can’t financially support. don’t be envious on what somebody else has.

Posted by gerald at January 11, 2009, 11:35 am

I think this one also apply. Don’t bite more than you can afford to chew.

Posted by steph at January 11, 2009, 12:24 pm

Frivolous, uncontrolled spending was virtually unheard of because the risks were so huge. If you go into homes that are 60 years old, the cupboards are tiny. That’s because nobody had much stuff. Kids slept two or more to a room, sometimes two to a bed! And people made do with just one or two of anything.

How many different pots do you have in your kitchen? How many pairs of shoes do you own? What about sweaters, t-shirts, pants, skirts, bottles of perfume, ties, scarves, purses, face creams? How about CDs and DVDs? What about sound devices like radios, stereos, iPods? How many telephones are there in your house? How many televisions? How many tools, hair clips, sets of dishes?

How much of your life’s energy have you converted into Stuff?

Posted by Gail at January 11, 2009, 12:28 pm

thanks for the tips. While exerting utmost efforts to live modestly and saving dollars, one should also endeavor to escalate his income as pointed out by TNH.

Posted by kooonin at January 11, 2009, 12:53 pm

Make What You Eat.
People these days are way too accustomed to eating out.Every time you DON’T eat out you’ve saved a chunk of change, done your body a nutritional service, and not contributed to the overabundance of styrofoam garbage that never rots.

Eat What You Make
Eat leftovers for lunch the next day. People tend to roll their eyes at this, but think about it - if it was good enough for dinner, it’s good enough for lunch. That’s money you won’t be spending, food you won’t be throwing away. If it goes into your body instead of into the trash or compost pile, you’ve done yourself and your food budget a big favor.

Posted by shoestring at January 11, 2009, 1:19 pm

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