Surviving on a Serving budget

One of the best workshops I took at the SERVES conference was on living well on an AmeriCorps Budget, presented by Washington State University Extension. As an AmeriCorps State member, I make $1050 a month before taxes. Not a lot. Any little bit of money I can save is worth it.

I am always worried that budget workshop teachers are going to tell me to give up having any sort of fun, ever, so I was pleasantly surprised when the first thing the presenter had us do was write down our top ten things we love to do. We marked the ones that cost $5 or more at a time, whether we do them with others or alone, and when we did the activity last. My top 10 things were this:

1. Go to the Movies
2. Go out to dinner
3. Go out for drinks
4. Go out for coffee
5. Watch TV
6. Hike
7. See live music
8. Read
9. Cook
10. Make things/crafts

We then looked over our lists and evaluated them. I like to go out. I like to spend time with my friends and do social things. I also like my alone time (reading). Half of my things often cost $5 or more at a time.

She then had us look at our lists and think about any changes we could make. If I cooked more and went out to dinner less, I would probably save money, especially since I get $200 in food stamps a month. I could invite friends over and have just as much fun. Same goes for getting coffee. I can at least get tea or an Americano instead of a latte.

Going out for drinks and seeing live music go hand-in-hand, as most shows I want to see are at the local bars. I’m not willing to give up on live music, but I can definitely budget myself and even not drink (shocking a concept as that seems).

I really liked that we were not told to give up the things we like doing, and instead we brainstormed how to still do them and afford to live.

We next talked about our expenses: fixed expenses are rent, bills, and car payment – things you absolutely have to pay. Flexible expenses are things that can change: gas and power bills (use CFL bulbs!), food and drink, putting gas in your car, and entertainment. There are also periodic expenses, like holiday gifts, birthdays, and vacations. She suggested figuring out how much you need to save, dividing it by 12, and making that amount a fixed expense. That way when December rolls around, you have been saving for gifts all year. (The same goes for taxes!)

When you subtract your expenses from your net (after tax) income, if you’re like me and most other AmeriCorps members who were in the workshop, you come up with a negative amount. Unfortunately, we are people and not the federal government, so we can’t operate our lives with a negative income.

The solution?

Increase Income or Decrease Spending.

I already figured out some good ways to decrease my spending – cook at home, don’t spend $20 at the bar, etc. I could also give up my Netflix account or my internet, but neither of those ideas sound like worthwhile sacrifices.

Therefore, I’m working on ways to increase my income. I already baby-sit for one local family, I’m sure I could find more gigs. I am thinking about making canvas grocery bags and selling them online or at my school. I have thought about offering my services as a tutor or an editor for college students. I got good grades in Theatre History! And I still have all my notes. I’ve been crocheting a lot as well and thought about either selling my creations or teaching crochet classes.

Do you have any ways that you bring in extra money? What about tricks to decrease your spending? I have looked into some online jobs but most of them seem very sketchy.

**Edited to add: You know that internet I refuse to give up? It hasn't worked in two days, so I'm posting this while sitting at The Woods Coffee shop. Drinking a $3 Americano. At least it's got the prettiest view of any coffee shop around. I'm watching the rain fall over the bay.