massaki Posted May 30, 2014 Posted May 30, 2014 Hi I will be moving out of my mom's house soon, i estimated that i would have about 800 to spend on rent and food and i know that really low. I guess i'm scared about all the things that can go wrong, going wrong. I live in newyork city and the cheapest i can find for apartments are around 650. My mom said she would help me ,but then later said she wouldn't, she is a crazy, destructive and abusive person. So i'm looking for advice on how can i live on probably 150 a month which will be around how much i will have after rent.
Songbirdo Posted May 30, 2014 Posted May 30, 2014 I know this is probably obvious but...why are you still choosing to live in NYC?
massaki Posted May 30, 2014 Author Posted May 30, 2014 I actually am thinking of moving. There isnt any reason for me to stay here anyway, I had the talk with my friends and none of them made it, most rejected me and called me crazy.I guess asking someone how they feel about a question you ask them is taboo. I guess i like all the different people. I'm also thinking of attending the new york film academy, because i want to make movies or at least be in the process. i guess i have no reason other than that to stay in the city. Everything here is expensive, i remember a friend rented apartment up state for 300 a month.I also want to meet more people i guess. I was thinking of moving to california, because i also want to be surrounded by other artistic people, new york has a huge scene for just about anything including independent films.I had friends in the scene, but the whole philosophy talk and talking about my feelings squashed that, so i think probably moving would be a good idea.
shirgall Posted May 31, 2014 Posted May 31, 2014 A good guideline is that one's home and its upkeep should not take more than 1/3 of one's earnings. Sure, it's a rule of thumb, but you need room for eating, growing, and saving.
Artist707 Posted May 31, 2014 Posted May 31, 2014 Ok honestly you are putting yourself into a dangerous situation. I don't think $150 is enough for food, clothing, insurance(?), necessities(shampoo, etc), phone, and other things I have probably missed. I understand that you don't want to mentally suffer from your mom any more, but you're going from one dangerous situation to next. I perceive your new situation as dangerous because what will happen if you get into an accident and you broke your leg? Is your 800 per month stable income? Where is that coming from? What if you lose that? Before you act hastily, please talk to someone one about it more. Especially people from this community. I will be willing to talk to you on Skype if you are interested. Please PM if you are. I don't know how I can help you or if I even can, but I will at least talk to you about it.
Frosty Posted June 1, 2014 Posted June 1, 2014 Being scared is good it means you understand the reality of being independent, and sure things will go wrong, that's how we learn to do things right in the long run. That fear will go away as you learn to cope and pull yourself up off the bottom rung of the economic ladder and get some stability, that happens super fast if you work hard. Still, it makes sense to do some finances and plan ahead, you need to cover all your basics (rent, food and other consumables, with some left over to save) if you do the maths on this and you cannot afford all the basics I'd highly advise against moving out if you can avoid it. Accommodation is one of the most expensive parts of living and so if you can share a place with friends or rent a single room in someones house rather than paying for your own flat then that will help save a lot of money. The advice Shirgall gave is a good rule of thumb, aim for your accommodation to be no more than 1/3 to about 1/2 of your earnings, mine was just under 1/2 when I moved out on my own and I got by for a year or so before I climbed the corporate ladder.
tjt Posted June 1, 2014 Posted June 1, 2014 Taxes are another consideration - did you include them in your calculation? There are certainly ways to live minimally when it comes to money, but it effects your whole lifestyle and you have to be willing to live nontraditionally. However, if you want to live a social life of networking and what not to help drive your film-making career, living on next to nothing may not be for you. It's something you'll have to decide and then think very, very creatively about... out of the box, as they say. It can be done, and people do it every day. I would suggest researching these lifestyles first before you decide it's for you. The book Possum Living by Dolly Freed demonstrates how one young lady lived on almost no money. If you read it, it's one example of how living on almost nothing requires a whole lifestyle change. The biggest red flag I see in your scenario, is that you won't be able to start paying off a house until you are older and more established. Maybe that's not a problem for you, as many young adults wait until they are 25-30 years old to purchase their first home... furthermore, some people find it more beneficial to continue renting their whole lives (I don't understand this personally, but that doesn't mean it's 'bad'). These are the things you should be thinking about too, not just "how am I going to get by on only $150 next month." And then there's the whole tiny homes movement... people don't want to be in debt, so they build tiny homes for a small amount of money and then they always have something to live in. That would require you to be able to put some money toward building a tiny home, which you wouldn't be able to do if you have to pay rent somewhere. Here's another good example of the type of lifestyle change a young man is willing to make in order to live on next to nothing and be free of debt: So I just wanted to reiterate, that living simply and minimally can be done, but it effects your entire lifestyle. Think outside of the box and research how others have done it. You might be able to do it too, but it won't be easy.
Marco2014 Posted June 15, 2014 Posted June 15, 2014 I remember quite vividly when I moved out of my dads place. I was scared as well. Didn't know what to expect really. First thing that hit me though was quality of life. I wanted the same standard as when I was at my dads place. It took about 3-4 months for me to tune down my habits and live within my means. Its always a bit daughnting at first but you start to feel control over your life after a while and when you cook yourself your first plate of food and sit down after a days work you get a good feeling of satisfaction. However I think $150 is too little to survive. My advice to you would be to first find a job while still living with your mom. Keep that job for a few months and then decide again. You will be surprise how many opportunities arise and people you meet at work might open even more opportunities. I also think you should try and live on that budget of $150 while at your moms place to gauge your ability to coupe with the reduction in lifestyle possibilities. Also be realistic about your expectations, it took me 2 years of living alone to make the connections and find a job that is able to support me comfortably. It doesn't mean it will take so long for you but the idea is to take things one step at a time. I hope that helps. If you want more advice feel free to send me a message. Marco
Recommended Posts