I remember those days when my wife and I were young living under the poverty line (by far) with 4 kids. Our last 2 kids were born at home because we couldn't afford to go to the hospital. We survived on wild game, a big garden and yard sale clothes. Our entertainment was going to different parks on Sundays for a picnic. Now some 20 years later my wife and I don't have to concern ourselves with the lack of money, yet those years we were poor were the best years of our lives.

I bought a trashed mobile 6yrs ago .My friends of 30yrs moved in , exchange was help fix up. Now we all live CHEAP. Mobile is looking good now. Sits on 2acres. Fantastic mountain view.

I don't buy paper towels, I keep stock of kitchen towels I reuse and wash I bought from dollar tree. I also don't buy sugar, sodas, or holiday decorations. I also have low income and live alone. I meal prep a lot, and buy almost everything used, even my furniture, car, and don't buy clothes often because I don't like to many clothes. I like nice outfits so I keep it minimal. I don't buy pajamas, I use bigger tshirts and shorts. In winter I do wear comfy warm night shirts. I love living frugal, thank you for all you shared. ❤

It's all in the mindset. We had a time in life when we made only $1,000 a month and it was enough. Now when we make much more than that we still feel like we have enough money and are blessed to be able to help those that are less fortunate. That is what God teaches us to do.

I live cheap.I am 58 single and never had kids.My rent is $525 a month in Raleigh NC everything included near NC STATE in a nice area.My food costs $30/week.My health insurance is $44/month.My car insurance is $540/year.No car payments.I have a mechanic who is very affordable all cash.I buy used clothes.No cable.Phone is $50/month.

We live on less than that as a family of seven. It's not hard at all, but it's a mindset.

I seen your older one where you lived off 700 dollars a month. Then never saw another one. Soon as I seen this, I knew it was you. Glad to know you made it. Your a smart young lady. All ages could use this. Thank you for sharing. I am a great grand mother.

You have a home that's the new American dream. Houses are over the top expensive. So you technically don't live below the poverty line since you are sitting on an asset. Rent and mortgage is what really makes or breaks a budget.

There is low income and then there is the poverty mindset. Your story is inspiring because I don't think you ever had a poverty mindset. I know a woman with children, on section 8 housing, SNAP, utility subsidies, AFDC. She took their stimulus money and bought a food truck. She used SNAP to jumpstart a thriving food truck business. She made enough money to buy a used mobile home and get off of section 8. She and the kids are fixing that up and they also participate in the business. Poor does not mean poverty. Personally, we are debt-free and run a business but still live frugally. I have a hobby that revolves around cooking healthy meals from scratch on no more than $1 a day per person. It proves the point that money does not feed us. It is a tool to be used wisely. We feed ourselves by our own efforts.

I am currently working on "clean" eating as much as possible- buying single ingredient foods and cooking and baking from scratch has saved me a lot of money AND I feel better😉 I just found your channel and already love your content- i wish you all of the best!

What a great video! I think the problem we have in America is over consumption, I am guilty of that. Thank you for sharing

Mint mobile is $15 per line if you pay for a full year at a time. I’ve had it 3 years. That could bring your cell phone down to $60/mo for a family of 4.

I don't buy paper towels, plates,or cups. I only use my dryer once in a while and I've cut back on so many other things . I really liked this video and appreciate you sharing your story with me.

About 15 years ago, our family of 5 celebrated Christmas with a 5 dollar gift limit, total per person. Times are much better now, but to this day that was the best Christmas ever .During these times it sucks but boy did those days pull our family together. Poverty is a mental place , not a financial place. You my friend are far richer than you realize. I do have several rich friends they are among the least satisfied I know.

You may live below poverty line but your life is surely rich !!

A catholic church helped me with extra formula when I needed it and diapers when I was really struggling. It was a blessing.

You are a brilliant young woman! Thank you for guiding us toward a saner, healthier, more environmentally conscious way to feed ourselves. Like you, I've lived in poverty off and off throughout my life, but in retirement I live a financially comfortable life by budgeting and living below my means. ❤❤❤

I really like that you not just survive but thrive. It can be overwhelming and lonely at times. When I was in nursing college, I overheard another student say to another nursing student that she would be quitting after that semester. Her ex had lost his job and she lost the child support and health insurance for her 3 children. I had read an article about our state starting a free health insurance program for the children of the working poor. I had also noticed in our local advertising a new scholarship for our college for local students in need. I saw her the next day and mentioned the new insurance plan and gave her the 800 phone number for it, as well as the advertising with the scholarship circled. She thanked me and we went back to our schoolwork. About 2 weeks later, she thanked me and with a huge smile said she wouldn’t have to quit school, the kids qualified for the new state free healthcare and she was the only person to apply for the new scholarship and the committee decided that she represented exactly the kind of person they hoped to help and gave her both scholarships (they could have done just one scholarship based on the rules). We graduated together, she passed her state licensing exam first time and started her RN job the following Monday. I was so glad she was able to stay in the nursing program. She had approached the college with her issues and they had nothing to offer her at that time. She tried. I was so thankful I overheard the conversation and had info that could help. But truly, it came down to her willingness to put herself out there and pursue every possibility even when she felt overwhelmed.

We can all defiantly make changes in our lives to live on less with out suffering. It's a mindset on needs not wants and being grateful. Good video

Great video! Car and home expenses take up a good chunk of money. I did the same and brought a used Toyota. My car expense went down. I also suggest owning a house or mobile home to avoid paying rent.

So much good advice here! Very smart lady! If for the most part if you spend your money wisely, you can afford the occasional frivolous spend! I totally agree that it is the things you DON'T buy that is so important. And your commitment to owning your own home is the best example and gift you have given to your family. I am a librarian and I know that the FREE digital content is an amazing resource everyone can access!

Wise advice! Thanks for posting.

Thank you for this content. Trying to live more frugal. Homelessness is a real issue and needs to be taken seriously.

Hello, I am from Canada, but your caption of living below some poverty line caught my interest. As a child my household was impacted financially by my mothers sudden health crisis that resulted in her being in hospital care for 3 years. This was prior to our country adopting our current medical insurance. Our family was all but crushed by the debt but my father persisted and we eventually worked our way out of deep debt by selling most of my parents businesses and living a frugal life. As an adult my husband and I provided for our 4 children and worked hard to make sure they had the most important things they needed, as well as an attitude of “Whatever we need, we Can find a way” We have lived our lives below some indicator of wealth and every time it seemed we were getting ahead, the wealth line would be increased. So as seniors now, we still live below some line, and it is challenging for sure by times, but we are not improvished. We have our home, not fully paid off but almost there. We have an amazing family of children and grandchildren that are our joy. We cut costs very tight and have enjoyed 2 lovely vacation experiences for our family in these 50 past years and even have hope for one more vacation trip as long as our health remains stable. I live with some challenging health issues but continue to remain stable. We currently don’t carry private health insurance because of the cost. Our government does provide hospital insurance but not prescription or health care costs. We do what we know how and we are happy with our life. Not everything depends on our ability to have a big income. Just our life experience learned form many years. Thank You for your post.

As a single mother I’m so happy to have found your channel🙂 I’ve been struggling to figure it out by myself with a 16 month old.

New sub..I am not sure why this video came up in my feed..but it brought back memories of my childhood..I LOVE IT!!

Till recently we were a family of 3 making $26,000 per year. Money is tight but doable. tax returns are put into a retirement account minus $500 to fill the freezer.

So glad to see you back! I was wondering how you and your girls are!

I am constantly in awe how families in America (we are in Perth, Western Australia) live and work with so little money. The cost of living is very high but we are a single income family as my partner hasn’t been able to work for the last two years. I have a very good job but have only managed to get my shit together in the last year. I feel ashamed at how my children and myself take for granted. Thank you,for you video is a great testimony of proactive mindset and you are a fantastic role model for your kids.

Many years ago, 5 of us had an income $4 over the food stamp limit. We got clothes at rummage sales, never ate out. The hardest thing was when my kids were invited to friends' birthday parties. Whenever my kids got expensive clothes for gifts, we returned them for cash. I read Amy D.'s books and anything else I could find on thrift. Tina, Al's wife

I go to the food pantry. See what they gave me, and then just buy couple ingredients to complete recipes. End up spending just about 25 on groceries each week on a family of 5

Really glad I found your channel. Looking forward to following some of your direction and living within my means. Thank you

For those older teens out there, I suggest you buy your own home as soon as possible. Stay home save your money and buy that house. The prices appear to just climb. I wish I bought my property before moving out from my parents home. It really makes a difference to get that house paid for so you don't have to deal with a mortgage, or rent later in life. You never know as you get older what may happen with your health and your ability to work. Don't use credit cards, Always save towards retirement and parents save for your kids education the day they born. Through out their lives when their birthdays come up and people want to give a gift tell them money given goes directly towards their future. Colleges have at least tripled since I was in school in the late 80s.

Love that you seem to be a normal person. Not "I make 95k per year in software development and my husband makes 140k per year as a finance manager"

Great video, thanks for sharing, very helpful.

Nice to see you back on 🌺

Great video. Thank you. To all the comments stating poverty is a state of mind - It's like saying hunger or temperatures are a state of mind - It's a very privileged, unempathic mindset. The same amount of money does not get you near as far in the inner city where you have no garden, no nature and communities are different. Tha vast majority of people living below poverty line are from inner cities (obviously due to population density) and not from the country side, and there below poverty line actually means not being able to afford to have basic needs met(no matter how resourceful they are). And it's not their fault! Please don't judge people based on your own circumstance, rather be grateful for the (small) privilege you have.

I loved this video. You are truly inspiring. Sending warm wishes from South Africa.

Good video love, very practical.

You are inspiring....stay blessed and keep striving

I live on $13,500 but I'm a household of one.

Great video. I'm a low incomer myself. I grew up low-income, raised by my mother and now me and one of my brother's live together. I avoid living it up as best I can. Once a month I may eat Chick-Fil-A or at a good mom & pop's restaurant, the rest of my food is either store bought and sometimes maybe a sandwich from Speedway. I don't own a modern TV or have a modern game console, I can't afford a hobby grade RC car but, I do know how to do modifications. I use what the good Lord has provided me with and it is enough. In fact things are getting better. My health care premium is lower this year and I'm trying to discipline myself to cut back on cigarette smoking so, that I can quit again. I too have a channel that gives a look at how hard some things can be for others. I suffer from OCD to the point of having to take medication for it. I just subscribed and am looking forward to any future advice videos from your channel. Thank you and God bless.

Welcome too living on a low income. I've had to all my life. Now I'm 65 & have issues. Chronic pain/mobility issues. Thanks for sharing. ❤️🇨🇦🌹. Your tips are quite valuable re: used cars, etc. I came across your channel by happy accident. Very interesting tips. Canada has a different system than the USA. I also love love love Books!!! Thanks for sharing. Missing from your list are eyeglasses & eye check ups & dental cleaning, as well as prescription medications. I'll subscribe now to see more!

Clearance items tend to be cheaper or just as reasonable as thrift store items. Especially clothes

New subbie :) great video. Love folks being real

I appericate you story and breaking down what you spend for th year. I think that's really good and smart money managing. I'm not rich or poor,but I do a lot of the things you do already because I'm thinking of saving up for when I retire and for my daughter's college.

I live alone, retired early due to anxiety and so I live on very little. I had Verizon and my phone bill for 1 line was $82/ month. I switched to HELLO for what is now my second phone $5/ month and STRAIGHT TALK for my primary phone $55/ month and even just reduced that amount to $45/ month. It isn't easy but with careful planning we can live on less than we would have thought possible.

you would be a good adviser for so many on budgeting.

I'm low income & I get by. Nothing fancy, but I budget.

Great ideas ,tks you've got a new follower from Spain

I just re-read my post and realized that it was not kind of me to make such comments. It is none of my business what you do with the money you make above what you spend for living. I should have focused on your desire to show people who struggle with living below the poverty level how they might be able to manage. I apologize for my hasty comments. Diane in NC

Smart video. Wow, you are a very strong woman. to be a single mom and still be able to buy a house is impressive.

Great video. Inspired

Very smart choices regarding property. You will be very comfortable in retirement. Very similar. ..seldom eat out. Am mindful to always keep life simple. Have coffee at home. Cooking light and quick healthy food and desserts from scratch. Bring a simple lunch to work. Don't buy new furniture over and over. Second hand shops have good quality on sale that last forever. I don't buy iphone stuff. $34 a month on phone. Wifi instead. Recently added in healthful living and exercise, the next step after. I don't spend on vacations as many do. Being at home without commitments is a vacation. Appreciate doing things that are free. Make a lunch and drive with family as an outing.

Love that your so real

I live on $9,000 a year.

Yes of course I live below the poverty line as do so many others in this place and time...and do it well with out feeling burdened and feeling absolutely blessed!! It's not really the big of deal as some make it out to be and it is something obtainable with just alitte logic common sense..and a brisk take for Numbers. Ohhh cooking helps which most people don't do anymore.

You are doing the right thing.

Great video. You seem very grounded and reasonable. I "don't buy" the same things as you. New books are expensive. People read them once and then donate them to thrift shops. Like with clothes, you can usually find every book you need second hand. Thank you for sharing the details of your spending. Your property taxes are incredible - I pay 3.5 times that much. Your car and homeowners insurance are also incredibly low. That is really amazing! You don't mention lawn and yard care like mowing, raking leaves, weeding, trimming trees, buying and laying mulch, etc. That is a never-ending topic at my house - both the cost and the effort. I imagine you don't pay for a lawn service to come to your house? Does everyone in your family help with the yard maintenance or how do you manage that?

Thanks for sharing

If you have purchased a house then clearly this has been your way out of poverty. No rent is a game changer. Which is admirable.. Well done. This is unachievable for 99% of people on the poverty line and automatically removes you from the issue for those on the poverty line, which is keeping a roof over your head. . Do uppers in NZ housing are 400k average normal house here is 950k

Yes, in Vietnam, I taught full time with 5 courses in university level: Calculus and Basic Statistics, Financial Management, General Chemistry, General Physics at Vietnamese university by Vietnamese and English with $280/ month ( 280 USD per month) and I still have enough money to live well in here.

New sub ✌🏼 thanks for this!

I don't buy sweets. No candy, pies, cakes, puddings, etc. I do buy low sugar ice cream from time to time. I also don't eat out. I allowed for eating out once a year in my budget, but I didn't use it in 2021. I'm trying to go without again this year. I've always shopped sales, discounts and discontinued items. I never hesitate to ask for or haggle discounts. Grocery stores don't usually do that, but I've found that if I ask, usually it works. There was a certain type of fish I lived. I asked for a discount if I bought a whole case. Got it. There were some specialty holiday drinks I loved but they were $8 a bottle. I'd never buy that. After the holiday, I saw a cart with all that were left listed at $4 a bottle...still way too much for me. (I, too, almost never buy drinks at the store.) The next time I was there, they were marked down to $2 a bottle. I counted about 20 bottles in the cart so offered to buy all the rest for $1 a bottle. Got it. I had them on hand to take as gifts when I was visiting someone and to use when people came to see me. They lasted all year. There are other savings I've made through negotiating. It's usually a special find I know the store wants to be rid of. I get loss leaders too. There's an expensive store nearby that advertises loss leaders that are cheaper than Aldi's and Trader Joe's regular prices. The loss leaders are in the front of the store. I go in and get them only, without going any further back in the store. I shop online to control spending more. I wait as long as I possibly can in between shopping. The longest I ever waited was 7 weeks. The more often we're in the store or have the online app open, the more likely we are to see something we hadn't planned on...and make impulse buys. I think everyone knows not to shop on an empty stomach, because everything will look extra scrumptious. Also, it's best to shop alone. If you shop with a friend, you'll be tempted to buy and try all the things they say they love. Even children could pull at your heart strings for this, that or the other. Much better to shop by yourself. I really enjoy watching your channel and listening to you. It's very encouraging and inspirational.

Health insurance is my largest expense, more than my house payment. My husband is retired with Medicare and an excellent supplement (excellent coverage), I took early retirement and and am able to get mediocre health insurance through my husband previous employer our costs is $878.00 per month for both of us.... Ouch. Not much can be done about that. We do not qualify for any "Obamacare" type programs in our state. The best insurance I could find through the Healthcare exchange was almost 900.00 a month premium, 7000.00 deductible and 50% coverage, due to my age and that's just to cover me, not my husband. Affordable Healthcare is a joke for most of us. Electric/propane gas and gasoline are my next biggest expenses, not much I can do about that, Prices are increasing and we do our best to conserve.. We live in rural America and althouugh my mini-farm is beautiful and contributes to our "savings" by raising animal and growing our food, it's more expensive in many ways and less options. Love your videos. I"ve been poor in the past so can totally relate.

I remember as a kid my parents, four kids and camping trips for vacations. We would take our food with us and then go to grocery stores to buy fresh foods. My mom didn't work so money was tight. As an adult and money isn't a problem but we now have special dietary needs. Boy did those days teach me how to handle traveling and diet restrictions!

thank for nice VDR.

i am in awe of you!

wifi I locked into the phone company here for $45 a month. Hubby doesn't have phone service he is retired and uses wifi calling. I have cricket it is $30 a month. we cook at home. No dryer we have a freezer for when we find great prices on meat etc. I use 5 apps that earn me $5 Amazon gift card every month to be $25 a month to buy things. I cut my own hair and hubbys as well. we stay home. I bake things.

Way things are going. I believe this is helpful. I've lived below poultry line. I put kids first helped others shelter food. Im 50 told by my son I have nothing to leave to him I'm poor. It hurts alot. Pleasse pray for me .

Shopping in clearance, out of season, or in stores that have discounted prices also help like Marshall’s for example. Getting the app if in the US called OfferUp also help out finding things u need for a good deal that other people are selling and saved me a ton of money when it came to my wedding and buying a microwave to replace my broken one.

I work from my 40 years old to 67 years old 128 hours every 2 week , had 2 job and would do some over time too , we were four too and my husband would do two job when it was posable , never heard of government help , we thought that was for people who can’t work . My kids worked for their college their self and stay home so it would be some help for their going to school 🤔We bought the house in 1986 with 10.15 interest , so to be able to pay the mortgage we had to work 2 job . If you are not mechanic !old car you have to put too much money for repair . . I got to say for American who buy every thing comes out in store just to have new styles , you are unique 👍👍👍

My car a 2003 didge durrango love it git it in 2013 ❤️the library too!!

I can't wait to get rid of our mortgage payment, but it's a process and eventually we will get there

Yep, my family is well below. It sucks but it is what it is.

I've lived on less than $600/mo with kids for several years. Then it was $900/mo. For a couple years. And I got help with food stamps. Then earned $1,200/ mo. That's when I was working full time. I quit the food support. I have twin boys who are special needs, who needed one one one care at the day care facility they were in while I worked. Then I was told I could work for my one son, who is more severe than the other. I've been working with him for the last 9 years. I don't work outside of the home. Which has been a true blessing. Especially with everything going on. My employment didn't end like so many others. We have always rented and had to move every couple years but in 2019 we moved for the last time. Bcuz I bought a house. My children will have a forever home. I did it for my children and not myself. I've never been so stressed out in my entire life. Not even when I knew I needed to find a new place, when we were renting. Something always came at the right time. Homeownership is not my cup of tea. I truly hate it. I sacrificed my well being for my children. My monthly income is just over $2000 now, and I pay for everything by myself. I don't even know how I do it. Well my son gets a bit of money from SSI which helps quite a bit but still don't know how we even make it. $1,400/mo. for a mortgage. It's actually $1,200/mo but I add another $200 so I don't have to pay on it for so long. That includes the property tax and home insurance + interest and escrow. Pay $125/mo for my car insurance. 1 vehicle. Outrageous I know. Pay $60/mo. for my cell. Pay electricity $150- $400/mo. Bcuz our heat is electric. The highest is in the winter months. Pay $200 for garbage every 6 months. Gas, groceries and households vary every month. We don't have internet for the house. We have internet on my phone. No hulu, disney+ or cable or satellite. No need to spend money for that. We live in an area where we have well water so I don't have to pay for that. Thank God or that bill would be sky high bcuz my oldest daughter loves showers. We eat out maybe twice a month. As a treat. Buy clothes at a thrift store. Except underwear and sox for everyone. Books from thrift stores also. Movies too. We have 2 cats that I buy cat food and litter for. Once a month. Cat toys once in awhile. My daughter has a dog and child she buys for. Bought my vehicle with cash so I don't have that expense. So that's about it. I forgot the credit card with a $300 limit, bcuz I know I can pay that off too. I never wanted one but I had to build my credit to buy this house. I always bought everything with cash and nobody told me I needed credit to buy it. I only buy groceries and gas with it. Pay it in full each month. I pay everything in full. The only debt I have is the house payment. Otherwise no debt. Pandemic hit and I didn't change my habits one bit bcuz if I wasn't running errands, I was home. Sometimes for a full week at a time. There's no need to be out and about if you don't have to be. Wasting gas. Especially now with the gas prices. Thanks Obiden.

What about car maintenance expenses? Toiletries? Laundry soap, dish soap, toilet paper, cleaning products, etc.? I am also in envy of your property taxes. What you did with your first home is very impressive. I'm sure your kids are proud

You are a very smart , no Mortgage no Rent , Is a great deal, you know how manage your money , some people buy and finance their home and they and up paying 3 time the value of the home with the interest on long term debt payments of 30 long years , you are better off them a lots of people out there , I know people who make it $ 100’000 thousands or more a year but buy a car very expensive , max they credit cards paying interest and so forth and the and of the year have 0 money and can’t sleep because they don’t know how they are going to pay their bills , poor is the one that spent all their money they make and more and have 0 money on the and of each month hannnn those people dont know how to manage the money , you are amazing keep up with good work , you have a brilliant future A head of you !

Well said!!

we live in Long Island, NY where are winters r not bad. Our utility rates, however, r one of the highest in America. We have worked hard in keeping our bills as low as possible. We heat using oil and get one delivery a year leaving us with a annual cost of around $650 yr. We keep our thermostat @ 54 @ night, 63 degrees during day. Have fleece bed sheets and wool blended blankets. Wash dishes by hand using a 100 cup electric coffee urn. Place dishes in hot water for about 10 minutes wash all the dishes, then rinse. Winter water bills run about $20 a month. No Pool of course. With our electric bill, we dont use AC at all (high speed fans only), hang dry clothes and disconnected our refrigerator about 3 years ago. Chest Freezers use about a 1/3 of the power of a conventual refrig. We use a yeti like cooler w/2 large ice packs for the few items we keep cool each day. In fact ice packs can last about 2 days if put in a shaded area of the house. Electric bills run around $60 to $70 a month. Lastly, on average our monthly food bill is about $200 a month. We dont purchase any red meat, snacks or soda. 95% of what we purchase is in sale. When on sale we buy in bulk. Still learning. Thanks for the video

That is amazing to not have to pay a mortgage!

I went to the store early Sunday morning to get eggs, mil and half and half. I was very hungry and got a breakfast sandwich . I thought of you and your videos and marched right back to the warner and put it back. It costed more then the dozen jumbo eggs.

Oddly, today we added our oldest son's new car to our insurance...our third vehicle on the policy...and it went down thirty a month! I was in shock...like hey this is an extra car, a young male will be driving it...how is it less...it was a multicar discount that drove it down! Yay! Our son was already on our insurance, but this was the first car in his name.

You did well selling your last home and paying cash for another. But, you couldn't do the budget you live on if you were paying for health insurance like me. Many years ago when we lived in California, and my husband passed away my children and I were automatically put on Medicaid, to my surprise. We sold our home, moved, paid cash for a brand new home in another state and, now with my children being adults, we each have to pay for our health insurance which isn't very good insurance at all. I appreciate you being transparent with your health care, as other You Tubers aren't, and I'm sure you know that your budget would increase dramatically if you were paying for family health insurance.

Smart Young Lady :) We don't pay for garbage, we use our tax dollars to drop off our small garbage bag at the city park or at the gas station when we gas up. Wrap our hot water heater and that is even set on low. Only warm short showers. We distill our water. Berkey is awesome for the body. You are very resourceful and will always be able to take care of yourself and be rich in Love.

God bless you young lady

I’m surprised your phone bill was high. All I thought about was Mint. But then I thought maybe due to the wireless reception.

Good tips thank you ! I do think not paying rent is the biggest money safer

Great video. I don’t subscribe to cable anymore and have cut everything I can across the board. Now I’m focused on paying off my last student loan. It’ll be done by the end of 2022.

No tv in my house. We got rid of that years ago. A fixer upper is often more expensive to own, despite the lack of a mortgage. Heat can cost more (holes in wrong places), electric can be more expensive (wiring issues), cost for materials to repair can be astronomical. People saying you arent at poverty level because you own your home dont calculate this. My husband and I have a fixer upper. He's a carpenter contractor. Trust me. I know.

Very impressive!

Living HAPPILY below the poverty line. I never thought I would see this stuff in my lifetime

People don’t understand just how fulfilling living a frugal life can be! We need simplicity in our lives. Thank you for your video💜

Not to toot our horn but my family does great. Im the only provider and have made as little as

How do you prime your berkey filters. I have tried 3xs now and they still dont filter

There was no affordable care act when we had our children. I had to sign a paper saying, it would be paid by delivery or he was not delivering. My husband stayed as much OT as he could get.

I also don't buy new phones right away. I search for deals for clothes, and especially on shoes.

I don't think my husband and I could live under the federal poverty line in San Francisco, despite a paid-for house and living car-free. Property taxes and insurance: $250/month Health insurance and copays: $750/month Water: $100/month Gas and electricity: $400 - if it comes down from the recent crazy spike of $750/month! Garbage disposal: $42/month Cell phones, internet, and Microsoft software: $100/month That's already $1642/month. Food, cat needs, and toiletries, household necessities: $400/month. That's being frugal. Public transit: $40/month Emergency fund: $100/month. Now it's $2162/month. If utility costs don't drop to the previous normal, add $350/month. That brings us to $2512. Allowing for anything I've forgotten, it's better to round up to $2,600/month - $31,200/year, which is $11,480 above poverty level. That's without clothes (we buy very few, mostly from thrift stores) or any personal spending. That's without putting any money into savings. Note: we don't have cable TV or streaming services. We buy most of our food on loss-leader sales or from the specials bins. We cook from scratch and bake our own bread. We very seldom eat out. No bottled water! We get books and movies from the library. In San Francisco, low income is less than $81,219/year. This into account the enormous cost of housing, utilities, gas, and high cost of food. We live on less than half of that even allowing for one overseas trip each year, so we're living at or under poverty level for our city.

Me and husband live on 17 thousand a year no problem

Smart lady!