Frugal Living Is The Only Way To SURVIVE The Cost of Living Crisis
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- Опубликовано: 27 сен 2024
- Time have changed. We can no longer spend carelessly, but we must live more simple, frugal lives.
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Inflation is high, tech is replacing jobs, and the cost of living is getting higher. In order to survive in this changing world, we must learn to change and adapt. In this video, I talk about 5 things we must accept as our reality and how to adapt to this increasing high cost of living world.
1. Things We Used To Do Frequently Are No Longer Affordable
Eating out, getting regular coffees, and spending more on other activities used to be afford things to do frequently. For example, going through the drive thru multiple times a week was affordable when there was a dollar menu; however, these activities are no longer affordable to do often and can destroy our budgets. In order to survive in this new world, we must adjust our habits and only do these activities on occasion.
2. Jobs Are No Longer Dependable
There was a period of time where people would work for one single company their entire lives. And because of that, they didn't necessarily have to focus on their personal finances as much. Those times, however, are over and jobs are not as dependable as they used to be. We cannot depend on a paycheck constantly coming in and we have to make sure that we are always prepared financially. We must adapt to this more uncertain world and make sure we create an emergency fund, live below our means, and prepare for the future.
3. Abundance Is Inflating Our Cost Of Living
In the United States, we have been on this quest of abundance for a while now where we are constantly seeking more and bigger. This lifestyle, however, is making our lives more difficult because we have more responsibilities, more debt, and more stress. Living this life of abundance is inflating our cost of living. We must adjust our lifestyle an seek a more frugal, simple life of less financial worries.
4. Time Are More Expensive Because We Have More Options
Although the price of things is increasing, the amount of services we take on has also been increasing. The average American spends $273 a month of subscription services and this number continues to rise, which is creating a unnecessarily high cost of living. It is important to not get every subscription service and adopt a more minimalist approach to services where you are intentional about the services you use.
5. Nobody Will Make Things The Way They Used To Be
The price of everything is going up and although it is nice to think someone can come in and make things the way they used to, that is unrealistic. The cost of living is going to continue to increase and we must accept that reality and change with the times. Now more than ever, it is vital to live a more frugal, simple life in order to survive the increasingly high cost of living.
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What's one way you've been coping with the increasing cost of living?
I make coffee at home in the morning and that's it for coffee for me for the day. (Luckily I can only handle one cup a day anyway.) I'm also much better off without expensive pastries and other "breakfast" items health-wise.
@ElAgustin
I just opened a WeBull account, can you give me any advice on how to get started investing sir ?
@@plappinI, do the same.
I had to stop buying coffee out for the most part. I tend to like to treat myself sometimes but it’s just getting to be too much. Thank you for another great video. God bless you 😊
I rediscovered the public library!
Mcdonalds is not cheap anymore.
I went one day and spend like $15 on a meal and my thought was, "I might as well just get some real food!"
I may eat there at most once a month. If that. 😊
Junk food will cost you later...at the doctors
I stopped all fast food recently. Even stopping for a diet soda cost more than 50% more. If I want to eat I buy it at the grocery store (cheapest grocery store) and get the cheapest diet soda at a different grocery store where all the food costs more, except their 2 liter bottles). I bring my lunches to work, drink a cup of coffee offered at work and the filtered water from work. Fewer benefits at a full time job.
$0 is too expensive for McDonalds. I wouldn’t even take a lifetime of chronic disease for free.
Doing things infrequently (the drive through meal, coffee, etc.) makes them a special treat. That’s a lot more fun than doing them constantly.
You enjoy them more too!
I never do this drive in food. Not ever cut it out years ago.
I buy popped rice cereal from an Indian shop, a massive packet costs $5. Lasts 2 months.
A tiny packet in the supermarket with fancy box costs nearly as much, lasts 2 weeks.
Indian stores are the best for spices, rice, dried legumes etc. So much cheaper!
Amy Dacyczyn ("The Frugal Zealot") calls this "creative deprivation" and it totally works. She talks about it at length in her first book.
This is a cope.
also it MEANT to be a rare or better yet NOT an existing thing in your life because it is unhealthy
Our economy struggling with uncertainties, housing issues, foreclosures, global fluctuations, and pandemic aftermath, causing instability. Rising inflation, sluggish growth, and trade disruptions need urgent attention from all sectors to restore stability and stimulate growth.
Things are strange right now. The US dollar is becoming less valuable because of inflation, and other powerful nations waking up to trade in their own currencies. Good thing is, a lot of people still turn to the Dollar because of the safety is somehow assures. I'm worried about my retirement savings of about $420,000 losing value because of these factors and more. Where else can we keep our money?
Well, I suggest you make a diversification plan because it's been harder to build a good portfolio that stays afloat since COVID. Personally, I garner knowledge from a brokerage Adviser whom I work with, and I've actually made over $350K with their help since February. Very effective defensive strategies are used to protect my portfolio and make profits despite the ups and downs.
I find this intriguing. Could you please provide me with the means to get in touch with your Adviser? I am concerned about my dwindling portfolio.
My advisor is ‘’Natalie Lynn Fisk’’ she’s highly qualified and experienced in the financial market. She has extensive knowledge of portfolio diversity and is considered an expert in the field. I recommend researching her credentials further. She has many years of experience and is a valuable resource for anyone looking to navigate the financial market
Thank you for this Pointer. It was to find her handler, She seems very proficient and flexible. I booked a call session with her.
At 56 years old, I finally became debt-free on September 1st. I purchased an 840 sf condo in Tampa in 2020 for 100k. I could have purchased a 200k condo, but decided I would rather keep the extra 100K for my retirement. I can now put 35% of my take-home income into retirement. It was worth it to buy just what I needed and nothing more!!
nice! can't wait to say that.
Be aware of the cost of insurance in Florida. Many people are selling their homes and moving to other states.😮
@@kathleenepugh9495really? A lot people i know want to / moved to florida 😂
LEGEND
I’m happy for you. I hope to be where you are one day!
Having the ability to live frugally is such a valuable survival skill. I like to think of it a bit like hibernation. If times are tough, go into "frugal living mode" until times get better again.
Exactly!
Great analogy!
While it's good to save and being frugal helps but just saving is not good. Inflation is eating away at those savings.
It's better to get out of Survival Mode. Jump into learning and building mode. Create mental and physical assets!
yeah but its not always buying stuff that gets one into trouble. somethings its not having savings for emergency and having some kind of financial emergency that gets one into trouble.
Newsflash - things aren't going to get better again. Welcome to the New Normal.
Actively boycotting everything until they lower the prices would also work. If the corporations complain we can tell them we can't afford their stuff anymore. If corporations can lie to and manipulate us we should be able to do the same to them.
We'll ruin them and claim it was an accident of circumstance and shift the blame to them.
😂😂😂😂😂
yeah but certain things cant really be boycotted. what do you do when its food that is too expensive.
@@nickorange4881 Food stamps and food pantry raids. Also when stores try to throw away expired food resort to criminal acts like attacking the guy who takes the expired food off the shelves at stores even though he's just doing his job and stealing it all.
When the demand for goods go down, inflation will decrease. Suppy & Damand.
Exactly. Because if we are expected to become more and more 'frugal', while the corrupt few keep raising prices and keep transfering all the wealth to themselves, where will we be in 10-15 years? It's not sustainable, and not fair. We need to stand up and stop complying.
As a black woman i do my own nails, My own hair, make dinner everyday and i dont tell people my business they think i have alot of money because i know how to take care of myself andlook good with little to no effort if i were homeless no one would ever know 😏😂
And as a white one I do the same 😂😂I would add as sensible and hard working people , we do ourselves all those works .....greetings from Madrid !!
@@almudenagonzalez760 💕🙏
You are my hero. You should do a Ted talk to teach all the other women how it's done.
Girl, i got my hair braided at a salon and it costed me $425. That same night i was like.. oh heck no I'M never paying that much again. I learned how to braid my own hair on youtube 2 days later, only spend abut$15 to do so😂
Lmao what in all that's holy does your race have to do with anything??
Excellent video, Austin. I never, and I mean *never* drive through restaurant parking lots to pick up food anymore. I never, and I mean *never* buy food at convenience stores anymore. I rarely, and I mean *rarely* eat out in restaurants anymore. The food quality is horrible, the service is often non existent and the prices are absolutely ridiculously high. The best of this society is long behind us, now. Time to buckle up, buttercup, and tighten our belts. We ain't seen nothing' yet.
@rhondalyn so what do you eat? Do you cook at home and if so, what kinds of food?
I’ve been saving like crazy the last couple years and living below my means with very minimal lifestyle inflation, because of this I don’t have to lower my lifestyle now while everyone else might be, I don’t spend much but we go on small trips and buy toys that we will use at home a lot (bicycle, swingset, power wheels, etc) and try to get outside more
Hell yeah brother.
Amen! My favorite place is walking trails. No cost.
@hikerhobby1204 until they pave all the green spaces living below our means is always wise but at this rate the term living will be a struggle
Smart move
I have plenty of money but have always lived frugally. I don't understand why people spend 7 bucks a Dunkin every day, why they buy crappy overpriced food at convenience stores, why they think nothing of continuously spending 35 bucks on a locally sourced sandwich and a craft beer? I'm in the process of tossing out all the crap I've accumulated. Cluttered house equals cluttered mind.
Yh, also they then bleat ohhh i havent got any money. Ive had that in my life from a 'friend'. Well look at where your moneys going then?. Im in the process of decluttering, good luck with yours. Its so satisfying when you do it and the house seems tidier.
Well sometimes people do this to get a hit of social interaction. It's difficult to recalibrate and I've lost a lot of 'friends' in the process.
@@sjchan3199it’s not seeming, it’s factual. Addition by subtraction.
Wait until their health gives out because they lived on junk, despite the high prices they paid for that garbage. It one thinks health care is expensive now, it will get worse.
There is a book from the 90s called: "The Millionaire Next Door". One chapter they ask people why they aren't millionaires. One old couple is smoking Marlboros and the interviewer asked about them. They said, 'well when we started they were only a nickel a pack'. So the guy asked how much they smoke. The woman said a half of pack a day and the man said a pack. They crunched the numbers and and if they had used the money to actually stock in Philip Morris they would have been worth something crazy. I may be misremebering, but i think it was like $200M. An extreme example but I imagine if some people bought McDonald's stock instead of McDonald's they would be pretty well off.
I got off that consumer capitalist train 4 yrs ago. I continue to brainstorm and look at what I do and buy. Need versus wants. Trained my mind muscle. It is an awakening.
This is bullshit because Boomers and Gen X spent money on useless crap all the time and still had money left over for food and housing.
I have never understood eating out being a treat? Invariably I find home prepared meals much better after you do it for many years I can do soups, roasts, slow cooker recipes, I can bake bread, chicken green curry is delicious, various stir fry, I can even make my own beef jerky that blows the dust off the fake stuff in the shops.
The only advantage of eating out is not having to clean up. I actually enjoy the preparation and cooking it's kind of cool watching the masterpiece coming together.
Healthier too, restaurant food quality has really gone down hill and prices up, just not worth it.
I love to eat out…if the food is tasty!
Cooking is fine if you have the extra time but not everyone does. Meal prepping takes a long time too
"We can't rely on our job to secure us financially."
Welcome to the American dream everyone.
What will those illegal immigrants do when they find this out after the cities stop the handouts!
☄️☄️☄️☄️☄️☄️☄️☄️☄️☄️☄️☄️☄️
Haha!
the American dream is very achievable if you aren't stupid with your money
Well, that has always been the case. Google Pullman strike riots. Or the robber barons. the pinckertons. Or does no one remember the great depression? People acted like the post WW2 boom was the rule and not the exception. By the 70s inflation was through the roof and interest rates at 20%.
What used to be recognized as Frugality is now standard procedure for the working class American. By the time you get done paying insurance, taxes, and just a basic cost-of-living you ain’t got much left over.
Many are dropping insurance, too.
@@deborahcurtis1385 is that legal?
IF the insurers drop you, it is legal.
If you drop them... maybe? Either way we're the bunnies and they're the foxes. @@firefly9838
@@firefly9838hell no, it’s like taxes right now. There’s gonna be a massive shoe dropping in the near future. Many white collar criminals are going to be out of cash
With how many people are alive today, if we all lived as bold as our parents and grandparents we’d have no more resources
Everything in USA is geared to sell you some kind of something! Everywhere you look is a advertisement/commercial!
Consumerism. America is built on it. The choice is yours whether to buy or not what they are selling.
Or sue the hell out of someone or donate to this charity. America is one big hussle
"Things ant goin back." This medicine that is Hard pill to swallow.
2023: I'll just eat one meal a day.
2050: I'll use photosynthesis to gain nutrients from the sun.
Chistoso !!! Very good 😂😂😂
At this rate, we will all be dead within 10 years.
I have been Frugal since January and it has completely changed my Life. I have not been Dining Out in May, July, and August. It has saved me a lot of Money and I meal prep on a daily basis. Thanks Austin for teaching me how to be Financially Literate!
Right on!!
@airplane So I guess in June, you went all out??!! LOL
I've been living a lot more frugally since 2020, but I've let the foot off the gas pedal more recently. I need to get back into really living that frugal lifestyle again. Lately, I've been going to restaurants and I've noticed that it's actually more frugal to go to a place like Applebee's or Chili's as opposed to going to fast food places like McDonald's in my opinion. The actual cost may be slightly more at a sit down restaurant, but the value is way better.
Great point.
Also have you thought if switching from Survival mode to Create and Expand Mode? Not your waistline 😅
Create more assets physical and digital. Expand your skill sets .💪🧠💡👍😉📕🖋🤓
Yes! In our neighborhood, Whole Foods is actually the cheapest option for buying basics like produce and bulk grains. It's surprising to find these "quirks" these days in where best options are for food (e.g., Applebee's cheaper than McDonalds, on a per-meal basis), a lot of the "traditional" advice is no longer relevant in today's market.
Learn to cook yourself. Stop overpaying for restaurant and fast food garbage.
Learn to cook !
In my area, it can often be cheaper to eat out than to buy a dinner at the grocery store to prepare at home.
I rob my grocery budget and eat less to try to cover the increases in insurance, property taxes, utilities...the list goes on and on. It works, but it's hard sometimes to keep from getting depressed. I am a retired accountant and a bean counter at heart, trying my best not to touch what little investments I have. Diane
I eat nuts like walnuts and almonds and it fills the gap. It's not more expensive because crackers and chips are just empty calories and you want to eat more.
Do you know the channel Frugal Money Saver.? Try it. They show a lot of stuff to live a good life wolith less money
I'm retired and am relatively debt free and live way out in the country. It's been easy for me to go back into frugal living habits we followed when i was a kid. I'm not fond of electronics and the latest of gadgetry. I grow much of my food, seldom eat out, buy in bulk when meats are on sale and batch cook, can and freeze meals.
I do "no buy weeks" where I don't shop, spend or travel at all. I seldom charge anything but keep a couple of credit cards for travel or emergencies etc. I seldom buy new clothes or household items. I have so much stuff as I consolidated two households when i sold my house and moved back into the family homestead i inherited. So i'm usually able to live on my retirement check and actually save a little. Inflation sucks but it helps us see clearer what we actually need to live a good life!
The irony is that if everyone adopted a more frugal lifestyle there would be massive job losses and the government would have to swoop in with another quadrillion dollar bailout which will drive inflation up all the more.
You're right. If everyone saved the way they should save, the economy would collapse. There is really no answer to these problems!
Yeah, seeing as how we don't make things anymore and our main source of gdp is 'consumerism'. That's why George Bush said at the beginning of the 2007 meltdown - "go shopping"
That's capitalism...
It´s scary that in our system with all the technological improvements, we can´t just work significantly less and just consume what we really need. (that would be a real livestyle improvement for most people and true progress of society imho)
@@Schaufelor Long ago people assumed that technology and increasing productivity would allow everyone to work less and less.
Unfortunately, it's only the capitalists that have been benefitting.
This system has been unsustainable for a very long time. Those of us that have been aware, saw this coming from a thousand miles away.
You are such an awesome realist! A lot of us older folks do need to accept, acknowledge, and adapt to our new reality, Thank you so much🎉
I fit the description. "Things ant gowin back."
I concur !
Wife and I saw this coming in 2021. We saw prices slowly yet steadily increase on groceries, gas and our basic expenses. We paid off the home last year (still have property taxes), carry no credit debt and have no auto payments. All by design. In todays new economy, those out of debt will do much better and not be so stressed. Our government has not helped the middle class in years and they are not helping us now.
Congrats on paying your home off and zero debt. I totally agree with you. When we refinanced a few years ago, we opted for a 15 year mortgage instead of lower payments. It’s a sacrifice, making the slightly higher payments, but the principal on our mortgage is quickly disappearing. That motivates us even more to pay it off, and we truly hope to have it paid off in the next 4 to 5 years.
I worked for the same company for 35 years (yes I got a gold watch too).....
I retired at age 59 after living a frugal life
Ill have 40 years at 62.
Same for me and my wife on living frugal.
I am moving from a 500 square foot studio to a 330 one. Rents had gone up 300 dollars. This change will claw back about 200. I thought i would be ok in retirement in a studio. Oh, well.
How can you NOT accept this reality? It is everywhere. No driving for fun, no extras at the checkout, no meals out, coffee out is a one week thing and don’t even start me on the cinema..I gave that up years ago. 😢
It's not something that should be accepted, it's something that should be fought back against.
@@theking8347 Well, not playing the game and buying the over costly items is fighting back! I bought a very nice small bed and mattress. They had free delivery within a 20 mile range which was a lure for me. Then the sales lady said they didn't have it at their store and it would be shipped from the warehouse which was 50 miles away and I would have to pay delivery. I'd already written up the deal so I said okay. But I seethed at the trickery of the fine print. I won't even set foot in their store again! 😝
@@theking8347completely agree. Moving backwards shouldn’t be accepted
A coffee is 3€/ $3 everywhere... Its not that much. Unless you pay the $30 extra galaxy universe starbucks coffee
@@HombreDufffI can buy a jar of dowe and Egbert coffee for 6.50 and it lasts over a month.
If I was less precious I could buy own brand for £2-3. And make loads of coffee.
I'm a teacher and I think your video should be shown to high school students before they graduate, so that they are able to better manage their money after graduation and become successful financially. Muchas gracias, Austin!
It's weird to think of a class watching me, haha! It's just me in my small apartment making these!
I have started reducing, reducing, and reducing months ago: clothing, buying alcohol for my home, decluttering stuff around the house, removing decor / visual clutter, paperwork, my storage, tasks, negative thoughts, bad people out of my life, etc It's definitely "a journey."
Even now I can still look around my apartment and feel I didn't do enough!
I still get mail and Its back to the same routine of scanning in / shredding.
Toxic people come back when I was enjoying not hearing from them.
Sometimes I just want to hide from it all too, haha...
It's NEVER ENDING process and really is a massive lifestyle change a person has to make.
It’s been like this to me since late 2019 when a storm hit my home, I lost several items and I think realized I needed to simplify.
My kids love to point out that we had it better than they did. Did we???
My parents had a 1200 sq ft house w/o a garage. They shared 1 car that was 20 years old. We NEVER went out to eat or grabbed a snack at a gas station. We had no cable, there was literally 5 channels to watch. They never paid for any entertainment. Mom and dad wore the exact same clothes my entire childhood. We never remodeled the house, or got any new furniture unless dad found something in the neighbors trash. We lived small. We lived frugal. We were considered middle class. Today…..that lifestyle would be considered poor. Things didn’t change, it IDEA of what was acceptable changed.
I've always lives frugally. That's how I was debt free by 33. Putting 2 kids through college without borrowing. Buy vehicles with cash. Working in retirement the entire time. Life is good.
Smart 👏
Cant do that anymore with how expensive everything is 😔
The only thing that has changed is the younger generation had bought into having more/spending more to impress other people .
Social Media has a lot to do with it.
Increased pricing for products, utilities, housing, vehicles have always with us. Job insecurity has always been with us.
What I am seeing now is that younger generation is just learning now what us old folks have known for years: You need a budget, sometimes there has to be delayed gratification for what we want, and you need to establish priorities with your money: emergency funds, savings accounts, and retirement.
Exactly! Inflation was horrible in the 1970's as were the gas prices, computers replaced lots of the jobs from then on, every generation complains that housing is unaffordable; then discover that the secret to it all is living below your means, budgeting and saving, starting small and growing, etc. etc.
@@TheRozylass Wrong. I was there for the 70's. We had high inflation but people could still easily rent an apt or house. I was a stay at home mom and my husband could relatively easily support us. There's a lot of moving parts to this. One of the BIG ones is that we've lost 91% percent of a dollar's purchasing power since the 70's. We also had a solid 'middle class'. The wealth inequality has grown exponentially. Watch one of Noam Chomsky's You Tubes - you start to see the big picture.
Great video - loved when you broke out singing the Full House theme song. I also have something - as you said jobs are not dependable. I always thought I would work till retirement age or beyond. Then I got injured at work and now I am on permanent disability. I would never have thought that would happen to me. And I was not prepared.
Glad you knew the song!
The World Economic Forums plan being played out. He told us we’d have nothing and be happy. Well they got the nothing part right.
Housing has skyrocketed to a point I’m seriously considering living in my Prius
I agree with frugal living but I believe this is a false dichotomy here. While it is wise to consume consciously, we don't need to roll over and accept this new reality. It is not normal. It is being caused by artificial factors. There are actionable steps to take to return to a more reasonable cost of living. I advocate for living frugally in these times while also being aware that this is an abnormal financial climate and it does not have to continue to be this way. Just my opinion on the issue. I enjoy your content!!
I agree. I’m focused on cooking from scratch, meal planning, and eliminating waste. I’ve stopped spending on prepared items, snack foods, and treats unless I prepare them. It’s helping curb my spending no matter what’s on sale. I also stay within a comparatively low weekly limit on groceries. Eat out so rarely I can’t remember when I last did it! I see some prices inching downward. I do believe in pushing back too.
What you stated is an absolute fact not an opinion. People speak about the tyrannical greed in our society as if it's some kind of unexplainable phenomenon that happens every year and we as the working class have to accept it. We don't! These are man made problems by greedy politicians and corporations all working together to get the maximum amount of profit and efficiency while giving back nothing to the people who work to keep this economy going.
You made me choke 33 seconds in, with your performance of the Full House theme song. I’m crying😂
Kid don't sell your dreams so soooonnnnnn!
@@ElAgustin 😂😂😂
This just popped up on my feed. I used to work in Big Tech and when he is talking about services, he is talking about the 'SaaS' (Software as a Service' business model. I did a video explain how and why everything is now shifting to a service because of Big Tech in my video series 'Big Tech's Deception.'
The old way of doing business where you actually own something is now going the way of the dodo bird. Capitalism now wants you to be a hooked and endless renter and subscriber. Its an awful direction!
Yeah, it's like a never ending business model. The Adobe services I use (which are great) is a never ending subscription, so I'll always be paying to edit and make thumbnails, haha!
Sadly, the commodification of life in the USA is definitely something people need to accept, acknowledge & adapt to. If motivated, we can all try to learn & find ways to live more simply & cost effectively but the fact remains that the idea of the "American Dream" should thrown out entirely, or at least also be updated to reflect the disposable, vanity/attention seeking, self-absorbed attitudes of the culture as a whole.
Do you think it’s better in other countries
Americans are slaves to their government and banks. The American dream is an illusion
The American dream is the entire point of living in this country.
When I was working at McDonalds I remember when the value meals first came out they were $2.99. Did not matter which meal you purchased all were $2.99
What year was that?
@@SkepticalMantisCHANNEL10 in the 80s
I’ve been living this way my whole life.
I shake my head when I see my coworkers buy lunch everyday, than complain about how everything is expensive and they are unable to save money.
I was JUST at Chick Fila not too long ago....getting too expensive for sure. 😭 Gotta accept, acknowledge & adapt to this ever changing environment. Thank YOU!
I've learned the more you buy and the more you try to upscale the more you want, the less satisfied you are, and the more work you have to do. I decided I didn't like juggling multiple jobs and not having anything saved for an emergency so I dont have a big brand new car or anything that would put me into huge debt. I dont go out to eat because on top of the ever growing price tag you have to leave a giant tip and the service, quality, and ambiance just doesn't justify it. When I delay gratification I enjoy something much more. The only thing I'm not adapting to well is not being able to afford to live by myself, I have to room up with more than one person and I get depressed without at least a little quiet and alone time and one person I used to live with was a thief.
I like how “living frugally” is to not buy things that are Pennies on the dollar to produce: coffee and drive through, foreign made clothes etc.
Then there’s the cut to necessities.. transportation and housing. People could be happy with affordable single bedrooms and modest new cars.
This is by design- the design is to rid you of the world.
Very wise insights. I can see now how I've been subconsciously denying that the world has indeed changed. I am middle-aged, and some beliefs are ingrained, but are no longer appropriate to today's reality. Thanks for the reminder that we all have to continue to adapt. I always enjoy and look forward to your episodes!
Wise words, Austin. Frugality is the only way to go!
Thank God for food banks and the people who contribute to them. We live frugally, but still need to hit the banks.
Excellent video. I wish everyone could see it but I feel like a lot of the people who really need to see. It are the ones who are unwilling to embrace any changes. You make a lot of excellent points. Thank you.
Consumerism and life as we have known is over. This includes "green" consumption as well. We are seeing the effects of climate change. True frugality is the only way out of this quagmire. Such a shift is not only critical for the survival of life on our planet but will align human beings with something more intrinsic and intentional.
Well said.💚
I have a secret for you. All that "green" stuff is really just new taxes the government is going to hit us with. Oh can't afford a new electric vehicle? Well here's a tax for that.
You can’t start giving up everything because things go up. Neither. You still need to enjoy yourself,
Thank you for you video! I’m at the point where something seems ridiculously priced - I don’t buy it. For instance, a new bakery just opened in our neighborhood and they’re charging $7 for a single croissant - NO. The other night I wanted a milkshake and walked into an ice cream parlor saw that it was $10 for a milkshake and walked out. Not doing it anymore.
I’ve accepted this lifestyle decades ago. Today for me is just another walk on the park. It’s called frugal survival. Live as small as possible. Always.
People 50 years ago did not live like this and neither should we.
@@theking8347 50 years ago was 1973, the beginning of worst inflation ever and gas shortages. They lived so frugal their heads would explode. The elderly ate dog food. People froze in their homes. Mortgages were 15%. Hamburger Helper was invented. How do I know this? I lived through it. Tough lessons learned. Frugality rocks.
Back in the 80's I could go to Mcdonalds and eat four hamburgers four 2-3 dollars. I had coupons for two for one. It also included fries and a drink.
Unfortunately, higher cost of products, services, rent, and fuel are here to stay. People must adjust.
Things rarely go down! Greed overcomes!
I have adjusted by walking away from services, cooking from scratch, buying used, and doing things that require more personal effort (like studying a new language or other skill) but little or no extra money.
A POWERFUL message ❤❤ABUNDANCE comes through living a “frugal life”!!Frugality brings an ABUNDANCE of peace and freedom! Try it! What do you have to lose? Oh, your being in BONDAGE to increasing debt, and a growing unhappiness? 😞You’ll NEVER know how much bondage you’re in, until you start to LIVE a frugal life!🤩Please Keep PREACHING Austin!
Yes I got ride of my expensive Mercedes Benz and insurance. I am so much happier buying a 2012 Honda civic.
“Going through the drive thru will destroy us” 😂 you’re great! thanks for your videos
Having just left London for the Cornish coast I've noticed how much you can save when you can have walking / cycling / sea swimming as your main hobbies . Once you have the paid out the initial costs of walking shoes / bicycle / swimwear it's a inexpensive way to entertain yourself . London had free museums and nice parks but the supermarkets were more expensive to make lunches and then there's transport costs . I know this option isn't available to everyone. It''s just an observation ,you could enjoy nature for less ,which is why it's such an important aspect of town n country planning and needs protection.
Always been frugal its the best way. My family is all yuppje n forgot where they czme from. Mom said several times she had more faith i could survive another Great Depression than my siblings.like when my place burnt n the fire insurance made 1 check to the mortgager i adapted n lived n my 8x12 shed for 3 years n so on.
if you keep in mind that the whole reason that everything is so expensive is Government, you will realize that we need to get rid of those whose policies are negatively affecting all of us.
Rich people do not care about you and I. Politicians are rich people they serve those with big pockets
He had me until he said more options make things more expensive. It’s actually the opposite. More options lower cost of living.
Often it's just more and more choices of poor quality crap. A kind of race to the bottom to extract the most profit. It really does depend what you are getting. More choice does not automatically mean better quality or price and too little choice has downsides also such as monopoly power and price gouging. A balanced economy is better but more difficult to achieve.
Frugal pod casts like this one are wonderful for support and ideas
Yes, indeed. $$ Times have changed. The value of this old casita has gone from $139,000 to $219,000 (2020-2023) in a poor area of USA. We are contributing to helping Ukraine-Russ War,........ This old home is not worth over $200,000.
The Government needs to see this video. They spend like they hate money and love debt.
I did not adapt to the increasing cost of living by hoarding things are buying bigger cars I tried to stay Frugal and keep the line even across the board. I did not always succeed but I still live with no TV no Wi-Fi and I have a beautiful simple life and want for absolutely nothing. It allowed me to retire early in life. Now I am watching people try to pay off their gigantic SUVs. I love your videos❤
The Big Mac index is a very useful indicator of the cost of life, In Chile the Big Mac cost 5 dollars, and in the US cost the same 5 dollars, but the minimun wage in US approximately 4K, but in Chile is 500 dollars
Cost of living - in terms of food - seems much cheaper in the USA than New Zealand. The take out meal has doubled in price, but then, if you look at wages around the same time period, that's almost doubled. That being said, weekly grocery shopping is between 3 to 4 times as much, and house prices have quadrupled. The net result is: tighten your belts, stop buying cheap tat that's destined for the landfill. My two young boys have also quadrupled in size, so we have made drastic changes to live lean and healthy. We ALL go to the gym every day, that's where we shower (and workout). It's a 5 minute walk from home). The hot water has been turned off, all the light8is LED bulbs, so our utilities are so much lower than our neighbors'. Finally, my hours at work have been cut back, so I've embraced intermittent fasting - which cuts down my food intake, and has improved my health 😊 My boys have plenty of food
Were more frugal then ever already. The changes need to be made from on high
Well said, Austin! I watched a Documentary about this Retired lady, 2 years ago.
Remembered her saying Folks in the US will not be able to retire here. She was living
in Bahia , Mexico. Real shame! INFLATION !!! "Geaux for the simple life." Cajun
But people in other countries say we’re driving up their cost of living. 😢
@@GrannyLinn "like anything else." Go Figure? INFLATION
@@cajunjamis9001would you retire in another country
People ae starting to figure out a way to divide their house to allow fir a faux duplex. I just moved the kitchen table out of my kitchen. I have a recliner ..or 2..in my kitchen..tv trays..where the thermostat is located.I closed off the doorways by closing doors and nailing a sleeping bag over 1 doorway. I heat with an energy efficiency space heater in the am..too early for the furnace this week in Minnesota ..I will move a 3/4 bed into the big kitchen for the winter..just the two of us
In "The Long Winter" by Laura Ingalls Wilder, they eventually closed off the living/dining room and just used the kitchen. I did wonder why they didn't keep the dining/living room open but bring the beds downstairs instead of their going up to freezing cold bedrooms every night. But not knowing the layout exactly, perhaps that was the best way.
Soda is so expensive now lol. I didn't think I'd see the day soda became unbuyable for me, I had to go back to koolaid. My only luxury in life is beer and koolaid. The occasional burrito at Taco Bell. That's literally it. No video games, no streaming services, no movies, no going out, no nothing. I already quit smoking years ago. Also quit mary J, too expensive.
I might start going back to the library. I used to regularly visit in the 90s. It'd be nice to just pick up a book and read and not have to think about anything.
You are just so cute, your little song. Lol God bless you.
At a given point, your things end up owning you...
Never thought I'd get sticker shock at the grocery store... 😆
Apparently, you must not have been around in most of the 1970s and early 1980s because inflation was bad then, too. However, we didn't have all of these extra things back then that this video clip shows. A phone was a simple device, not something that has all of these features one really doesn't NEED. If you wanted a new car, you ordered what you wanted. Today, you have to buy a whole package of features---take it or leave it. You can't skip AC, power windows or automatic transmission to save on cost. Also, the government REQUIRES all of these safety features on cars. Guess who's stuck paying for them??
Live together
Cook meals
No emotional shopping
Save as much money as possible
I'm back to adding antenna tv, over the air brodcast tv.
I know someone who literally had a wire attached to a metal rod and it still brought up TV. I guess it's the same concept!
Responsibility and bigger stuff is more expense
i have a super simple life as an individual, but as a radio station manager who struggle to survive, i have to invest every single penny i can into it. i need phonic isolation to avoid amateur background noises, and making possible shows by night (because our audience is in another time zone on internet), and this is about 30 000 dollars investment.
Realizing that times have changed, yes, we must. ACCEPTING what is happening....well, yes, but there are limits as to what we should accept as permanent change. 🙂💙
And I don't think your 'Chik-fil-A' math is quite right.
I didnt even buy Halloween candy to pass out this year.$26 for a shitty little bag,f em all.
If You could find an honest and Reliable Roommate.
That could work too?.
Always the best advice. That’s why I love this channel so much!
I tried to adapt around 3 years ago…. And I’m still screwed…
Things are getting BADDDDD
Here in Colorado prices are sooo hiiigh! Noticeable changes in Denver and beyond since 2002!!! It’s sad and challenging
It's all by design...CO is following CAs lead and we will be living it out very soon it's sickening to see what is happening to this once wonderful state.
Yep, this place is insane now 🙄
I’ve a couple of years more here in FoCo. My daughter finishes in CSU and we are out of CO. Sad.
Property taxes going to raise drastically. Get out now while you can. Colorado is beautiful but the mentalities here suck. I'm moving to Amarillo Texas
I only buy if it’s on sale. Half price- stock up for later too❤️
Been living in my car the past year. Looking all over CA for a room under 1k but it’s just not there. And I’ve already tried other states. The lack of good paying work just negates what I was saving on rent. So it’s a struggle everywhere.
Might as well be in CA where at least I don’t have to worry about heat stroke or hypothermia when my housing situation inevitably falls through.
That is a sad reality. This video was basically 10 minutes of telling us we are poor and need to accept being poor. Its also not wrong.
Tell my wife. i can't get through.
Maybe it’s all on her. Do you do your part?
I'll give her a call!
This is exactly what I'm trying to get my family to understand. That life in this country isn't as good as it used to be. We have to forget about trying to buy the newest gadgets and go on expensive vacations. Those days are gone. We now have to save and invest as much as possible. We might be very happy we did while we still had the chance.
Those days are not "gone". We didn't choose this, greedy corporations and the people running society did.
Saving is just piling up paper when the dollar collapses. Learn to grow food
@@ceciliaabdalla4954 No I save more gold, silver, and stocks then paper. Would also grow food too if I could. That is a really good idea.
@@joeylopez7978 so you bought real gold and silver? So someone took your paper money worth nothing and gave you gold right? You believe that. Americans are brainwashed. Go have your gold melted and tested. You can't eat gold regardless. Learn to grow food
Adapt.....drive less, eat less, buy less, need less, do less. Become more self sufficient. Re-use. Conserve. Share. All that stuff will help, right? 😮😊
Stay away from "convenience" stores, a lot of shady people and you are a target. Buy gas during the daylight hours and pay more for full service. If you pump your own gas you are a sitting duck. Avoid sit down restaurants , skip the tip. Use coupons or apps for fast food. Avoid drive thru situations at night. DO NOT discuss travel plans on social media platforms. Stay safe and frugal.
What if full service pumps don't exist in your area?
I live in Dallas, Texas.
The violent crime rate in the nice parts of the city have more than tripled since 2018!
Great tips!
Wtf lmao pay for full service...dude hit the latch that holds the thing open.....lmao
A lot of businesses don't operate after 9 or 10 PM, so if you're one of those people who like to drive throughout the night in interstate travel, you might have problems finding ANY service station or stores between 9PM to 6AM..
Heres the problem: our entire economic system is totally reliant on continual year over year growth. If it doesnt grow for a long time, with all the other problems stacking up, society will most likely /r/collapse
We cant just be frugal and say "ok problems solved!" its way more than that. (I am personally turning into a prepper lol)
I think honestly the best thing to do is just leave the United States if you can. That's what I'm trying to do. I don't want to spend the rest of my life worrying about money every waking second. I don't even know why people still live here lol
I don't eat out, and I don't subscribe to services other than my phone. I limit my driving to save petrol and I'm extremely frugal with electricity usage. I don't buy 'collectibles' or fill my house with consumerist junk. I sell that which I no longer use and keep an eye out for bargains that I can resell for profit. I am trying to save like mad, but the spiralling cost of rent and energy are making it extremely difficult.
I stopped going to restaurants or just driving around (like I used to do before) to avoid waisting gas. I am still thankful for thrift stores! I can find used clothes in like new condition. Most of them are very good vintage clothes that unfortunately we cannot find today in the stores! Besides everything mentioned in this video, the quality of things such as electronics, shoes, clothes, furniture are really bad! They are made to not last too long!
I thrift for all my clothes (except socks and underwear). Many of my shoes and bags are thrifted or used as well. None, however is vintage. I focus on sportswear mostly and only very good brands. My tops/blouses are usually @$3.75, dresses $6, etc.Restaurants? Rarely if at all. Groceries? On a firm budget of ingredients only-nothing prepared (except peanut butter, etc.). It’s really paying off. Focus is on using what I have. No cable, streaming, or whatever. Did that 3 years ago and haven’t looked back. Strategic driving for errands keeps gas in my tank.
I wish it was enough for many years. I live on savings, I don't buy clothes, I don't eat out, I don't go on vacation, and my expenses are mainly rent, simple food, and occasionally medical things like dental care or glasses, and studies that I paid for (which I regret because I thought studying would help me in life but it's a waste of time and money) but now the situation is that you can't buy simple vegetables, I mean expensive vegetables like broccoli, lettuce, I almost never bought them, but now even onions and carrots etc. have become expensive, and this is just a small example Everything is going up like crazy, it's no longer a matter of giving up welfare, it's giving up a basic quality of life in the western world (and also health)
Unfortunately, I haven't been coping very well as far as decreasing expenses.
I feel you. Tracking your spending and having a zero based budget (AND only budgeting money you have) could give you the wake up call needed to curb your spending especially if you have important long term financial goals. I went from shopping whenever I felt like it to low/no but months.
Start looking at annual costs (subscriptions, one-time fees, services that maybe you can get more cheaply or do without for a year or so). Track your spending on food and take a good look at what you’ve already got that you can leverage to keep within you budget without buying more. Stay off line and out of stores except for necessities. Be smarter about errands and how you’re using
your car. Do the same with your energy and utility costs. All these worked for me and have significantly lowered monthly and annual costs -as well as my stress. I review things every 6 months. It’s unlikely that you can’t find ways to reduce your spending. Still, that’s only half the challenge-you also need to be sure you’re capturing the savings.
Make up a standardized shopping list of the things you eat ALL the time. (This may also mean standardising your eating habits) Print out a few. I can fit four copies on one sheet duplex. Do it like a table with one column that you check off. Before you go shopping, peruse it and tick off the things you need to restock. Stick to the list. If you can do online ordering and pickup it makes it easier to avoid temptation of walking through the aisles.
Born in 1980's, being a kid on 1990's, that is a timeline with no subscription.
I dont have subscription now because I want that way of life. No spotify, no cable tv, hbo app, etc.
With inflation, it's a no for me