Any advice on how to save money when you have high expenses, and you have no income?

I'm not exactly an expert on this, but perhaps save any spare change/cash-- like the "piggy bank" idea, only not. I've heard of of an interesting method where you save according to bills: reward yourself $1 for simple things you do weekly but not daily (ie: laundry), $5 for something you do once a week, and $20 for something that you'd like to do but never get around to doing (ie: going to the gym)

This doesn't seem like the best method out there, but hey...it works for some. I once read that a person used this method & saved enough to go to Europe.

Cut out all unnecesary expenses ..
(and try to get a job)

Thats one way of ensuring yourself of never going to the gym.

Hence: "this doesn't seem like the best method out there"

First you need to track where you are spending money because based on that you can figure where to cut. The best way to do this is not to guess but to track everything you spend money on. After doing this for a bit (over a month is good because then you can see all your monthly expenses) you can start to figure out where your money is going.
The first thing the pros tell you to cut is your "Latte Factor"- the little extras that you pay money for every day. Make your own lunch and dinner, make your own coffee, do your own manicure, dont buy bottled water (or at least buy a bulk case and carry a bottle rather than buying them for $1 each on the street).
You said you have high expenses, but no income... until you get a job you might want to think about how to cut the expenses. For example- can you get a cheaper apt or a roommate. Change cell phone plans to something cheaper, or figure out if its worth it to get ride of a landline and only use a cell. Maybe there is another insurance plan you could go on.

Some commonly overlooked money-saving tips:

1) If you live in an apartment and do not pay for water, the toilet is your friend. Any garbage that can go down should be flushed down the toilet. This will save you big time on garbage bags. (This works best if you happen to have a friend who is a plumber.)

2) Keep the lights off 24/7. Not only will this obviously cut your electric bill substantially, but you also end up saving big money on clothing - you won't need any, since it's always dark anyways.

3) Does it say anywhere in your car's owner's manual that you shouldn't dilute the gas with some water? With the price of gas nowadays, this could save you big time. It is particularly valuable if you are not paying for your water, as above. (This tip works best if you happen to have a friend who is a mechanic.)

4) If you're an unlucky one and do pay for your water usage, try flushing only once every other time.

5) Also for those who pay for water - Note that in many parts of the world (and throughout the world, historically), showering is considered a luxury. Once a week is luxury enough for those on a tight budget.

6) Limit your physical activity so that you sweat less. Then stop buying deodorant.

7) Turn your cell phone off between 6 AM and 9 PM during weekdays.

8) If you live in an apartment complex, try to find an electrical outlet in the hallway. Then get a few extension cords, a couple of power strips, and voila, you're not paying for electricity anymore.

9) When using your computer, shut the monitor off as much as possible. For instance, if you are typing a word-processing document, type with the screen off, and then turn it on only to spell-check (of course you are spell-checking to prevent wasting paper, right?).

10) Health insurance is for weenies.

11) Stop paying your car insurance bills and just drive safely.

12) The peel of a potato is perfectly edible. Don't waste it every time you use a potato.

13) Plastic culterly and cups are washable, you know.

Get an income. I can not remember a time when I was both over the age of 6 and did not have an income. Basically I've made money doing the following things, in pretty much the following order with overlaps.

1. Bets / small time gambling (sad to say the stakes were pennies, literally)
2. Taking blame for cash (I'll say I did it if you give me $1 - I was not afraid of being sent out of class and they were)
3. Sold stationary and stickers (bought packs and sold / traded by the sheet)
4. $30 jackpot lottos (I made $5 on each one and did them once every month or two)
5. Selling cholov stam candy under the desk against school rules. Got raided every so often and considered it a business expense.
6. Writing papers for the older kids (money back if you get below a B)
7. Pesach, between school and camp and between camp and school programs
8. Mother's helpering
9. Babysitting
10. Working one on one with a disabled kid
11. Tutoring elementary school kids
12. Community college library (DVD/video desk so yeah I returned my own stuff late with no penalty)
13. Actual job A
14. Actual job B (current job)
15. Investing the money earned from said jobs.
16. More babysitting (I keep raising the rates but the phone still keeps ringing)

And that's pretty much that. I'm sure I'm missing one or two of the ways I've made money over the years but whatever. Not that anyone's interested.

I thought that was creative. Sort of funny, but maybe also sad.



II also thought this was creative, funny, and sad. What kept you from advancing to selling something that didn't have a heksher, like Tootsie Rolls, and then to mamash treif like beef jerky, and then to crack cocaine?

I totally agree with Brianna. Finding a source of income should be an essential goal, assuming that during this time you're not being covered by insurance. While not all of Brianna's business ventures would be appropriate for you Shir-- her sense of sticking her foot out there is admirable.

Brianna, I'm particularly humored by number 5, what can I say-- supply and demand.

Pure Myrrh, you're certainly provide food for thought-- perhaps better suited for bangitout or some such site.

In the meanwhile, nechama has provided some really sound advise. Figure out your spending pattern, where can money be saved and what is unnecessary should be analyzed. Eating out can suck your pockets dry.

Because my parents are not makpid on cholov yisroel therefore chalav stam is perfectly fine for me. It was a sore point with me that other kids were "frummer than thou" and made fun of the chalav stam eaters. My candy operation soon put a stop to that when snickers bars were proven to taste better than the chalav yisroel stuff. After all, the frum companies totally take advantage of the fact that these kids never tasted the real thing. I made pretty good money by the way.


Thank you. By the way, those were not suggestions. I was simply demonstrating that there are ways to earn money whether you are seven or seventeen.

The slight difference in this situation is that the protagonist is older than 17 (that's simply what I meant on that front), I meant to mention that you had some sound but age appropriate (and anti-establishment) ideas that may not be appropriate for Shir if she was contemplating them. [no need to debate this]

Have you tried job agencies?

Main problem is high expenses, even when I had income, it was still hard to pay the bills. My intent of this thread was more about how to save money on expenses (see Nechama's post).

So in your opening post when you said, "and no income", that was a red herring?

1. Find out what your expenses are (make a budget).
2. Trim the fat (Nechama's latte factor)
3. ??????
4. Profit

and if there is no plumber friend, use plastic shopping bags (i bought regular garbage bags once right before i got married, never bought them again - waste of money)



i so hope my kid won't earn money some of your ways when she is 7.

Shir, may i ask how do you manage to pay your expenses without an income?

Nechama pretty much summed it up.

Shir, why are your expenses so high? Also, graduate school program are you in?

The proper way of expressing that question would be "Also, are you in a graduate school program?"

Left out the word "which" accidently. I didn't ask IF she's in graduate school because that's obvious. There are only four valid reasons to be an intelligent, capable young woman who does not have a job:

1. Married to a rich man or father pays for everything (I'd have a job even I married a billionaire but that's just me)
2. Graduate school
3. VERY hard undergrad program but I think she's older than that
4. Physical issue (pregnancy, illness)
6. Psychological problem (which I doubt in this case)

The most likely reason for Shir to not be making any money at all is that she's in a graduate program of some kind.

but i'm sure, she is not paying for her grad school now (how could she with no income? so, either loans or the parents are paying, then it's an expense now), what are HIGH expenses are there? living with parents, i assume, so shelter, utilities and food are covered. what's there: clothing, books and cell phone? those are HIGH expenses?

What about "doesn't feel like working", or doesn't need to work in order to feel like her life has a purpose and meaning? or Would rather make due with the bare minimum than slave away at a job she hates (or would that fall directly under mental illness?)

Why do you assume she's living with her parents?

Rent can be EXPENSIVE. Even with roommates.

1. oops, i don't know

2. i know all about it

I know someone who reused yogurt containers for milk drinking cups. Dunno how they did it, though, because they made their own yogurt too.

sorry, but ewww....

duplicate- I hate it when the same post goes up twice.