76% of Americans Are Living Paycheck-To-Paycheck

[NickB79]

59. People do a lot of stupid stuff with their money

Cable TV when you don't really need it: over-the-air local channels, Netflix and a library card to check out movies, music and books can sub in nicely for entertainment.

Eating out far too often: learn how to make a good pot of rice and beans and have some with every meal: https://www.google.com/search?q=puerto+rican+beans+and+rice&client=firefox-a&hs=ZQt&rls=org.mozilla:en-US fficial&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=iqDIUdvqMOSQyAGm7IDACQ&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1366&bih=636#imgdii=_

Ignoring garage sales, thrift stores, and Craigslist for clothes, kids toys, building supplies, craft supplies, etc. I picked up an entire summer wardrobe for my 3-yr old daughter in the past week for $30. This included 10 T-shirts, 2 nice airy dresses, 5 pairs of jeans, a few pairs of shorts, a skirt, a nice pair of khakis, and a pair of Croc sandels. A friend of mine, who does live paycheck to paycheck to maintain the upper middle class image, can spend $30 on ONE SHIRT for her kid. I've also picked up enough free wood pallets, nails, hinges, etc, that I was able to build a boatload of garden projects, including a chicken coop big enough for 4 hens!

Investing money on aesthetic home improvements, not energy-efficient ones: when we started upgrading our house, we put top priority on energy efficiency. New insulation and a very efficient furnace came before granite countertops and hardwood floors. Ceiling fans run before we resort to the A/C. Yardspace was converted from grass into edible landscaping and vegetable gardens.

I really don't feel like I'm missing out on anything in life despite having cut back my spending substantially in the past 5 years. I can now devote 10% of my take-home pay to savings, and my wife devotes 5% of hers. I spend a lot of time taking my daughter to the park instead of the mall or Target (where I would invariably buy something), and I cook her healthy meals instead of buying her Happy Meals. She's only 3, but she LOVES going to the library and snuggling up with Daddy on a beanbag with a good book