Living Below the Breadline - No Holds Barred!

What is it Really Like Living on a Tiny Income?

I don't live like this because I can afford to,
I live like this because I can't afford not to,
That's just the way things are!

I'm a fairly laid back, down to earth person who has an irritating habit of not giving a damn about money. Like everyone else I know, certain things raise my hackles and then the soap box can get dragged out and, before you know it, I've gone off on a rant. This is one of these occasions, so beware you faint-hearted, well paid, do-gooders who only ever follow the frugal living lifestyle because you over spent on ridiculous 'stuff'. Some of us may never have earned more than the national minimum wage and many more I know possibly won't ever reach those dizzy heights! But we all need to live and pay our way in this world.

So, when someone approaches me and asks me to locate a poor family to interview, I need to ask myself how to define 'poor'? Am I poor?



There's enough work to do about this place to guarantee at least 80 hours of work per week for a long, long time, between web work, DIY, gardening, housekeeping, accounts and seeing to livestock, not to mention blogging! But there's no way I could ever pay myself  £495.20 to do it all. In fact, if I look at the hours put into my lifestyle and the actual cash figure earned, it probably works out at about £1 per hour. Boy, am I poor! (Or, at least, so it would seem to some.)

So how is your day going, so far?

Mine began with some web work followed by a visit to two lots of neighbours while I was delivering eggs and arranging to do some garden duties. I baked a ginger cake (Ginger Cake Mix 450g, 4 packs for £1 from Approved Food) so there was something to have with this afternoon's cuppa. (Kardomah Cappuccino Break 99p per Kilo, bought 10kg at the start of this year.)

I'm so poor that I didn't use a main oven to bake my ginger cake, I used my mini oven, which was bought from a charity shop for £5.00 in 2008, just before my excursion to the Isle of Man. (See Bucket List tab at top of page.)

I'm so poor that I'd to have freshly baked crusty loaf served with quail eggs for lunch.

 

I'm so poor that after scoffing the quail eggs on toast, I'd to have some dessert - homemade raspberry ice cream topped with more of those freshly picked raspberries.

 

 

Now, as you all should know, satire is right up my street and sarcasm is never considered the lowest form of wit in this household, so I really do have to laugh out loud when I see or hear people whining about being skint when they have a household income of over £1,000 per week. What the heck would someone like me do with all that money?

 

I spend an average of £76.50 each week. Whatever I have left over and above that is for renovating the house, saving towards extras and maybe even some long-term investments. My life may seem boring to some, especially as I can't travel far without a car this year, but I don't need to travel to work. It's right here, at my desk.

 

Cosmetics and beauty treatments aren't my thing but I do like to disguise my silver streaks now and again. For this, there is henna. In fact, it's available via eBay right now with a buy two, get one free option, so I spent a whole £3.57 including P&P on beauty products this afternoon - go me!

 

There's no private pension, no sick pay if I get ill, no huge portfolio of stocks and shares and the interest from my savings is laughable - it amounted to £3.54 this month. But nor do I have a mortgage, rent to pay or children to support any more - my children are up and away, leading their own lives, albeit nearby. I have a half share in a fixy up and follow a frugal lifestyle... it really is that simple.

 

Does this make me poor?

 

Chances are, if you are reading this then you are probably in a similar situation to me and making the most of this golden opportunity of living your life to the max without maxing the life out your money. But look at it from the Government's point of view - on which side of the line do we fall when they're spouting off their nonsense about living wage, minimum wage and average earnings. We who earn so little MUST be affecting those mean numbers, which means the numbers at the other end of the spectrum are off our frugal scales!

Having started 2013 with a budget of £4,000 for the year and paying as much as possible up front - home insurance, annual telephone line rental, refilling the log store and, of course, my mountain-walking holiday, I find myself looking at making it through the next 137 days with just £1,219.98 to see me through to 2014. The cost of electricity is the biggest drain on resources but it's also paying for the pleasure and luxury of working from home. I don't think that sounds impossible and I don't think it sounds ridiculous - I think it sounds like a fun challenge!

Join me for my next big frugal adventure - stretching the budget to the end of 2013 before starting all over again next year.