When I was lounging in the airport over the weekend waiting for my reassigned flight, I stumbled across an article in Women's Health about the magazine's beauty editor Polly Blitzer attempting to live on $50 for a week. The article greets readers with the headline, "The Dare: Live on $50 for a week (about seven days' worth of Starbucks Cinnamon Dolce lattes and The New York Times).
Polly says her biggest challenge was giving up expensive grooming habits like regular blowouts, manicures, and pedicures. While she was willing to swap her usual blowout for a headband, Polly wasn't willing to buy fast food. Instead, she loaded up on free samples at Whole Foods to "get gourmet on limited funds." She was able to make the most of her pantry and concocted nine meals out of these items: six cans of black beans, a box of rigatoni, a jar of Dijon, two packages of frozen peas, and one can of crushed tomatoes.
While it's tough to keep costs down when you live in a place like New York, Polly admits that she would take the $50 challenge again. She learned that she's an "unconscious spender" and doesn't have much to show for an empty wallet: "A cab ride, a pack of gum — before I know it, I've burned through a hundred bucks!" Would it be difficult for you make $50 stretch over a week's expenses?
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It's funny you mentioned this. I recently just started doing $40 a week. I realized I was frivolously spending hundreds of unchecked dollars, so I decided to keep that in check by only doing $40 a week.
I've been doing it for four weeks now and haven't gone over
It's really kind of fun
for me because sometimes it's a bit of a challenge, but ultimately I know that the alternative (wasteful spending) is much worse.
To be honest, I've been a bit surprised at how much $40 can really be when you spend it wisely.
1Um, being that I work part time, I have about that much for 2 works of living after gas and other bills.
College life is terrible. At least you learn valuable things, such as how to do your own make up and such.
2I would miss my iced caramel macchiatos, my magazines, and wine.
3(btw, I still can get coffee every morning and eat out for lunch twice a week, not too shabby.)
4Does this include all of your groceries? I don't know if I could do that. I could definitely do it if it's jus random things like manicures and coffees and lunches out.
5I hardly spend any money during the workweek so that wouldn't be too hard...but including the weekend?!? I don't know if I could do it.
6syako that includes groceries??
7I don't think that it would be that hard to spend $50 a week (not including gas and bills of course!). I can easily spend $20 on groceries for the week and go out once or twice to eat somewhere inexpensive and still have a little money left over to rent a movie and a bottle of wine. I don't think I could live like this EVERY week though, sometimes a girl needs a little splurge!
8No, not for me! But I don't splurge on groceries or anything.
9(I have a hungry husband to feed!)
10I could never live on $50 a week. I spend a lot on gas, groceries and social outings during the week. I have definitely tried before (more like $100 though), but for some reason it just seems impossible to me.
11I could only do it if I didn't have to put gas in my car that week, because it costs me about $40 to fill up. $50 for food etc. is completely doable though.
12I spend less than or close to $50 already if we aren't counting groceries. I usually eat lunch out one day a week and then go out to eat two nights, one night w/ nicer food/alcohol.
It sounded like the lady in the article was including groceries, which is way more impressive...
13I already do this.
I fill up once a week (just enough to get to work/locally on the weekends) for £50. and I take out £50 to get me through the week (smokes, lunches, snacks, going out, clothes everything except breakfast/dinner). Last week I saved £20!!
I dont spend over unless I need more petrol to go out (never over a tenner), or need work clothes or have to pay for gym membership. I havent gone over this amount in... 2 months? Saving like £30 a week in lunch money alone by making my own. Things are tight and I like to pay my bills rather than buy my lunches or buy a new pair of shoes every week.
14well I wasn't trying to impress anyone...
15It's something I would definitely try. Would definitely have to ditch the breakfasts, lunches, coffee, and random incidentals I leave work for.
I drive a little car, so with moderate driving, I can get by w/one fill up/8 days or so.
I might try this.
16It would be a little hard. Shopping at discount stores helps out a lot. And definately coupons! I shop at the 99 cent store and get tons of bargains. For example Halloween is coming up, they sell all the name brand foods there so you can pick up Halloween candy there.
17I go out a lot. I know I need to cut down on driving to save money. It's tough though.
18I do this all the time, in an average week I usually just buy one meal out and maybe a book. But I've really cut down on impulse buys since I work only part time. Some weeks though I have to buy clothes or stuff for school, and it can quickly go over $50. I've been waiting for this pair of $25 shoes to get marked down for over a month, because I just can't spend it when I have perfectly good shoes at home. And I save up for any purchase I know is going to be over $50 or just wait for sales.
19oh syako I'm sorry, I didn't mean that! I am quite impressed that you can still buy coffee on $40 a week. I gave that up and I MISS it! Coffee here is like $4 for a latte, so that would be half of my weekly budget - sigh....
20I spend about that much. I do a really good job of buying inexpensive groceries. I have started going to the library for my mags and books but I do have a few subscriptions. I found an inexpensive clothing store and they send me coupons but if I could bring my lunch more I will be in great shape.
21i spend 50 bucks a week on gas. if we left that out i could prob do it for a couple weeks but i'd really miss going out and my lattes! it also depends if groceries are included (the basics)
22The 2 of us already spend 100 a week for groceries and others, no gas included, but we live where we work.
23Im unemployed right now, so you can bet that im living on less then that.
24excluding gas and groceries... i don't spend any money during the week.
weekends, i'll probably spend $20-30 (basically just for eating out and alcohol).
25i've always cut my own hair, i keep my nails natural and i finally quit my frapp habit last summer when i moved six blocks away from my nearest starbucks... so i can do $50/wk as long as i get lucky with the price whichever day i fill up on gas. but after about a week i want to go out and forget about the budget every time
26i think that i could do it -but i would have to know the full rules. can i buy my metro card since that costs $80 a month? i think that other than that - i don't really use high price things - or eat expensive foods so i could totally do it.
27I could do it, but VERY uncomfortably. I don't know how the editor did it if seven days leaves her without "regular" blowouts, manicures, pedicures, etc. Sheesh a blowout costs me $50 a pop! While I could do this without damaging my wallet, I wouldn't be able to do such out of feeling totally glutinous! This sounds like a great challenge I may put myself against. It would be liberating.
28what is a blowout?
29tidalwave, a blowout is when you go to the hair dresser just to get your hair professionally blow dried! wish i had the funds to splurge like that!
30Um, I'm guessing if you factored in all expenses, she was not living for $50 a week. Take NY rent and average it out over 4 weeks a month. Way more than $50, I'm betting.
31deanna024- I believe the $50 was just for non-fixed expenses, so not including things like rent and other regular bills.
32yeah, it was probably $50 disposable income. who gets regular blowouts? I'm 20, am I too young to understand this phenomenon? I always do my own hair, unless I'm getting it cut. What a waste! I should try this though.
33With exploding foodprices these days 50 bugs is not much (guess it would be about 35Euro for me). I mean i DO think about my grocery list all the time: Do i need this,is that necessary. But sometimes you want to have a little more. Luxury. So i work extra-hours and try to spend my money reasonable. We have a saying: Everyone can spend his money only one time.
34I really don't spend cash on small things like coffee, snacks, magazines, etc. It does cost quite a bit to eat well though, so that's where most of my money goes after rent and bills. I could probably eat for under $50 a week if I only bought a few things like lentils, black beans, and sweet corn. But I like variety.
35If I didn't have to include my husband, I could live on $50 per week. It might mean eliminating a few frivolous things. I'm pretty frugal anyway so there aren't many things I do that I really think are "wastes" of money.
36I would also be curious how much extra time she had in a week as a result of not doing those frivolous activities.
37If I cut out the $20 a week for lunch, I could totally do this. I spend about $30-40 at the grocery store (including some luxury items I could do without like nice cheeses & wine) and $7 for my share of veggies from our CSA, and have few incidental expenses otherwise.
I never made Starbucks a daily or even weekly routine, and I certainly don't waste my money on blowouts.
38My husband lost his job 4 months ago, and we are on a strict budget of about 45 per week including groceries. Its hard, you have to search out the better deals but we have survived and its been an eye opener as to how much we really spend on food or frivolous items. I havent bought one single piece of clothing, makeup, or lunch out and its made me realize how much i already have, versus what i think i "need"
39If I counted alcohol as a "fixed expense," then maybe.
40People actually pay to get their hair professionally blow-dried?! I could see doing it before a special event or at least just on occasion, but weekly? Who even has the time to do that.
41People actually pay to get their hair professionally blow-dried?! I could see doing it before a special event or at least just on occasion, but weekly? Who even has the time to do that.
42I have to assume this doesn't include things like gas, but my guess would be that based on the part in the article about making good use of the items in the pantry, the $50 a week did include groceries.
I think this would be a great thing to try doing. I'm sure I'd be amazed at how much money I could NOT spend if I put my mind to it.
43I have to do this, and not by choice. And it's really more like $20 a week for me. And some how I manage!
44I can get by without the manicures/pedicures and everyday coffee's.
I still do lunches/dinners for work though, groceries & have to fill up for gas once a week or so... hard to avoid those costs (Even with coupons).
45I'll have to try this someday when I'm actually working. Right now as a college student I feel that I don't spend alot for long stretches of time, even on food...but then when I get home over break or decide to treat myself for a day, I can blow through $100-$300 easily and hardly notice.
46$50 for frivilous things (mani/pedi/blowout, going out to eat instead of taking a lunch) that can't include groceries as well..
47I kind of enjoy budgeting now, finding ways to pay for things more painlessly - it has its challenges but in a way the challenge is fun.
Like others have said above, its learning what you "need" versus what you "want", and how easy it can be to cut corners in painless ways.
As far as food goes, its cheaper if you can streamline what you make to include similar ingredients on a tight week or use up things you already have - i.e. taking a really nice bag of frozen spinach to contribute to lasagna one night and canneloni later in the week, using the leftover lasagna sheets as well as the rest of the spinach, etc. I also never buy teabags anymore, though I never splurge on QUALITY of tea I found a local vendor who sells bulk teas, including a really exceptional tippy Assam that I buy in bags loose and keep in a good quality container at home. For the price of 100 bags of mediocre tea, (which at about 2-3 cups a day, lasts a month), I get enough loose tea to last twice as long and its better quality.
I also have to feed a hungry boyfriend, who is in school, so I have a trusty ricecooker. I may buy smaller quantities of meat or more expensive ingredients, but make extra rice so he can fill up on a bit more if needed - in addition, we buy really healthy, filling wholegrain and fiber breads that are suitable for breakfast, lunch, sandwiches, whatever. We cut our haircuts down to once every TWO months, though I have to admit its a bit annoying, it helps, and we don't subscribe to cable, we have a TV but play DVDs or enjoy things on the net instead.
Finally, I got rid of my phone bill entirely by going to Skype, which is ..in a word...awesome.
I will say as a disclaimer that I don't have kids, and don't have to commute so I respect that those 2 things make it a lot harder!
48With the price of gas-are you kidding me?!!! My car eats more than I do!
49I agree on the tea - when you buy in bulk and loose, it saves you lots of money over coffee! And it's more soothing
50We cut down to eating out once a week and when I go clothes shopping (the one vice I find hard to get rid of) I do it at thrift stores in upscale neighborhoods near me. You wouldn't believe what you can find. I picked up some sweet Banana Republic pants for $10, Lucky jeans for $3.50...many thrift stores have weekly 2-for-1 clothing sales as well. If you are selective and patient, you can dress well for pocket change.
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