How to Live on $500 a Month

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Good article for being 2+ years old. Just thought I'd point out that the professor is right... When I lived in Bangkok I'd always ask the tuk-tuk drivers why they didn't turn their vehicles off at lights when we'd be sitting 5 or more minutes. They all were in agreement that starting it back up again wastes more gas!!

John of NY 5:27PM January 16, 2013

To whom it may concern,
Aside from being incredibly dangerous to do this while moving, the act of turning your car off and turning it back on again actually uses as much gas as idling for about 2-3 minutes does. During cold weather, it will use even more gas to turn it on. Also, turning on your car is the hardest part of your engines day, and this would begin to have an effect on the lifespan of your engine if you are constantly turning it off and on every time you are at a stoplight or in line for fast food.
Hopefully Kimberly Palmer makes the appropriate edits to the article.

Professor Solomon of CA 9:12PM November 03, 2012

i agree that saving money is great, i don't want to scrape mold off cheese or buy food each day! i am fine with conserving power and water but hot water is a boon if you have aches and it's much beter than cold water as a disinfectant.Turning of power while driving is crazy unless it actually would prevent an accident.There are plenty of free ways to help conserve resources and save~I also don't Want To eat cookies baked on my car!

Karen of IN 12:33PM August 30, 2011

I don't know if I should be mortified or proud, but I do a lot of these things already!

Brooklyn Money of NY 3:41PM November 22, 2010

Using plastic containers to hold your sandwiches and snacks is easier to clean, has more of an environmental and financial impact, and keeps contents from getting smooshed.

ellen of DC 1:26PM November 17, 2010

You can get free wifi at a lot of restaurants, such as McDonald's and Burger King. No need to be rude about it.

Tech of NM 10:44AM November 17, 2010

So, you no longer have internet at your home, or are you ripping it off from the neighbors?

jerry of LA 10:11AM November 17, 2010

Ok, some of these tips are good but some are contradicting. How can I "buy in bulk" or "cook big" to keep leftover in freezer, if I have already got rid of my freezer according to your advice ;-)
oh... yes, about moving back home, what can we "the parents" do to get rid of you "the children" because that is how I can cut my cost.

benny of CA 11:58AM November 16, 2010

A couple thoughts on cooking in your car. There's actaully a cookbook out there on cooking on your car engine. (I think it involves a lot of aluminum foil.) I have a bro in law who routinely "grilled" cheese sandwiches on his dashboard. Overall a solar cooker would work more efficiently and have less contamination issues.
Moving back home has downsides. When we stayed at my mom's to care for her, she was queen of the roost, when she moved in with us after several more strokes, she felt she had the same "rights". Those years were not pleasant, she didn't give "child care", she expected service. She's not a particularily unpleasant person, but the dynamics were difficult to navigate. To her I was still the 12 year old kid at home and not a grown responsible adult.
An alternative living situation may be house sharing with other adults in similar straights. The boundaries are easier to navigate. I knew of a single mom of two sharing a huge home with two other single moms. They divided the space, fridge, cabinets, and responsiblities.

Olivia of PA 7:23AM November 16, 2010

I was spending over $180/month on internet services at multiple locations.
Now with free WIFI access I have reduced my cost to a quarter of the original costs..

Cas Perino of FL 3:21PM November 14, 2010