60k a year or less, What Do You Go without?

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  [Deactivated] on 24/08/2015 - 11:50

  I used to be on 60k a year (couple, no kids) doing a bit better now.

  • used pack lunch pretty much every day, now I allow myself the odd $9 dumplings as a treat, pretty much always order tap water with meals
  • got the new iphone when my contract expired because the missus phone died at the same time, other wise i just keep my phone until it dies
  • wardrobe refresh is on per-need basis. "last pair of jeans are dying, time to get a few new pairs that'll last me 2 years"
  • Would use tax returns to upgrade PC(s)
  • I would pretty much never go out for drinks (too expensive) or buy alcohol (too expensive as well)
  • actually filled up with ultimate as I found on longer distances it saved me slightly more than the price premium
  • no cleaner, no domestic trips, nights out were usually cheap ass tuesdays with the missus.

  Now on the other hand, if I were in your shoes, I would probably get a better house than what I have now with the associated mortgage, and treat myself pretty much as you would. It does feel lavish, but if you can afford it, all the better for you.

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  chillybags on 25/08/2015 - 00:25

  Im a student at university, probably made around $10k last year

  mortgage still live at home
  refresh wardrobe average spend $300
  average $8 a day on lunch, uni days
  a couple domestic trips per year
  went on a big america trip at the beginning of the year approx $6k (stupid ozbargain finding me "cheap" flights)
  E10 fuel for my car $20 per week
  1 meals out on weekend $10-15
  $4 coffee a day sometimes 2 Never have drunk, never will and my wallet is thankful

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  lordra on 25/08/2015 - 12:03

  Here's my list. of not haves:

  1. No mortgage, only rent for now, can't save up for the big deposit.
  2. I used shirts from 5 years ago, lol, keep my clothes real fresh and treat them like gold! Did a refresh in 2013 after a decade! Won't be buying any clothes over the next two years.
  3. Always a packed lunch for me, save that money!
  4. Do my own cleaning, top to bottom, once a month, I take it as a workout & money earned cos I pay myself!
  5. Two phones since 2010. Don't intend on changing this year either.
  6. No laptop, lol, I borrow when I need one
  7. 0 tech upgrades
  8. A couple domestic trips per year, yes, this I do do.
  9. E10, the cheapest station near me that I can find online
  10. Eat at home as often as I can, only spending when I leave town
  11. No coffee or tea. Only good ol tap water. :)
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  winhhh on 25/08/2015 - 14:50

  As a low income earner, I would like some guidance on what to do with my life.
  Did a graphic design degree and graduated, only to get a shit paying job with no career progression.
  Tips?

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    malouphix on 11/09/2015 - 23:37

    What do you do in your spare time?
    Further study/self improvement or watch TV/play games?

    Improve yourself, make a 5 year plan perhaps. Where do you want to be in 5 years?
    Start with the end goal in mind and work backwards. If you are determined and are sick enough of your current life you will get there. Only you are able to improve yourself and life, it won't just magically happen by wishing it.

    Concentrate on being successful and the money will follow.

    All the best.

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  Desertsyd on 25/08/2015 - 16:08

  +1

  Numbers are generally correct (income bit is!),

  Food is not included

  http://i.imgur.com/Rex66ZT.png

  mortgage
  refresh wardrobe once a year average spend $3k
  average $20 a day on lunch, work days
  cleaner once every 3-4 weeks what!!
  new iPhone every year
  new laptop every couple years
  one major technology buy a every 2-3 years
  a couple domestic trips per year
  ultimate fuel for my car, I don't know why, just feels better
  2 meals out both Saturday Sunday, every weekend
  $4 coffee a day sometimes 2

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    [Deactivated] on 25/08/2015 - 18:05

    any chance you could upload your spreadsheet? Looks great!

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    inherentchoice on 26/08/2015 - 11:18

    Cool spreadsheet. But you don't include vehicle maintenance?

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  rgr on 25/08/2015 - 16:38

  +2

  I honestly think 50k a year is easy if the media and corporations weren't smashing our faces with ads all the time to buy their crap. The reason why people always feel they need to earn more is due to the fact that they're confronted with the opportunity to buy the latest thing that will make them feel 'x' where 'x' is a positive emotion connected to looks, status, etc. The other one is their social groups - if you're around materialistic people then there is a high chance you'll end up being materialistic yourself.

  The other idea is that if we were to work less i.e. 4 days instead of 5 then there might also be less consumption because we're just more relaxed and stressed out about work. On the flipside though, maybe working less would encourage us to spend even more. Thoughts?

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    ArcticSilver08 on 25/08/2015 - 16:49

    +2

    I know for me, the more I work the less chance I have to get bored and spend money!

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    nimnomnimy on 25/08/2015 - 22:19

    That's on the premise that most people dislike what they do. I love what I do so I would be happiest if they reduced income tax and increased consumption tax. That way the highest earners pay more tax through what they buy rather than what they earn. Seems fairest for all

    I think working less breeds a lazy society where people feel entitled - I don't support it. Personally I think work hours need to be longer

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      rgr on 25/08/2015 - 22:43

      +1

      Humans are lazy by nature though, our bodies are survival machines and if there's a chance to conserve energy then it'll neurologically go for it. That's why everyone loathes Mondays and feels excited on Fridays.

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        nimnomnimy on 25/08/2015 - 22:58

        Not everyone ;)

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        [Deactivated] on 30/09/2015 - 22:14

        Wow. You sound like a pseudo intellectual armchair psychologist.

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        rgr on 01/10/2015 - 21:42

        -1

        @Orpheus: I am :)

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  chompy78 on 28/08/2015 - 09:31

  +1

  I am curious how people in mining centric places feel (like Perth). An average entry level unskilled job like a techie or administrator starts at $75k and all you hear is how hard it is to live. A surveyor was going to quit because he was on "only" 140k plus bonus. (Not even a senior).

  I would have thought living off 60k would require be noodles and public transport. It'll be $20k a year in rent alone?

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  bryanang on 28/08/2015 - 22:02

  +2

  I earn similar but only started worked 1.5 years so far. Single, and no loan currently.
  I felt your lifestyle slightly more lavish but not by big margin.

  No mortgage- sharing a house with few working class- in regional queensland. rent only 130/week + bills
  Not very fashionable- wardrobe refresh as needed, ~1k last year
  Due to busy work- often skipped lunch. $4-5 coffee a day
  No cleaner
  New phone every year- variable brand. Oneplus One currently, due to refresh soon, looking at iPhone 6s.
  New laptop every 2-3 years.
  Several minor and one major tech buys a year. 2k
  1-2 international trip a year- average 5k year.
  Recently bought a car- 3yo used Aurion by cash. Regular RON 91 fuel felt powerful enough for the v6 ;)
  2-3 meals out a week.

  Coz finish study 1.5 years ago- lifestyle, particularly food and fashion still largely the same as student. Major new things I spent on is tech, travel, and a car this year.
  Bought the car coz my old one is too old and too expensive to keep it safe on road.
  leftover kept half in savings half in stock investment- which burnt me bad recently due to china stock crash.
  Looking into a house in 1-2 years for investment.
  So, what u think of mine?

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  charmed_tiger6 on 29/08/2015 - 20:15

  Around 110k before tax combined income…

  Mortgage = 2k per month (we pay $800 more than is required)
  Car loan = $666 per month (trying to get rid of this.. Not having much luck selling though :( )
  Both of us hate shopping so clothes get bought only when needed
  Lunch once or twice a week ~ $40
  No cleaner. Not sure if I'm okay with a stranger cleaning my mess :/
  SO has a work phone, I have a $60pm plan. New phone through plan every 2-3years
  We are desktop ppl. Mines been going fine since I built it 5.5 years ago. SO upgrades parts of it every few years/when required. He has just bought a gaming laptop to replace it as we hope to try out a working holiday soon :)
  Games (board & video) are where we splurge. We try to find where they are cheapest but average price is about $60 -$100 every month
  We try to have one holiday a year. Haven't gotten overseas for a couple of years though. I think that's why the working holiday idea is looking good to us atm.. Just need to get rid of that bloody car loan
  Fuel = $150 per month
  We are quite lazy when it comes to cooking but love food. We probably get takeaway for dinner more than 50% of the week. I'm guessing around $100 ish spend per week? :/
  $9 coffee a day on workdays, sometimes we share a $5 sweet with it. We use our coffee machine on the weekends

  The biggest thing we probably avoid is buying drinks when out. If we are drinking alcohol, it's at home and whatever is on special at a liquor store.
  I always look for specials if we decide to buy something and we hardly ever go to the movies. No concerts either..

  It will be interesting to see how we cope on a working holiday!

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  lisss on 01/09/2015 - 16:51

  When I was on less than $60k per year, the things from your list I indulged in were:
  average $10 a day on lunch, 3 days per week
  a couple domestic trips per year
  2 meals out both Saturday Sunday, every weekend (but cheap meals, max $30 each)
  $4 coffee a day (max 1)

  I could have indulged in everything other than the mortgage (I was paying rent though), but was saving for a deposit for said mortgage. So it's a question of priorities really.

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  loki niflheim on 02/09/2015 - 23:16

  Interesting topic. I earn this mark, inc. tax. From you list, I go with:
  - Mortgage
  - Ultimate fuel for car, cost $50-$100 a month. It does, as you say, feels smoother.

  The rest is too extravagant.

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  Tarara on 17/09/2015 - 10:07

  +3

  She came from Greece she had a thirst for knowledge
  She studied sculpture at Saint Martin's College, that's where I caught her eye.
  She told me that her Dad was loaded
  I said in that case I'll have a rum and coke-cola.
  She said fine and in thirty seconds time she said, I want to live like common people
  I want to do whatever common people do, I want to sleep with common people
  I want to sleep with common people like you.
  Well what else could I do - I said I'll see what I can do.
  I took her to a supermarket
  I don't know why but I had to start it somewhere, so it started there.
  I said pretend you've got no money, she just laughed and said oh you're so funny.
  I said yeah? Well I can't see anyone else smiling in here.
  Are you sure you want to live like common people
  You want to see whatever common people see
  You want to sleep with common people,
  you want to sleep with common people like me.
  But she didn't understand, she just smiled and held my hand.
  Rent a flat above a shop, cut your hair and get a job.
  Smoke some fags and play some pool, pretend you never went to school.
  But still you'll never get it right
  'cos when you're laid in bed at night watching roaches climb the wall
  If you call your Dad he could stop it all.
  You'll never live like common people
  You'll never do what common people do
  You'll never fail like common people
  You'll never watch your life slide out of view, and dance and drink and screw
  Because there's nothing else to do.
  Sing along with the common people, sing along and it might just get you thru'
  Laugh along with the common people
  Laugh along even though they're laughing at you and the stupid things that you do.
  Because you think that poor is cool.
  I want to live with common people, I want to live with common people

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  AlienC on 15/07/2020 - 12:49

  This thread is actually very important to me as I think about my costs almost every day if not every hour.. my life is dictated by it and I have only been earning for the past year due to some mental health reasons earlier but yeah earning under $30k per year my biggest spend is definitely food as I public transport every day and my opal has a cap of like $2.50 thanks to some wizardry I forgot how I did it but yeah.

  After rent, internet bill and mobile bill my biggest expense is food and lately I have been trying to resist take out and eating home cooked meals.

  Bulk sausages is my go to and instant noodles… not winning any nutritional awards here but it beats starving that's for sure.

  I know I will never crawl out of this poverty way lifestyle but I am content with my small earnings and savings.. still stabilizing as buying outside food is very tempting but it beats laying in bed debating about whether I should have gotten that subway or kebab or Chinese takeaway… stupidly I justify my takeaway spending saying I am being charitable by keeping someone's else's family afloat especially in these trying times but on my low low income I gotta draw the line somewhere.

  Life is tough but at least I will always have ozbargain lol.

  Can't even fathom what I would do on $60k a year let alone double that.

  Don't really care about my wardrobe and was hit one time with a $400 spend at a retail store because I was out of my mind when I got there.. that's another thing entering a place you definitely cannot afford is a huge no no when your defenses are vulnerable.

  I was weak I know but sometimes we gotta learn the hard lessons the hard way before we can grow.

  Wish I had a clue how to run or start a business I think that is my only way out as I don't think I could do any other job without fully killing myself and basically coming home beyond dead every day.

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