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Tips for living on your own.


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Don't buy new video games. Get cheap cheap cheap used ones. The story is still the same a few months after its release.

Make your own food. Cooking in helps save a shit load of money. Buy this cook book http://www.amazon.com/Americas-Kitchen-C....3 490930&sr=1-1

It will teach you literally everything you need to know about cooking great food, and it has handy charts that show you how to do things that you wouldn't naturally be able to figure out the best way of doing. For example they have a picture guide to kneading dough, which while it sounds like something you'd be able to figure out they really show you how to do it without getting it stuck everywhere or over flowering etc. They go out of their way to make cooking open for people who are still learning the kinks while also having some killer complex recipes for those who've got the gift.

Also the way they get the recipes is pretty rad. They try a ton of variations on each item, then feed them to people and have folks vote on what's the best dish, and that is the one that makes it into the book. Seriously buy this book if you want to start cooking food. You can eat like a king while you're broke if you cook for yourself and shop smart (stay on the outside of the store where the meat, dairy, and veggies are and out of the middle where the processed shit is).

Use the web to find free recipes. There are a ton of sites that will send you one every day right to your email.

Most importantly make friends and start a dinner night. Nothing is as much fun and its a great way to make other people cook for you, you've just got to remember to return the favor.

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dont get a girlfriend, she will take all your money

Unless she is loaded, then you are all set. Unfortunately i did not get so lucky.

oh yeah and there are tons of online coupon sites these days that i have started using. that help on savings with groceries.

And keeping a budget is key. i was always keeping updated spending spreadsheets in the past, and really need to get back on it. It really helps cutting stupid spending. You can realize how much you blew on unneeded shit and hopefully you can learn to avoid it.

Since i have no income coming in, i really need to get my shit organized. my unemployment isnt going to cover all my bills so i am going through everything and relearning how to live smart again. Over the last couple years i have had good jobs where i was able to start buying nicer things, and worry less about running out of money. so now its gonna be tough to get back to keeping tabs on everything, being cheap, and smart.

good luck dude

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1 - Get a fucking job. You won't run out of money if you have it coming in.

2 - Steal some condoms from a clinic. Babies, abortions, and AIDS medicine is expensive

3 - Move to somewhere that isn't NYC, LA, etc. The cost of living is high, the jobs pay about the same. Plus, no where is fun if you're broke.

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oh yeah and there are tons of online coupon sites these days that i have started using. that help on savings with groceries.

yeah, sites like this one http://couponcravings.com/ really helps.

and if you become good enough, you'll end up like this woman

and the whole netflix thing, you can always try redbox, which are a dollar per movie, but if you use this site http://www.insideredbox.com/redbox-codes/ for codes, the movie rental can be completely free.

the internet is a huge help.

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Guest eriathomas
Buy bulk ramen noodles (not brand, but basic noodles) from Asian markets.

This. They are super cheap, usually better then name brands, and have some awesome flavors (like curry).

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Guest markovianprocess
Don't buy new video games. Get cheap cheap cheap used ones. The story is still the same a few months after its release.

Or you can buy any number of older consoles and get hooked on retro games. You can probably get a system and like 10 games (or more if you look hard) for the price of any latest release game. Even cheaper, get a controller for your laptop/home computer and use emulators.

Check out http://www.freecycle.org/

If you sign up to the Amazon website, since you're in the US you can use Kindle for PC and download any number of books for free that are no longer subject to copyright. Why not get hooked on Philosophy, or the complete collection of Mark Twain or Oscar Wilde?

You can also download 30,000 free ebooks here: http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page

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Spices and seasoning are WAY cheaper in the "ethnic" aisle of grocery stores. Sometimes half of what they are in the "Spices" aisle which is like 2 aisles away in most grocery stores.

I know too much about food :(

this is what I was going to suggest as well...

also check dollar stores for canned food for your pantry.

try to find local mom and pop supermarkets if they're convenient as the savings is there as well. compare brands a lot, you'd be surprised to see the wide variety of pricing for the same vegetable in a can in different aisles with a different name on it.

also, eat more vegetarian meals at home... get dried soy meat replacement that you can re-hydrate and have protein in meals.

if you eat ramen noodle soup, don't use the flavor packets or just less of the packet, it's loaded with sodium and msg and that isn't good eats. ;)

also, take multi-vitamins daily, I take 1000 mg of Vitamin C and a generic men's daily vitamin. the Vitamin C will boost your immune system and if you don't get sick, you don't have to go to the doctor, which only leads to more bills.

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Guest markovianprocess
also, take multi-vitamins daily, I take 1000 mg of Vitamin C and a generic men's daily vitamin. the Vitamin C will boost your immune system and if you don't get sick, you don't have to go to the doctor, which only leads to more bills.

If you're eating well, there is no point in taking a multi-vitamin. Save your money.

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/....e-160 5377.html

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seriously, just budget shit out. If you got one set that you know goes to food, gas, bills, savings, clothes, and entertainment, then just go out of there. If you can afford 50 a month for entertainment, look ahead for releases you think you will want and wait. Or if nothing happens that month, bank it, and spend 50 the next month. Having money in the bank account is huge, so if you lose job, roommate moves out, you arent completely fucked.

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also, take multi-vitamins daily, I take 1000 mg of Vitamin C and a generic men's daily vitamin. the Vitamin C will boost your immune system and if you don't get sick, you don't have to go to the doctor, which only leads to more bills.

If you're eating well, there is no point in taking a multi-vitamin. Save your money.

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/....e-160 5377.html

this is true, but it's not going to hurt you unless you start taking 10 time the daily allowance.

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