we live off of 32,000 and live in a decent home. We have a new car (paid for) and have cable. what we dont have is all new clothes, more than one car and cell phones. You have to be willing to give up somethings to survive on 24,000 but is sure as heck can be done.

It just sounds like both your sister and bil are lazy!

I agree. Mindset is everything. This goes back to the threads about The Secret and a quote from the movie. "The person that says he can and the person that says he can't are both right".

My take on that is that the person that says he can is willing to do what it takes to do it. The person that says he can't, isn't willing to do what it takes. It's not that one is more capable than the other.

Right now, we would have to move from the city we live in to a cheaper city to live on $25,000, because it is a pretty expensive place to live, but you have to make the choices that will most benefit your situation. And I also am wondering why in the world does a 6 year old need a cell phone? At what time would they be alone where there was no phone to use?

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Frugal is being wise with your money and resources and cheap is forcing everyone else to.

Check out my blog, I'm starting to add more to it, as I can...vioburn.blogspot.com

6 year old with a cell phone lol wow l don't even have one yet

It can be done--- but they need to buckle down. First, no cell phones! Second, you said she had four children---does she receive child support from the other fathers? Why do they have a car payment? Take a bus and get a clunker for the weekends. They can do this- she just doesn't want to....I'm not sure I would either!

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Blessings, Susan

I make just over $12 per hour. I usually only work 1-2 days a week. However if I HAD to support my family on that, I could not. Or I should say, I would have to change lifestyles, sell my house, etc. Even working 40 hours... I could sustain SOME kind of life on that, but even then some bills would not get paid.

I would say that there is no way we could live on that!!!! I would think some pt time jobs would be in order. If your bil can't work more due to medical issues, then your sister can maybe work around his schedule? They do need to work on cutting expenses too. Maybe some assistance is available?

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~Happiness is a large family~

I know it can be done. I do it...and for less. My husband is disabled ( but no disability $ yet) and we are a family of 5 living off of $1600 take home a month. We have a $916 house payment which leaves us with 684 a month to live on. I am a very frugal grocery shopper, and we sometimes swap extras with my neighbor (friend) and then she gives us the same and that usually saves. We have a large garden in the sumeer, and I can as much as I can for the winter. I only but food from the sale ads with a coupon and because of my husbands medical condition, I only cook from scratch. We go out to eat on our Anniversart, or if someone else is treating (lol), so I can get by with $250 - 300 a month on grocerys. That leaves $384. $116 for car insurance. $268. $60 for phone/internet. $208. Budget plans for electric and heat run about $150 combined. $58. I do daycare and my husband is unable to work, so I maybe use a tank of gas a month in our one paid for 1997 vehicle. Its tight, but it can be done. I ask for necessities for birthdays and Christmas from my family, so I have gift cards for Target and Walmart for all the extras and my Inlaws occasionally drop of Laundry soap and TP and stuff like that. When Income taxes caome back I play catch-up if I need to or sock it away, and because we live so frugally it LASTS unless there is an emergency. Now granted every week or two Im able to pick up an extra babysitting job, or clean a house for someone, so thats extra, but we live happily, albeit not excessively.

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I’ve been SWAK’d!

I am a single mother of 2 sons, one is a freshman in college and the other is a junior in HS. After my divorce four years ago I had to return to work FT prior to that I was only working PT. Just this past year I was able to obtain a job where I earn 12.08 an hour. We are a family of three living off roughly 22K a year. Unfortunately I am paying off divorce debt & stupid debt while trying to learn to live very frugally and below my means.

It can be done but like a few others stated sacrifices have to be made, I gave up cable TV, home land line phone, kept cell phone & use it as home phone now, reduced heating & electric bills - went on monthly budget payment plan, drafted a hard core budget & stick to it, no longer eat out, pack lunches, gave up charitable contributions until I can afford them again, I CONTINUALLY look for ways to save and cut back, and finally I am considering getting a short term PT job for 6 months to a year to pay off debt & save some $$$. I FINALLY got tired of my DEBT!!! I can live of 22K a year.

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Me Mom
DS Matthew
DS Patrick
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Completed the Disneyland Half Marathon 09/03/07.