Could You Live On $100 For A Month?

[shengmei]

$100 a month is about what I spend after rent and bills each month.

[cercis]

I don't know if I could do it or not.

I don't know what utility prices, etc are like there. I do know I couldn't do it with my kids and dh. I do know I spent a season volunteering for the forest service for $15/day (working day). They provided a house (such as it was), transportation to work and utilities. I did manage to save some money that summer, even though I had to pay a lot to have my car fixed after the gravel road to our house managed to jar something in the door and break it so that the door wouldn't fully shut or open. And I paid a small fortune in flat repair.

Can the contestants take advantage of free food offers? Free candies from candy dishes, free goodies at informational fairs and free samples at stores?

Speaking of hunting and fishing - when I was growing up, school closed during the week of deer season (which includes thanksgiving). They pretended it was thanksgiving break, but the reality was that families depended on every member of their family getting a deer, so kids were pulled out of school to go to deer camp. (Now, really, most deer were actually shot by one or two people in the family but claimed using different deer tags and licenses so that it worked out to one per eligible family member)

My grandfather was a coal miner and a migrant picker. The only time his family finally had enough to settle down in one place and find a home was when he hurt his back and went on disability. Then he was able to hunt, fish and trap to bring in extra food and money. Still, it was 5+ years before they got indoor plumbing (by then, my mom was in HS) and they didn't get a tv until all the kids were out of the house and the first grandkids were in their teens. He had 4 lots in a small town (so they were large lots) and over half of it was in a huge garden. Grandma canned and froze everything they had.

[Matilda1982]

I currently am living on between 120 and 150 a month. This includes food, gas, transportation (I drive and use my bike in town) entertainment, some utilities and all household/personal goods. I live by myself and do not have to worry about rent. I do pay small fees for electricity, water, sewage and garbage. I am able to buy 2 weeks of groceries for about 15 dollars.

[Inkstain82]

Originally Posted by PRICEPLUS

It is interesting. A great many people on the planet are existing on less than a dollar a day. It is really an eye opener.

On the other hand, and I'm *not* saying it isn't awful for them, they'd have some options we don't in the "$100" contest. The cheapest food I can buy at the grocery store is of much higher quality than what they buy. It's illegal for me to try to live without an electrical hookup. Etc.

The *only* way I could make a go of this would be to take a month off my job and go live in a tent somewhere.